New Glass Awards, New Possibilities
Originally published March 7, 2016. This post marks the beginning of our ongoing collaboration with Blue Ridge glass artist Neil Duman — and the launch of our Artisan Glass Awards. We're proud to still work with Neil today and to continue building on this partnership.
New Glass Awards, New Possibilities
Our Artisan Glass collection began as a year-long collaboration with renowned Blue Ridge artist Neil Duman. Working with Neil has been a joy and a privilege. He's a natural teacher who loves his work, so we're soaking up as much knowledge as we can. We try not to be too distracted by the heat, fire, and sheer miraculousness of glass blowing. Neil makes it look easy and says almost anyone can learn to work with glass. He’s modest, of course — and that’s part of why we enjoy working with him.
We considered several talented glass artists in our search for a design partner to help us create unique artisan glass awards. In addition to his beautiful work, several of Neil’s other qualities made him a clear finalist: his kindness, his energy, and his sincere interest in the environment. Maintaining a small environmental footprint has always been at the core of our business, so it was especially important for us to work with a like-minded artist.
Most artisan glass, art glass, and crystal awards sold in the U.S. today are manufactured offshore. Since there’s little or no supply chain transparency in the awards industry, it’s often impossible to know how those awards are made, what conditions factory workers face, what the environmental impacts are, or who actually owns the companies in the supply chain. We cringe when we hear someone say, “Oh, we buy local awards,” since, chances are, the actual awards are anything but local.
Working with Neil, we’re proud to offer artisan glass awards along with the assurance that we know exactly how — and by whom — they are made. From design to delivery, we remain committed to sustainability, transparency, and craft.
Since launching the collection, we’ve expanded our offerings and continue to look for ways to reduce our environmental impact. All Artisan Glass Awards are shipped using carbon-neutral delivery, and we continue to refine our processes to reduce waste and improve packaging.