No pane, no gain - which is rather a blow for the party people

There's a saying in Italian: 'to be sick with glass'. But this is a welcome affliction for a growing number of people who are rediscovering the beauty of this most traditional material.

In response to the trend, Galerie Vee will showcase a collection by six American glass artists. The theme of Art in the Party is glassware used for entertaining - such as wine goblets, candleholders and vases.

'The pulse of the studio glass movement is in the US now,' says 36-year-old Vanessa Lee Taub, director of Galerie Vee. 'These artists are recognised internationally for their skill and innovation. They raise everyday objects to a higher level. They become extraordinary objects.'

One of the artists is David Levi, a 46-year-old glass-maker based on Whitby Island near Seattle. Levi became fascinated by glass when he was in college. His work has been shown at the American Craft Museum in New York City and the White House Collection of American Crafts. He met then president Bill Clinton at the inaugural exhibition in 1995.

'I consider myself both a craftsman and an artist,' Levi says. 'I've been working with glass for over 20 years and I'm still jealously seeking new tricks. Glass has this extraordinary fascination for me.'

Another of the artists is James Mongrain, a 37-year-old glass-blower who lives in Mukilteo, a small ferry town close to Seattle. He didn't intend to become a professional glass artist - he took an elective course in glass-blowing taught by his brother after finishing high school. Glass gradually took over his life.

'I started skipping classes and spent lots of time in the glass-blowing shop,' Mongrain says. Today, he owns and operates a wine glass and chandelier business. He's also an instructor at the Pilchuk Glass School, one of the leading schools for the medium in the US. It was founded by glass-blower Dale Chihuly.