It's hard to believe that I've been blowing glass in Baltimore for 15 years now ... although that may sound like a long time in most professions, in this line of work I am just beginning to hit my full stride! A lot has changed over these 15 years ... but much has remained the same as well.
I still make my work at Corradetti Glass Studio in the Woodberry neighborhood of Baltimore City, only now I am Anthony Corradetti's full-time Assistant! For the last two years, I have had the honor and privilege of working with my lifelong mentor every day, absorbing everything that I can about the art and craft of glassblowing - as well as all of the lessons to be learned from running a business in today's market.
It seems like only yesterday that I was helping him move from his old studio in West Baltimore into the current space, which has now become one of the cultural centerpieces of the revitalized Hampden, Woodberry and Clipper Mill communities.
In 2004, I was a starry-eyed 23-year-old looking for a glassblowing job in my hometown and it was just my luck that Corradetti, a very accomplished glass artist, was looking to hire extra help. Full-time work wasn't in the cards back then however, and I bounced around from coast-to-coast for the better part of a decade, working for Anthony intermittently, while trying to balance another career as a Sommelier... then as a Chef... then as a Restaurant Manager... the list went on. After enduring much frustration and heartbreak within the restaurant industry, I decided to hit the restart button on my career trajectory, and thankfully all roads led me back to my true passion - glassblowing.
Now I wake up every day eager to come to work in one of the most beautiful private glassblowing facilities in the country - if not the world! We are next door to one of the best restaurants in Baltimore, the Woodberry Kitchen, and we are across the street from a gorgeous private community pool for the warmer months. We host weddings and private events in the space nine months out of the year, and we teach glassblowing classes and workshops as well as college-level classes at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Arts).
Much has changed indeed, but one thing that has always remained a constant in this city, and in my life personally ... Corradetti Glass Studio is the place that I am proud to call home.
Here is a slideshow of some old images taken throughout the years ... it seems like only yesterday!