Name of Person: Rick and Janet Nicholson

Enjoy watching the amazing process of forming molten glass into art at Nicholson Blown Glass in Auburn, California.

Rick and Janet’s dedication to glass blowing is evident in the excellent quality of their work. The emphasis in their small Auburn studio is on creativity and innovation. Each piece is a free-hand expression of the excitement and risk-taking found in an experimental glassblowing studio.

Following his university education, Rick Nicholson operated a pottery studio full time in southern California from 1974 to 1981. Janet left her photography job in 1979 to freelance and create designs on Rick’s clay forms. They were married the same year, and their artistic collaboration began. Rick was a teaching assistant for Dale Chihuly at the Pilchuck School near Seattle in 1981 and has attended additional classes over the years to increase and improve his skills. By 1982, they were called to concentrate on glass alone, settled on nine acres in Auburn, California and continue to be the only studio of its kind in Placer County. They were drawn to the natural beauty of the foothills to serve as inspiration for their work.

Attracting locals to watch demonstrations year after year, their work involves figurative sculpture, sculptural lighting and multiple piece wall and ceiling installations. Many works have been commissioned for numerous local offices and private residences. Their art glass is also found throughout the United States and internationally as far away as China. Recent notable projects include wall installations for the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Shenzhen, China; and the lobby of Weil, Gotschal.

The studio is open by appointment. Please visit www.nicholsonblownglass.com to learn more and for Open Studio hours, special events and updates.