FAQ
Frequently asked questions:
Is everything made here? About 60% of the glass you see in the gallery is made here. The rest is by our friends, other talented glass blowers from all over the country. If the tag says The Glass Station or Jennifer Nauck or Eben Horton under the title, it was made here. Otherwise it was made by the artist listed.
Do you do custom orders? Yes. We can't promise we can make anything that you can dream up, but we'll let you know if it's a possibility.
How long have you been open? We officially opened our doors in 2000 in our original location on Robinson St. in Wakefield RI. Since then we have moved up the street, only a block from our original location. We are celebrating 24+ years in business!
Do you do classes? Yes! You can see our full schedule of classes and sign up here: https://theglassstationstudio.com/pages/classes
Can you make me a piece with my loved one's ashes in it? Unfortunately, we do not work with human cremains. We would be happy to make you an urn for the ashes, but we do not want to handle them.
Where do you get your materials? Our clear glass comes to us from The Czech Republic. Our colored glass comes from Germany and from Washington state.
I have a bunch of jars/broken glass, can you remelt them? Unfortunatly, no. There are countless different formulas for glass depending on what they are used for and where they are made. Different chemical formulas expand and contract at different rates. If we were to mix different clear glasses or use a clear glass that was incompatible with our color, it would sooner or later cause the glass to crack. As the different glasses cooled, they would contract at different rates, causing stress. While you may not see it at first, that stress would eventually relieve itself by cracking.
I have a bunch of packing peanuts/bubble wrap. Can you reuse them? Yes! We would be happy to take those for you, provided they are in usable condition. What we CAN NOT use are those inflated pillows that are used to take up extra space in boxes. We just can't trust that those won't pop and leave vulnerable areas in our shipping boxes. If you have just moved and have a lot of clean newsprint that you used to wrap dishes, etc, we can reuse that as well. We will also take a few sizes of cardboard boxes, including 12x12x12, 14x14x14, 16x16x16 and 20x20x20. If it's not a cube, please recycle it instead. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!
Do you ship internationally? Yes!
Are you hiring? Not at the moment, but if you have some experience blowing glass, let us know! You never know when something might open up. If you are interested in working in our gallery, we sometimes need part-time help in the summer and at the holidays. Send a resume and cover letter to info@theglassstationstudio.com and we will keep you in mind! Enthusiasm and an interest in glass and art are more important to us than experience.
How can I become a glassblower? The best way is to start by taking a class, either with us or somewhere else. You have to be sure that you can take the heat! No, really, reaching a blowpipe into a 2100-degree furnace is pretty intense and can be intimidating. You'll know pretty quickly if it's something you want to pursue or not. Once you've tried it, check out a school that offers more in-depth instruction. Places like the Corning Museum of Glass, Penland School of Crafts, Worchester Center for Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Pilchuck Glass School all have great classes where you'll learn a lot. After you've got some skills, it's all about practice. Ask around and find a studio that will hire you or rent you studio time and get as much practice as you can. Start selling your pieces to family and friends and on Etsy or at craft shows. Take all the money you make and buy color, rent studio time, take more classes, and keep experimenting. When you've got a solid body of work, exhibit at wholesale shows where you'll find galleries and shops to represent you. You're on your way! Before you run out and build a glass studio, watch this: https://youtu.be/pR_lc8wqyaw