Salado Glassworks Ushers in the Holidays
By Stacy Moser | Photos by Jessica Mall
They call it Ornament Season.
It’s the time of year when a seemingly simple glass orb takes on a magical meaning. And it’s the time of year when the crew at Salado Glassworks readies itself for the annual explosion of demand for their one-of-a-kind, hand-blown glass ornaments.
“People love to come here this time of year because it’s such an interactive experience,” says Jessica Mall, Salado Glassworks’ gallery director. “You can buy the handmade ornaments, of course, but you can also participate with the artists in actually making them. Our customers love hanging out here and watching the process.
“Each glass piece is so distinctive,” she says. “I can see a piece and know exactly which one of our staff created it. Each artist has a signature style. Every piece turns out differently because the artists’ hands are shaped differently and they turn the glass-blowing rod in a way that’s unique just to them.”
Salado resident Gail Allard founded the glass-making studio in 2011, encouraged by his mentor, local glass-blowing legend Bob Rynearson. “I have three very simple goals here,” Allard says. “So that we can interact with the public, we offer glass-blowing events to involve our customers in the creation process. Second, we offer our glass for sale in the gallery. Then we also have the custom side of the business, where we design and create pieces for customers who want glass art that’s unique to them. I hear over and over, too, that it’s important to customers that they’re supporting a local business.”
Allard describes the materials used in his studio. “We have over 300 types of color to choose from,” Allard remarks, pointing to metal bowls filled with tiny glass beads of many hues arranged on wooden tables in the middle of the studio. “The sky really is the limit when it comes to what we can create. For instance, you can see an artist’s creativity in a simple set of water glasses—each one will be ever so slightly different from the others because they have that handmade richness.”
Mall says Allard’s vibrantly colored signature bowls have brought acclaim from art collectors all over the world. “He will complete a bowl and I’ll put the word out,” she says proudly. “It doesn’t take long before a collector will call and snap it up.”
When asked about the most challenging aspect to the art of glass blowing, Allard admits that being subjected to so much heat can be physically draining. The artists spin long metal rods that hold blobs of molten glass on their tips, moving them in and out of 2400-degree furnaces to start and stop the cooling process as the artists shape the pieces.
“The temperature in the studio takes a toll on their bodies,” Mall explains. “Sometimes Gail will want to do four bowls on a summer day and then after he’s done two, he has to stop. It’s just really physically difficult and takes a ton of stamina.”
Allard is not only known for his glass-blowing artistry, he’s also acknowledged as the open-hearted spirit of the studio. “He’s just a very kind and welcoming person,” Mall says. A symbol of that welcoming spirit is the set of bleachers that sits across the room from the giant ovens. Observers are welcome to take a seat and watch as the glass blowers work their magic.
“Gail cranks the music and jokes with the crowd,” Mall says, smiling. “That’s why people feel so comfortable here. They feel him behind his art.” Of his staff, she observes that he has created an atmosphere that feels like home to them, too. “He’s made a place for us all,” she says. “He’s the glue that holds this team together.”
Feel the Heat
To experience the artistry of Salado Glassworks’ glass blowers, check out the studio’s gallery and then grab a seat in the stands for an up-close view of the artists at work. “Blow Your Own Ornament” events, where artists assist individuals (ages 3 and up) to create their own glass ornament, are held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 24 until Dec. 22. Tickets must be purchased online and sell out quickly. Don’t fret if you can’t nab a reservation—the studio offers other glass-blowing events year-round. SaladoGlassworks.com
Keeping the Secret
The art of glass blowing is thought to have begun in the first century b.c. The skill was so highly prized that glass blowers were often forbidden from traveling so that they would not reveal their techniques to others. Glass blowers in Venice were put to death if they were caught trying to flee. Finally, though, glass blowers who managed to escape were able to spread knowledge of the art into present-day Switzerland, Belgium and France by the first century a.d.
Glass in Nature
Glass can occur naturally—volcanic eruptions, lightening strikes or meteorite impacts can cause certain rocks to liquefy at high temperatures, then cool quickly and form a mass.
