DeKALB | Like a Greek god standing at his forge, Dan Edwards stood over his flame, using the basic elements of heat, glass and air to craft works of art.

Edwards, NIU’s scientific glass blower, showed an audience in Faraday Hall how science could also be art.

Stretching, spinning and blowing Pyrex rods, Edwards crafted a hummingbird, a snowman, a tree and even a dragon. Each time he dipped the glass into the blue flame, it began to glow bright orange. Holding the glass under the flame, he showed it was as pliable as taffy.

While Edwards fused pairs of Pyrex rods together, he talked about the craft of glass blowing. He said there are only three master glass blowers in the Illinois university system. At one time, there was one at almost every school.

As NIU’s scientific glass blower, he aids the university in making lab equipment such as tubes and beakers.

“What they do is only as good as the equipment they have,” Edwards said.

He said his real joy comes not in making little glass trinkets, but in making a nine-foot manifold that works and saves the university thousands of dollars.

Edwards ended the show by attempting to make a dragon.

“If this is successful, then I’m showing off. If not, then I’m sorry,” he said.

Christina Allard, a graduate chemistry student, said her favorite part of the show was “just watching him make the glass; it’s not something that everyone does.”

Outside the auditorium, examples of Edwards’ work were up for sale. He said the proceeds would go to the chemistry club to help fund their awards show banquet, and even scholarships. The glass pieces will be on sale again Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Faraday West.

Jill Adkinson, a DeKalb resident, said she came to the show because for the last two or three years, her son said he wanted to be a master glassblower, and Edwards’ show would be a good place to see it done.

This is the 16th year Edwards has put on a glass blowing show here at NIU. He plans on retiring in July 2008, but said there would be one more show, and “the next guy has been warned.” While there is no class on glass blowing at NIU, Edwards said his successor would probably push the issue with the department.