By Michael Barrick
HICKORY, N.C. – Stained glass artisan John Falcone and entrepreneurs D.W. Bentley and Edgar Hernandez have joined forces to continue what each of them has done all of their professional lives – sustain and promote the arts, in particular in this historic town at the base of the Blue Ridge escarpment, just beginning to recover from the loss of furniture and textiles, which for a century had sustained it.
Falcone is owner of Aquarius Stained Glass Works. He’s been a fixture in downtown, working alone in his own shop, since 1991. Recently, though, he moved in to Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse Gallery, owned by Bentley and Hernandez. Located at 29 2nd St. NW, the coffeehouse is home to regular poetry readings and exhibits by a variety of artisans, including painters, potters and photographers.
Indeed, supporting and promoting the arts has been a passion of Bentley and Hernandez since they opened their first location across the street. They’ve maintained their commitment to sustaining the arts through the economic downturn, and were looking for somebody that would be a good fit to utilize space available in the back of their shop. Meanwhile, Falcone found himself looking for new digs, and Bentley and Hernandez enthusiastically invited him to share space with them.
Equally excited, Falcone accepted and is now spread out across tables and workbenches in the back of the store. And just as he has done for roughly 30 years for customers in all 50 states and five countries, he does his work all by hand. “There is no other way to do it,” explained Falcone. “Nobody has come up with a mechanical means to cutting and fitting.”
As his website attests, his art is about “Bringing Life to Light.” During this visit to his workplace, he had sections of stained glass that were being fitted together for a client’s front door. On one of his workbenches were examples of small glass awards for another of his clients, the YMCA. In addition, Falcone has designed a line of original awards that can be personalized and customized for any particular occasion and organization.
He has also developed a line of crosses which offer individuals and churches unique pieces of art that reflect their faith. Indeed, he has designed and made stained glass windows for churches, though he is probably best known for his brilliant custom pieces commissioned and designed exclusively for individual clients. Permanent windows, removable panels, lampshades, and smaller ornamental pieces are some of his most requested work. He challenges potential clients, saying, “Envision virtually any form glass can assume.” With about 1,800 glass types, Falcone can convert simple glass and metal into skylights, transoms, cabinet doors and even accomplish restorations.
The nature of the work, though, requires a suitable work environment, which Falcone was losing as a result of the decision by the owner of the building he was in to quit leasing space. Meanwhile, Bentley and Hernandez were looking for the “right fit” with whom to share their coffeehouse gallery. Falcone was the logical – perhaps only – choice. “It just kind of happened,” explained Bentley. “He came and asked if we knew about a place where he could move. We have been looking for two years to have someone in the back. We love his art. He is well-known, so we knew he would bring in foot traffic. He has a studio. We wanted something like that.” And, he added, “He’s a coffee drinker!”
As Hernandez points out, though, Falcone is just the latest addition to a robust artisan’s community supported by Taste Full Beans. While the store’s usual hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, the coffeehouse gallery will open in the evenings for special occasions and offers monthly poetry readings, on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:30 in the evening. “There’s all type of poetry,” shared Hernandez. Offering it was as natural as having Falcone move in, he added. “Our customer base is an artsy crowd.” Indeed, a regular customer, Scott Owens, who is a poet and teaches at a local community college, facilitates the monthly poetry readings. “We were pleased to be able to offer it outside of our normal business hours. It is important for the performing and literary arts,” shared Hernandez.
They also occasionally host acoustic musicians and also have seven exhibits a year, in which about a half-dozen artisans display their work. And, they have an annual fundraiser for area non-profits. A silent art auction every February, the “Aroma of Art” provides funds for the Women’s Resource Center, ALFA and the Humane Society of Catawba County. This past year’s auction raised approximately $8,000 for those organizations through the efforts and donations of 130 regional artists.
For Bentley and Hernandez, supporting the arts is not only a passion, it seemed inevitable. “This used to be a gallery,” shared Hernandez. “When we moved here, we started getting involved with artists. The lighting, the walls, it was meant to be an art gallery. So when we moved over here that’s when we really got to connect with the artists. We became known as the coffee shop with art. We just got really involved in the arts community. Many of our customers are artists. Most are showing somewhere else. We help them and they help us. It’s a little business and a little personal.” He added, “It’s important to us because we know the artists. There are a lot of artists in Hickory who are hesitant to show their art. We say, ‘Come on.’ These are our friends and community. We wouldn’t be here without them. It’s the least we could do.”
With a nod to the tradition that helped establish and maintain this Catawba Valley town, they have a second location at the Hickory Furniture Mart. They’ve been there about a year and also exhibit art there along with their specialty coffees. While they are thrilled with the opportunity to expand, Hernandez is hard-pressed to contain his enthusiasm for the downtown location because of their desire to see it – with its sprawling square and mix of established and new businesses – revitalized. “We wanted John here because our focus is on helping each other. That tells you what kind of businesses we both have. People want to stay downtown and want downtown to survive. It’s a great partnership.”
For Falcone, 60, the partnership is perfectly timed, for he loves his craft and is far from ready to retire from it. “There’s nothing to take its place. It provides a special purpose for those who appreciate it. It’s basically a craft that’s almost 1,500 years old. It has changed very little. Everything is done by hand, from the drawing to cutting the patterns to cutting the glass to shaping it, putting in the lead, to fitting it, weatherproofing, and puttying. None of it can be done by machine. It is very gratifying. It’s a part of me.”
Now, it will be part of a larger art community, but joined by small tables, hot coffee and an eclectic offering of exhibits.
© The Barrick Report, 2009.
Click here to learn more about John Falcone.
Click here to learn more about Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse Gallery