4th Annual CMoG Flame Collab | Andrew "AKM" Morris, Darby Holm, and David Colton

For the fourth consecutive year, the Corning Museum of Glass will host the CMoG Flame Collab with top flameworkers Andrew "AKM" Morris, Darby Holm, and David Colton. These guest artists will collaborate on a creative, compositional sculpture, employing advanced flameworking techniques, such as complex assembly of hollow forms and finely detailed solid sculptural elements.

This spectacular, functional piece will incorporate each artist's individual style to produce a seamlessly blended idea. The design is completely new to the artists, with the concept emerging in full as they work through it.

Andrew "AKM" Morris
Andrew Morris, better known as AKM or simply "@pipemaker," is an American borosilicate glass artist celebrated for his signature sculpted skulls and intricate murrine work. Born in Alexandria, VA, AKM's artistic journey began early. Influenced by his skilled woodworker father, he experimented with making things from a young age, from bows and arrows to skate ramps. A chance encounter with glassblowing, thanks to his mother signing his father up for a class, sparked a lifelong passion. He began blowing soft glass in high school and continued his studies at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), earning a BFA. While at VCU, AKM delved into various mediums and techniques, but ultimately it was sculpture and murrine that captivated him. He credits his VCU experience, especially the mentorship of Professors Emilio Santini and Jack Wax, with making him a versatile and fearless artist, eager to push the boundaries of the medium.

Based in Richmond, VA, AKM continues to cultivate his studio as a hub for local glass artists. He is a multiple World Series of Glass winner, and has demonstrated his skills at renowned events like Degenerate Flameoff, GAS Conference, and Glass Vegas.
Andrew's IG: @pipemaker

Darby Holm
Forged from the heart of an oak tree and born deep in Bigfoot country in southern Oregon in 1972, Darby's journey in life began. Destined to be a self-sustained artist, he quickly dove into the stereotypical life of a "starving artist" with little to no income. He learned fast and found his way doing odd jobs to support his habits of painting on windows or detail accents on cars, some T-shirt designs and many drawings on whatever he found cool at the time. Glass found Darby in the mid-1990s— like a moth to a flame, he could not look away. On April 5, 1996, he lit his own torch for the first time under the guidance of his younger brother, Carsten Carlile. From that point on, he realized the glass world was wide open and all his to play with and explore as he pleased.

Darby's work can be found in some of the finest private collections of functional glass in the world, including the collection of renowned musical artist Snoop Dogg.
Darby's Instagram: @darbyholmglass

David Colton
Originally a self taught lamp worker in 1995 ,during his time attending school in Colorado, Dave would go on to study under Italian masters Cesare Toffolo and Emilio Santini along with Jiří Harcuba to develop his own body of work. Winner of the 2019 Rakow Commission at the Corning Museum of Glass his work has been included in exhibits at the Smithsonian, Toyama Glass Museum, The Wadsworth Antheneum and The Dr Seuss Museum. He currently lives and works in his home state of Massachusetts.
David's Instagram: @davidcoltonglass