Unexpected paths can sometimes be the most beautiful ones - at least, Lena Dwidari thinks so. When the Human Development and Family Sciences major first came to The Ohio State University, art wasn't on her radar. She never would have guessed that as a fifth-year Young Scholar, she'd be commissioned to create glass art for a Fortune 500 business like the J.M. Smucker Company.
A Columbus native, Dwidari first got into 3D art in 2021, when she took a ceramics class to fulfill a core requirement. She enjoyed the course and decided to try her hand at glass blowing.
“My high school didn't have many art options. It was cool to get more involved in it in college because that wasn't an opportunity I had before,” Dwidari explained. “I really just stumbled on it. I was like, ‘Why not? I'll try something new!'”
Quickly, Dwidari fell in love with the craft and began honing her skills. Dwidari has since taken six glass blowing classes and now serves as the president of The Glass Club at Ohio State. She also works as a teaching assistant for introductory glass art courses.
On a typical day in the studio, Dwidari makes around a half dozen pieces, ranging from cups and ornaments to paperweights and other trinkets. To do so, she pulls hot glass from two-thousand-degree ovens and uses tweezers, torches, molds, and wooden paddles to shape the glass.
WATCH: Lena Dwidari glass blowing
Red glass strawberriesOne of the highlights of her artistic career so far is being hired by Ohio State's Office of Corporate Relations to create glass strawberries for corporate officers at the J.M. Smucker Company, an ODI partner. In early March, Dwidari, along with other ODI student groups, visited the food and beverage product maker's headquarters in Orrville and presented the artwork to thank the company for their generosity.
The piece was especially meaningful to her because she has met annually with representatives from Smucker's at a summer camp aimed at empowering young women to pursue STEM careers, where she has been both camper and counselor over the course of eight years.
“I've always loved it. They come in and talk about Smucker's as a company, and they talk about different fields they do, like product testing and product development,” Dwidari said.
The Smucker's project and its connection to her STEM camp is just one way Dwidari has melded her passions for both art and science. After graduating this May, she plans to attend grad school for occupational therapy, which she says brings together a trio of her interests in art, healthcare, and education.
Outside the classroom, Dwidari serves as an ODI Scholar Ambassador and Academic Success Partner for YSP, and she has volunteered as a mentor in local Columbus high schools throughout her time as a Buckeye.
She encourages all students to take advantage of Ohio State's art resources and opportunities to create. “Art classes are very accessible to all majors. I think a lot of people wouldn't think to take art classes, but they're great,” Dwidari commented. “It's the best community I've ever met on campus, and it's a good way to detach from the stress of figuring out your career and doing well in all your classes.”
While she isn't sure what form her glass work will take after graduation, she knows she will never tire of creating her art. “I never get bored of glass; it's awesome,” Dwidari said. “It's the craziest thing I've ever done but also the best thing in the world.”