A Tacoma Glass Art Experience That Will Blow You Away
With Pacific Northwest being an epicenter of American glass art, it's no surprise that Hotel Murano boasts a pristine glass collection of its own. Walk around the city and you will see the numerous professional glassblowing studios filled with breathtaking pieces. To truly immerse yourself in the Tacoma glass art scene, catch the creative masters in their element through our partnership with Tacoma Glassblowing Studio. It’s an experience that you won’t want to blow by!
Founded by Jeannine and Mark Sigafoos in 2006, Tacoma Glassblowing Studio is a local glass art shop that offers hands-on glassblowing sessions with their masters. Look closely at their work, you’ll likely find pops of Pacific Northwest nature and culture that influences their work. Here at Hotel Murano, we are driven to illuminate partners like them and their artful experiences. Interested in learning the timeless art for yourself? You can with our Hey There, Hot Shop experience where you’ll have a private hour and half glass art session with an expert at the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio.
Get to know our partner, Jeannine Sigafoos, co-owner of the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio.
So, Jeannine, tell us how you got your start in glassblowing.
A: Growing up in the Northwest, Mark (my husband and co-owner of Tacoma Glassblowing Studio) was always intrigued by blown glass. When he was 19 years old, he opened his first business - a rollerblade rental shop on Ruston Way. It was this introduction to being a small business owner that gave Mark the opportunity to take glassblowing classes in Seattle at 23. We opened the Studio in 2006, and the rest is history!
How many artisans do you have working in the space?
Mark and I are joined by mighty and talented team of seven glassblowers and four gallery staff.
What does it mean to you to be a part of a community like this – Tacoma and its position as one of the glassblowing hot spots in the U.S.? Especially coming from the home of Dale Chihuly!
It has been so awesome to have our glassblowing business in Tacoma! For us, the true gem of Tacoma is Hilltop Artist. Every one of our glassblowers, aside from the owner, started in this Tacoma School program. For those that have a love for glass art or even those that are curious about it, Tacoma is a wonderful place to see so many amazing artists at work and to even try your own hand at glassblowing.
For those that have never tried glassblowing before, do you have any advice?
Our glassblowing experience is perfect for those ages 8-100 with absolutely no experience. You get to pick your shape, color and pattern. We send you out into the hot shop with a skilled artist to create your glass piece. Our advice? Don’t overthink your piece. Choose colors and a shape that you love. Then, trust our glassblowers to keep you safe and help you create a unique piece just for you.
What projects does Tacoma Glassblowing have coming up that you’re stoked about?
While we always get excited about Fall Glass Pumpkin Patch season, we recently started a memorial glass line to honor and bring comfort to families in a beautiful way to remember their loved ones.
We can’t contain our excitement that you’ll have retail space within Hotel Murano. It’ll be a great option for visitors looking to take a piece of Tacoma home with them!
We are so excited to offer Hotel Murano guests the opportunity to shop for local glass art, as it's such a big part of who Tacoma is. We'll have glass works of art available of all sizes, shapes and price ranges. All glass, including blown, torchwork and fused is all locally made by Artists within our community. It’ll serve as a memorable keepsake.
Amazing! For those nervous about traveling with precious glass art, can you help?
Of course! If you can't fit your glass treasure in your suitcase, no problem. We are experts at shipping glass.
