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May 19 , 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels March 24, 2004 The Powderhorn Glass store offers more than pieces Peter Hahnloser Gathering Glass, the city's only glassblowing shop, stands out for just that reason. It's relatively easy to find paintings and sculpture on display, but not so with the works in the unique store run by Scott Carlson and Steven Cornett. Before moving to its current location on Aug. 17, the store had space in the A Street Marketplace, but migrated across the street because the owners wanted to have space to display their works - as well as elbow room for the artists themselves. Scott and Steven are the two glassblowers, and for them, Gathering Glass is the realization of hears of hopes, said Scott's sister, Stacey Carlson, who manages the store. The pair were roommates in Seattle in 1997, "and they had worked with Dale Chihuly," she said, referring to the world-renowned glass artist. "[They] had dreams of opening a glassblowing studio together." The dream stayed as work took them between the Bay Area and Puget Sound. Ashland became a natural place to open a studio because of its proximity to both locations. Picking a town was hardly the end of the process. "It took 11 months to be approved (by the city) to have a public glassblowing space," Stacey said, which is why the studio seized the opportunity to open in the marketplace before securing a permanent home. More than retail While Gathering Glass has retail space in the front of the building, most of what happens there lies behind an unassuming door that looks as if it leads to a washroom. A spacious, two-story room surrounded by shiny corrugated steel houses the bulky equipment, including the oven where the clear glass is melted (at 2,500�) and stored (at a balmy 2,140�). The room is rather warm. Artists walk from oven to table to the "glory hole" (where color is melted into the clear glass among other things), pressing and spinning their works to shape them. And like all people who know their craft, they do it with the confidence that while yes, they are holding onto something hot enough to do bodily harm, it's all under control. The studio has taken a bit of a different approach to getting visitors, most noticeably through their SOU Extended Campus glassblowing classes. Since last fall, beginning and intermediate courses have been offered, and this summer, SOU will offer college credit for them. The business of teaching is going so well, that after only two terms at SOU, nine students who have finished the intermediate class are now renting time at the studio, Stacey said. Joining the students in studio time are locals who already know glassblowing and even people from out of town who get in some time while on the road. Rental runs $35 per hour, with most people grabbing two- to four-hour blocks, and includes the use of all equipment and the melted clear glass. Renters bring their colored glass and imagination. A lot of glass Between students and employees, the shop melts 500 pounds of clear glass every three to five days. While that sounds like a lot, Stacey said the business plans to get even bigger, setting its sights on getting regular commercial customers, such as a recent deal with Made in Oregon retail stores. And, of course, with tourist season on its way, there are high hopes that a few people will stop in before a play to check out the array of pieces in the showroom. But they don't have to rely on out-of-towners, Stacey said. "I've met several people from other places that are here for Shakespeare already, but we're still getting more locals. The locals are our support. "I don't know what it's going to be like this summer." Peter Hahnloser is the news editor of the Daily Tidings. Contact him at [email protected] or 482-3456, ext. 3021. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams