About The Artist
Simon Pearce Growing up in County Cork Ireland, Simon Pearce was attracted to antique glass as a teenager. Pearce began his career in glass at the Royal College of Art in London and worked in some of Europe's most renowned glass houses.He began glassblowing, apprenticing with renowned glassmakers at the Leerdam glass factory in the Netherlands, Venini in Italy, and Orrefors and Boda in Sweden.
Vermont caught his attention as well. In 1981 Simon Pearce moved his studio from Ireland to Quechee, Vermont. His original glassblowing studio still functions in Quechee in a restored mill which houses glassblowers,potters and his restaurant. Simon Pearce, with 100s of employees, is a company as well as a man. The Simon Pearce Company is headquartered in the nearby town of Windsor. In 1993, a 32,000 square foot glass manufacturing facility was built in Windsor, Vermont. This more than doubled Simon Pearce glass production. In 1999 Simon Pearce opened a third glass blowing facility at the former Bausch & Lomb building in Mt. Lake Park, Maryland. With these facilities, Simon believes he will be able to grow and expand production to meet the demand for Simon Pearce glass well into the future. |