Category: Articles & Tips

In Teton Village, look for the studio of glass blower Laurie Thal. Off of Teton Village Road, between Jackson and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Thal's studio is hidden at the end of a maze of long, bumpy driveways. Crashing through the puddles and pulling to a stop, chances are a cat will greet you before you make it to the studio's purple front door. Once inside, more bright colors greet you, but your eyes will go right to Thal's "finishing room," where dozens of her smooth and classically elegant glasses, bowls, vases and centerpieces line shelves. The main room, which isn't quite as pretty, is burdened by the cumbersome equipment required for melting and blowing glass. "As a glassblower, there are some very specific considerations when building a studio," explains Thal. That's because glass must be heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to melt. Windows high up in the 16-foot ceiling can open and are perpendicular to the prevailing wind, to vent heat generated during the creative process. Wall windows open to allow even the smallest of breezes in. The floor is a sturdy and practicable cement. The walls are spartan. The only adornment in the room is whatever piece of glass Thal is working on at the time. But really, once you see what her pieces look like, you'll see that that's enough.