Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Spotlight On...CNY Glass Studio and Gallery


I am lucky enough to be able to introduce you to the most amazing success story; that of Chris and Jacquelyn Rice, the owners of CNY Glass.  Last year I visited their studio for the first time even though I had passed it many times on Rt 12 on the way into Boonville.  The brave couple had started their own business in an area that is NOT chock full of artists.  Many locals here don't have money to spend on extras.  But the dynamic duo managed to stay afloat by following their dream.

The glass studio is attached to the retail shop.  Chris and Jacquelyn have a store on etsy and an online business site as well.  They make glass beads, vases, all kinds of  wine stoppers and bowls and ornaments and more.  They sell online and in their retail store.  They offered lessons in their studio.  They rented studio space.  They had stalls at farmer's markets.  I was so impressed with how they managed to put a life together out of all these threads-somehow pulling it all together to make the life they love.

When I last saw Chris in August he was beginning to weld metal to create unique pieces, some of them with fused glass attached.  As of my visit with him yesterday, he had made his own metal forge for his work and is planning an addition to the glass studio.  They are busier thann ever before and are now showing at the bigger art events.  They have made it work!  And they are doing what they want to on their own terms!

Please check out their online offerings at these links:

Amazing work and an amazing couple. 

More Later!
xo
Plantress

4 comments:

  1. Their work is amazing. I would love to see more of their beads and was disappointed that their etsy shop only carried their pendant type beads rather than the hole-through-the-middle lampwork beads. :(
    Found myself drooling over your photo of their shadow box display of oddles of lampwork beads. Like little Oliver, in the movie Oliver Twist, said; "More please". :)

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  2. Oops...that was supposed to be "oodles", like in "noodles".

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  3. dear Almost,
    they have gotten so busy that I don't know if they have updated their shop in awhile. Believe me they have oodles of big holed (yikes) beads in the shop. Why don't you email them and ask them to put some in the store? I know they will. And you can say I sent you and the blog post is up! That would give both them and me a thrill! Pretty please?

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  4. thank you for the sweet & funny comment, i am now your newest follower!

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