A new hot shop is a very exciting place to be as a glassblower. It’s extra special when you’re invited to be the first visiting Artist-In-Residence. My friends Holly and Paul Simonette have opened a local makers gallery and hot shop in Fredericksburg, Texas.
UPDATE: Grand Opening of the Fredericksburg, TX Glassblowing Studio is postponed due to Southwest Airlines collapse.
The storm of flight cancellations during the holiday rush has effectively prevented my travel to the planned Grand Opening event at the end of December. Paul and Holly have decided to push out the schedule to March. Stay tuned for details!
Paul Simonette, resident glassblower at Enchanted Fredericksburg Ranch, is excited to open the only glassblowing hot shop in Fredericksburg where the public can watch glass art being made. Simonette and his wife, Holly, co-owners of the ranch, are excited to welcome Kevin Baker of KB Art Glass in San Diego, California. Kevin has been a glass artist since 2005 and will be an Artist-In-Residence soon (dates TBA).
“I am thrilled to welcome Kevin to Fredericksburg and blow glass with him again,” said Paul Simonette. They worked together at Spanish Village Art Center in San Diego. “We’re excited to join forces to create functional glass art, like vases and glasses, and make art together again.”
“Glassblowing is the art of coaxing molten glass into a desired shape; it’s a dance with a partner who is too hot to touch,” Baker said. “The process is difficult and uncertain, but the reward is the birth of a luminescent offspring of fire which serves as a beautiful record of its creation. I can’t wait to entertain Fredericksburg families and visitors with the amazing art of glassblowing and to help launch the new hot shop.”
The Simonettes also announced that their Purple Shack Makers Gallery at Enchanted Fredericksburg Ranch will be selling Baker’s work. Samples of his work can be seen at www.kbartglass.com.
Glassblowing, an art form that involves techniques and tools unchanged since their invention in Renaissance Italy, is exciting to watch and has gained in popularity since Netflix’s show, “Blown Away,” first aired in 2019.
Parking
On-site parking at Enchanted Fredericksburg Ranch is available on a first-come-first-served basis. You can also park on Ranch Road 965.
The Simonettes established the Enchanted Fredericksburg Ranch and the Purple Shack Makers Gallery in May 2022 and are excited to launch the only glassblowing hot shop studio in Fredericksburg that is open to the public. They anticipate offering glassblowing experiences beginning in spring 2023. The Purple Shack Makers Gallery sells a curated collection of fine crafts including handwoven clothing and accessories; fiber sculpture and other fiber art; pottery; photography; jewelry; yarn; and glass art created by artisans from Fredericksburg and beyond.
Enchanted Fredericksburg Glassblowing and the Purple Shack Makers Gallery are located at Enchanted Fredericksburg Ranch, 7991 Ranch Road 965, about 10 minutes north of Main Street on the road to Enchanted Rock SNA (N. Milam at Main St.).
More information and updated hours are available on the website at EnchantedFredericksburgRanch.com.
For more information:
Holly Simonette, (830) 321-7991