arts&life

collecting

Great

Glass

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BRETT MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHER

I

n addition to being brother and sister, Jim Danto and Gail
Danto share another strong bond — they are passionate
about and collectors of glass art.
In distant and separate travels, the siblings and their
respective spouses find works of glass art that captivate them.
Close to home, they also have been able to connect with
international glass artists through exhibits and programs
based in Royal Oak.
Sandy and Jim Danto as well as Gail Danto and Arthur
Roffey have acquired glass art through Habatat Galleries
in Royal Oak, where preparation is being made for the 46th
Annual International Glass Invitational, the largest and oldest
annual studio glass exhibition in the world with its presence
extended even further through associated programming.
“Collecting glass is sort of in my genes,” says Jim Danto,
president of the Michigan Design Center in Troy — founded
by his father, Marvin Danto, who with his wife, Betty, were
respected community leaders. The MDC is also where
Habatat will be opening a small gallery. “My father was a
major glass collector, and I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve kept some of his
pieces since he passed away, and my wife and I have added to
that. “

Habatat Galleries

opens its doors for

its 46th annual glass

invitational — and

local collectors open

their doors for a peek

at how they live with

their art.

Sandy and Jim Danto spread their glassworks around their
home instead of showcasing them as a centrally displayed
collection. On their front porch, for instance, is a Marlene
Rose piece that looks like very large bells. On their kitchen
island is a prism design that allows viewers to experience dif-
ferent colors as they walk around it.
“In the sunroom, we have a piece that looks like a musi-
cal instrument with an African feel,” says Sandy Danto, a
leader in many Jewish organizations, including Jewish Family
Service, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. “When you look at
it, you wouldn’t think it was glass. The details and intricacies
are amazing.”
Habatat has brought people into the Danto home to point
out how artworks can be integrated into interior design.
“We feel really comfortable we’ve accomplished that,”
Sandy says. “We didn’t want pieces that were necessarily
spotlighted. We just wanted each one to feel comfortable for
a space.”
Besides being attracted to individual works of glass, the
couple finds the medium interesting because it usually does
not deteriorate and therefore is able to retain its original

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May 3 • 2018

jn