Meet Ben Belgrad | Artist and Art Broker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Belgrad and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
“Be Here Now” has been a mantra for me ever since I came across the book by Ram Dass when I was in college. I spend every doing what I want to do which is the reason I created my own business. Sure, things come up that I am tasked with that feel like a burden, but I try to embrace all of them. Every day I get to live my end goal, by operating my business and creating my art. Eventually, I hope to bring on more of a staff to support me in my endeavor. Currently I spend a lot of time managing my social media and sales and less of my time creating my art. As I am able to bring on more help I can shift my time allocations, but I still want to be involved in every part of my company. At the end of my career I hope to be creating more art than I do currently without the financial pressure motivating when and what I make. I also hope to be overseeing a larger team and expanded operation beyond my current studio in Minturn. All of this is happening every day. It’s all a process.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I run a private glass blowing and multi media studio in Minturn which serves as HQ for my company Drinking Vessels. My facility hosts artists and provides tools, materials and equipment for a wide variety of mediums from painting to glass blowing. Artists are frequently visiting my studio from around the state and all over the country to collaborate and take advantage of the incredible surroundings offered in the Vail Valley. My company acts as a brokerage or gallery for artists who primarily make glass pipes. I have created a marketplace for these artists and others to sell handmade drinkware and accessories with an emphasis on everything supporting artists and makers directly. I work with a team to create content and popup shows around the country as well as a big annual event at my studio called the Vail Cup Collectors Club. This year will be our second time hosting a summer show, but typically the event is hosted in February for the last five years. Artists and collectors come together to see live painting and glass blowing through the weekend which culminates in a ski day at Vail together.

Before I had my studio, I was sleeping at other glass studios around the country, and on friend’s couches. A friend invited me to move to his home in Gypsum and loaned me the initial funding I needed to get my own studio off the ground. At that point I spent a few months sleeping at the studio as friends came over to help me build out the facility we enjoy today. For the last five years I have put my head down and worked, which required creative solutions every day to get my company off the ground. Today my extremely niche market is picking up traction, and my company is expanding constantly.

I think I would have to attribute my success to hard work and passion in combination, but I can’t act like there wasn’t at least a little bit of luck mixed in. I saw a hole in a massive market and filled it. The greatest challenge has been taking on that space by myself without the financial resources behind me to keep up. Thankfully I have friends and supporters who believe in me, and have helped me to make it to where I am today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I rarely come down to the front range unless I have business there or I’m catching a flight. When my friends come to visit I take them snowboarding at Vail or to Radium Hot Springs. I much more enjoy exploring the mountain towns out here than being in the cities.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Among countless others, my brother Jon Belgrad has been helping me behind the scenes from the inception of my company Drinking Vessels. He is consistently overworked and underpaid.

Website: www.drinkingvessels.com

Instagram: @drinkingvessels

Facebook: www.facebook.com/drinkingvessels

Image Credits
Reda Ruokyte
Colin “Skinny” Hagan
Graham Singleton