few thousand professional glassblowers in
the country. That limited number means little
competition if Live Laugh Love decides to
expand.
“This could survive in any market because
we don’t have to competewith anyone,” he says.
“And even if there is one glassblower around,
it’s not at this level.”
That expansionwon’t happen for a fewyears,
Natalie says. “That’s just a dream.”
‘Nobody does what we do’
But until that becomes a reality, the company
has found success in Tigard’s downtown.
While the area has struggled for decades to
get off its feet, Live Laugh Love has managed
to become a destination business for people
across the globe.
“We are not local at all,” Vinsant says.
“Everybody who comes here comes to us
because that’s what they’re doing. People
don’t pop in and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you
were here.’”
Vinsant says Live Laugh Love’s success
has come from its unique concept.
“Nobody does what we do,” he says.
To find something similar, art enthusiasts
would have to visit the Museum of Glass in
Tacoma, or the Corning Museum of Glass in
New York state, Vinsant says.
But unlike those nonprofit organizations,
Live Laugh Love has found a way to turn its
unique art form into a flourishing business.
“Making money in art is a joke nowadays,”
Vinsant says. “People don’t usually use
the words ‘art’ and ‘business’ in the same
sentence. They don’t usually go hand in hand.
But we are always trying new ideas and
new things to make art and business work
together. I thinkwe have a good combination.”
Most of the company’s success has come
from glass-blowing classes or fused-glass
workshops, along with corporate events and
stops on bus tours.
“Right now, we don’t have any openings, it’s
busy from 10 a.m. to 7 at night,” Vinsant says.
Glass blowing is far from easy, and like a
lot of fine art, it can be expensive to produce,
but Vinsant says that what people take away
from classes and events is more than a piece
of art. They also understand what artists
have to do to produce their art.
“A lot of craftsman, do they make money?
I don’t think so. They do it because they love
it,” he says. “When people come in here and
take a class, they understand the value of
what we’re selling. We teach them the value
of handcrafted gifts.”
Thursday, October 24, 2013
|
TIGARD MONTHLY
5
Live Laugh Love
12425 SW Main Street • Tigard, Oregon • sherriesjewelrybox.com • 503.598.0144
Wear one for
the one you love,
The one who made
you a parent,
The one who
gave you life.
449833.102413 TM
What
:
Live Laugh Love Glass
Address:
12230 S.W. Main St., Tigard 97223
Phone:
503-244-7811
Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Website:
livelaughloveglass.com
>> Continued from Page 4
After the glass of an ornamental pumpkin has cooled, it is reheated with a blow torch to affix a glass stem.
AT A GLANCE
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