New Yorker of the Week

NovMon 2009 Filed in: New Yorker of the Week

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Thomas Stevens

Craft: Glass Blowing Artist
In New York: Over 20 years
Lives: East Village/Asbury Park
Why we think he's cool: Opened up a glass blowing studio Hot Sand Studio in Asbury Park
Where to find him: hotsandsap.com
Interview by: José

Jose: So Thomas, I went to your glass blowing studio over a year ago and loved it!
Thomas: Thanks.

J: Alright, so for those who don’t know what glass blowing is, can you describe it?
T: Sure. There are actually a couple of types of glass blowing. Maybe ones you’ve seen in the mall when you were a kid. That type is called flame working, and it’s done on a small scale. What we do is called furnace work. We have a huge furnace filled with 200 pounds of molten glass that’s heated to about 2,000 degrees, and you pick long steel blow pipes and rods to get the glass out of that furnace to shape into beautiful bubble pieces.

J: How did you get into glass blowing?
T: I got into it about 15 years ago through a friend of mine. I was working in computer graphic design and I wasn’t feeling satisfied with what I was producing - at the end, you produce basically a piece of paper. I wanted to have the feeling that I was creating something with my hands that when I was finished, I could look back on the whole process and see it had a life in itself. So I tried different things, such as pottery and painting - neither of which I was very good at. Then a friend of mine said, “There’s this glass blowing place - let's try that. I can teach you the basics." I said OK. We started going after work once a week. I thought it was fascinating. It was an adventurous thing to do, of course, because it's a foreign environment.

J: What about it fascinates you so much?
T: It’s hot. It’s bright. All kinds of unusual things you have to contend with, and I like that side of it. I like the material. The way you have to manipulate it and the way you have to always move forward. You can’t stop while you’re making a piece--that’s not really an option.

J: I realized that while you were helping me make mine.
T: Right - You can’t take 20 minutes to think about it. You can’t even take a bathroom break. You have to finish what you start. I like that.

J: Would you say glass blowing is a lost art? Do you think it's something that's now being resurrected?
T: No, I don’t think it's a lost art that's being resurrected. I think it’s been here all along. Certainly, there are plenty of artists that have studios in their homes. With that it's not as visible as what we’re doing. When we started our studio, we had to overcome some of our own prejudices to get to where we are today.

J: What do you mean?
T: Namely the idea that if you're going to blow glass you have to train for years, practice and get better and better. How can you have somebody walk in off the Boardwalk who has never touched this medium before and expect them to blow a bubble? We really had to talk ourselves through all of that. And I think that's a big mindset that a lot of glass artists still have today. “I do this, but nobody else can do this, because they don’t have the training.”

J: Your partner’s name is Paul, right? How long has he been with you?
T: I met Paul soon after we came to Asbury Park five years ago. He had a glass blowing studio that was sort of under the radar. I assisted him in exchange for some time for myself to blow glass. At some point I was looking at the Boardwalk. At the time it was desolate, nothing up there. The building where we are now is basically a concrete bunker which is perfect for blowing glass. The floor and ceiling are concrete--the building is not going to burn down. So we started making some inquiries. I talked to Paul and said, "Look--I’ll bring some capital and organizational skills; you bring your equipment and technical skills, and let’s start this.” He was into it.

J: Opening up the studio three years ago was a pretty bold move.
T: Well, we didn’t think of it as too risky at the beginning, if you’re referring to the economy. We were in Asbury Park, which was up and coming. Frankly, it worked to our advantage that we got onto that boardwalk before it took off. We had a decent rent for the first year and a half. Of course, that’s changing now.

J: What sort of adjustments have you had to make since the economy changed?
T: Not as much as I thought. Changed the advertising a little bit. Things like 2-for-1 specials. Although we're not outrageously priced, it’s a bit expensive to drop $50 for a 20 to 30-minute experience. It's not like buying an ice-cream cone. We had 2-for-1 bubbles every Thursday night. It was nice. People appreciated it. Word of mouth has been a great help to us. People having that wonderful experience, then bringing in their friends who also wanted to take advantage of the 2-for-1. That sort of thing.

J: Have you ever had any crazy or interesting requests?
T: Not as many as you would think. You know, the dildo thing comes up every once in awhile.

J: That's hysterical!
T: There’s a Road Trip Weekend as part as a gay party weekend in July. And I think for the first or second one we had these cards printed that if you come to the studio we will cast anything, and we mean ANYTHING. I thought we’d get people to come by and have a good laugh, but not as many as we thought. Maybe people were too embarrassed.

J: That’s really funny. What is it about Asbury Park that draws New Yorkers there?
T: Something New Yorkers love is a buzz. So there’s a buzz about Asbury Park. Everybody knows somebody who’s heard of something going on here. It's a hip place with its own art scene and nice restaurants. It's not like they're totally leaving their comfort zone. They're not going to take off and go to Chatham, New Jersey, where my parents are--THERE’S NOTHING THERE!

J: What kind of reactions do you get from New Yorkers when you tell them what you do? I imagine it's pretty cool.
T: They're just kind of stunned. Everybody’s always like, “I always wanted to do that.”--which is great piece of information to have when you're starting a business. I’m starting something that EVERYBODY wants to do. I don’t think there’s anybody who has ever said “I don’t want to try glass blowing.”

J: Perfect. What’s next?
T: You know activities that people can come in and do have been a huge part of the business so far, so we’re focusing on that. We’re also looking at the Gallery up in the front. It needs some attention. We need to find someone who can be a visual merchandiser for us and who has ideas. This year, It’s all about raising the bar.

J: Sounds like you’re on your way. Are you ready for our 5 Outsider questions?
T: Absolutely.

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5 Outsider Questions:

1. List 5 things you have in your fridge:
T: Ham, tonic water, mayonnaise, swiss cheese and arugula lettuce.

2. What freaks you out most about NY?
T: The noise. I can even talk on the phone anymore!

3. Describe a good NY cheap date:
T: The most beautiful park in New York is Thompson Square Park. Getting a bite to eat and sitting in the park is a dream for me. Very romantic.

4. What's your favorite NY Icon?
T: The Empire State Building.

5. Where do you go to escape NY?
T: Asbury Park, of course.

J: I should’ve guessed. It was great talking to you.
T: Thanks José. We’ll see you soon.