Glass Blowing Demonstration : Lincoln City Oregon
Quick Overview
Activity : Studio Tour
Location : Lincoln City, Oregon
Cost : Free
There are numerous glass studios and galleries on the Oregon coast. Lincoln City seems to have become a hub for glass art, probably due in part to the city’s sponsoring the popular Finder’s Keepers glass float drops every day of the year. Watching a glass blowing demonstration was a quick activity that I’m glad we did on our trip to the central Oregon coast.
Alder House Lincoln City Oregon
Alder House is a lovely glass studio located just off of Highway 101 near Siletz Bay in Lincoln City.
There are several artists who create glass art at the Alder House, and it is free to stop by during regular hours (according to their website, the studio is open daily from May until the end October, from 10AM-5PM.) to watch as they create.
On one side, the studio is filled with colorful works of glass art, vases, cups, and ornaments:
On the other side, visitors can sit and watch as the glass artist works.
Glass blowing demonstration
When we first walked in, the artist was working with a client on a commissioned piece. Afterwards he made a vase, which we were able to watch from start to finish.
Throughout the glass blowing demonstration he talked about what he was doing, dropping all kinds of glass-blowing information and answering the random questions that we and the other visitors asked.
One thing I learned? The main furnace stays on constantly because it takes so long (over a day) to reach its goal temperature (over 2000 degrees F)!
Working on the finishing touches:
The final piece, before putting it in the annealing oven to cool and harden.
Glass Blowing Demonstration – Final Thoughts
Stopping by the Alder House for a glass blowing demonstration was an enjoyable free activity and I’m glad we did it. We were there for about 45 minutes and in that time watched the artist create a blown glass vase, learned some interesting things about glass blowing, and got to admire all kinds of previously-created glass art pieces in the studio. Less than a mile off of highway 101, it’s a great stop to make if you’re on the central Oregon coast!
