Dallas Glass Arts Manager Tatara Siegel is one of the artists who teaches programming at the studio. Ornaments customers can create this year include the Christmas pickle and a snowman. (Photos courtesy of Dallas Glass Art)
Dallas Glass Art is offering unique ornaments and glass blowing classes for the holidays
MELISSA WHITLER | NBCU Fellow
Melissa@DallasVoice.com
This year Dallas Glass Art is introducing a new ornament in its annual lineup of sparkling, hand-crafted holiday decor: the Pickle. It was inspired by the tradition many households have of hiding a pickle in the Christmas tree for young ones to find.
“The history of finding the pickle on the tree was rich with fun and good fortune, so we thought we would offer our guests the opportunity to be a part of having their hands make the one for their tree,” said Tatara Siegel, manager at Dallas Glass Art.
Ornaments can be purchased online, or you can make your own at the studio. Dallas Glass Art is also offering tiny snowmen and round- or teardrop-shaped ornaments created in the color of your choosing.
No matter your holiday aesthetic, there is an option for you.
In addition to ornaments, the studio also creates vases, bowls, drinking glasses and other seasonal items.
Carlyn Ray started Dallas Glass Art in 2013 so she could have a place to share her passion for glassblowing with the community and create her own site-specific art. The studio’s stated mission is to educate and inspire creativity while offering a unique experience.
Dallas Glass Art employs young glass artists who were either students in the glass department at the University of Texas in Arlington or people who are passionate about glass as an artistic medium. These employees teach the majority of the public and private programming at the studio.
The team also includes shop dog Chai, who might not know a lot about glass blowing but provides lots of encouragement.
The studio also participates in an outreach program called Art Reaching Out, that provides students in grades six through 12 in underserved communities with hands-on experience with glass art. In workshops, instructors explain how science, technology, engineering and math apply to the creation of blown glass art. The organization also works with local glass professionals to create glass sculpture installations for these communities.
Carlyn Ray Designs and Dallas Glass Art operate out of one glassblowing studio.
“It’s pretty cool to watch Carlyn and her team of artists create these large-scale beautiful glass installations,” said Siegel. “It is equally fulfilling to watch the general public come into the studio and be enamored by the movement of the molten glass, and their connectivity to it.
“The joy they feel after having created something is magical.”
Siegel added, “I think my favorite ornament we made this year was the cowboy hat, which tips a little towards Texas and the cowboy culture in the state.”
Dallas Glass Art made specialty cowboy hat ornaments for a local company this year. Each hat was hand etched with the company’s logo by one of the staff.
“That was a special experience to be a part of,” Siegel commented.
For those who are interested in creating their own special glass ornaments, Dallas Glass Art offers a selection of classes. On Saturdays and Sundays, you can participate in public classes that host around 15 people. Private classes can be booked during the week with two to four people per class.
The studio also offers a series of different tiers of private events, ranging from a formal glass blowing demonstrations by Carlyn Ray herself to hands-on opportunities to make your own blown glass piece. These events can house 25 to 30 people and are perfect for birthdays or other special events.
The classes are very hands-on and interactive, as participants are able to choose the shape and color of what they make. After they’ve decided on the basics, the instructor gives each person the opportunity to use the punty — the metal rod used to gather and blow glass — and participants apply the colored pieces of glass to the base piece themselves. Then the customers get to shape the piece and remove it from the punty.
The final process of cooling the glass, or annealing, can take between 12 to 24 hours, so pieces are not available to take home immediately. Five days after the event guests are able to pick up their piece or have it shipped to them.
If you’re looking for something special to decorate your tree, Dallas Glass Art just might have the ornament for you. And if you don’t see what you want, you can always go down to the studio to craft it yourself.
For more information and to purchase ornaments, go to DallasGlassArt.com.