This oil-on-glass painting, eerily titled Each Others Ways (2016), is by Gregory Grenon, and its on display at Traver Gallery now. Traver represents many glass artists, who may be affected by the changes in the specialty glass manufacturing markets.
This oil-on-glass painting, eerily titled Each Other's Ways (2016), is by Gregory Grenon, and it's on display at Traver Gallery now. Traver represents many glass artists, who may be affected by the changes in the specialty glass manufacturing markets. Courtesy of the artist and Traver Gallery

Spectrum Glass, headquartered in Woodinville, is shutting down after 40 years of specialty glassmaking that serves studio glass artists, among others. Spectrum will keep producing glass through July, then sell what's left until it's gone.

According to a press release, business is way down:

Our facility was built to support product demand at the height of the art glass movement, but our sales never fully recovered following the Great Recession. We have watched our sales dwindle dramatically to only 40 percent of production capacity, while overhead expenses have continued to increase. Our consistently reduced levels of sales simply cannot cover the fixed costs required to operate a facility of our size.

Additionally, the entire U.S. art glass industry is now being evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with respect to potential new regulations. Long-standing interpretations of air quality regulations are being reevaluated, and if new regulations were applied to our facility, it would require substantial capital expense.

I called Traver Gallery this morning, where many glass artists show their works in Seattle, including, this month, Gregory Grenon. Gallery manager Jeffery Kuiper answered the phone, and said he hadn't heard yet from artists who use Spectrum Glass, but he had heard that the EPA regulations may be affecting the major specialty glass hub in Portland, Bullseye Glass Co. He didn't know specifics but said, "There's definitely questions going on down there."

To follow up, I have a few questions:

1. Is this affecting you? How will you get your glass if Spectrum and Bullseye both close?
2. How would you describe this era of studio glass? Do you agree with the Spectrum assessment that "the height of the art glass movement" is in the past?

Please leave thoughts in the comments or email me.