When Janet Zug sets to work creating her exquisite hand-blown glass objects, she does so with two emotions in the forefront of her mind. The first is the pleasure that comes from knowing that the works she is about to create will become treasured possessions for the people who buy them. She explains, “I love knowing that people will find joy in something I made."

The second emotion is gratitude for all who have helped her to achieve her best life: that of an independent artist with enough success to have the freedom to make her own choices. “I am grateful for the support I have received,” Janet says. 

Recipients of her thanks include Simon Pearce, head of the glass-making behemoth carrying his name based in Quechee and Windsor, Vermont. Simon offered the 22-year-old Janet a glass-blowing apprenticeship in 1990. “They offered me a job at the first interview,” Janet remembers. That was how she learned the basics of glassblowing, and she remains grateful to the entrepreneur. Also figuring prominently in Janet’s constellation of gratitude is Bob Burch, a Putney, Vermont–based glassblower who first inspired Janet to strike out on her own, which she did in 1992.

Over the next 12 years, she rented time in glassblowing shops in 14 states, “some in New England while I was based at home in Tunbridge and others while traveling across the country, exploring and van camping. I brought my tools with me and would ship orders from wherever I was.” In 2004, she built her own glassblowing studio back home in Vermont.

Vases Were Just the Beginning

The first product that Janet designed is still in her product line today: a flattened pendant vase designed to hang in a window. Called the Amphora, it is available in three sizes, and like most of Janet’s products, comes in a dazzling array of colors. Janet describes the Amphora as “the first piece I designed when I started my glassblowing business in 1992, and they’re still at the top of the bestselling list.”

Over the years, Janet has added other vases to her product line. These additions include the Twister, a tall square vase which Janet twists while the glass is still hot and malleable, creating a unique shape that flares out slightly at the top. Also available are what Janet calls her Jubilants and Jesters, vases similar in their teardrop design to the Amphora but designed to sit on a tabletop. The Jubilants have an opening that points straight up, while the Jesters sport a top that curves rakishly to the side. The largest of the Jesters, at almost 14 inches, is the biggest item in Janet’s product line.

While Janet’s business is dominated by the vases, she also makes a variety of drinking glasses, bowls, oil lamps, ornaments, and lampshades. Recently she has created a striking new line of stemware for which she has high hopes. Everything comes in a variety of sizes and colors and is viewable on Janet’s webpage, zugglass.com.

Visiting the Studio

 You can also visit Janet’s studio and view her products in person. She is located at 168 Dickerman Hill Road in Tunbridge and asks only that you contact her in person before you arrive, (802) 738-9602 (voice or text). Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Janet holds open studio hours on Saturdays from 9am until 3pm, when all are welcome to stop in. Her products can also be seen and purchased at the Long River Gallery inside the Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction, the South Royalton (Vermont) Market, and the Chef’s Market in Randolph, Vermont. Prices range from $28 to $275.

If you are interested in gaining a deeper experience of glassblowing, Janet is offering glassblowing lessons again, after a COVID-related pause. During the class, each student will have a choice of making either a paperweight or a cup. Contact Janet for pricing on the lessons.

Realities of the Creative Life

Watching Janet blow glass might give you the pleasant illusion that you now know what it is like to be an independent artisan, peacefully working away at your beloved craft surrounded by the majesty of the Green Mountains. On a recent visit to the studio, I was struck by how different this fantasy-view of the artisan’s life is from the reality. For starters, Janet runs her glass furnace for about half the year. During the non-glassblowing months, she spends her time processing the goodies she has created and accomplishing the other critical tasks of managing her business. “Whether I am in the studio or not, my mind is always churning Zug Glass Studio,” Janet remarks.

One impression I have from visiting Janet’s studio is how solitary her work seems to be. It’s a one-woman operation and she does practically everything herself. Some might find it a lonely life, but I don’t think it is for Janet. She lives surrounded by her family and is engaged with her community, editing a local newsletter, The Tunbridge Quarterly, for the past 17 years and organizing monthly Rock ’n’ Roll Shindigs at the Tunbridge town hall since 2008. Through sheer determination and tons of effort, Janet Zug makes it all work. 

Zug Glass Studio

168 Dickerman Hill Road

Chelsea, VT

(802) 738-9602

zugglass.com