Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Skibbe.
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started working with glass back in 1997, which I ended up pursuing formally, earning my BFA from VCU in 2005. Right after graduation, I knew I wasn’t done learning. In 2006, I built out The Glass Spot, and we opened to the public in 2007. The idea was simple: create a space where both professionals and everyday people could experience hot glass and become part of a real local glass community. Since then, we’ve grown into central Virginia’s premiere public access hot glass studio, offering everything from beginner workshops to intensive courses to studio rental for advanced glassworkers.
In the pursuit of continuing education, I eventually made it to Murano, Italy, to learn traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques from Maestro Davide Fuin. Getting to learn directly from him, first at his furnace on Murano, and later at my own studio, has been one of the great privileges of my career.
That relationship helped conceive and develop Goblet Days, an annual artist residency celebrating traditional Venetian glassmaking that has occurred annually since 2023. The artisans utilize techniques that go back centuries on Murano, and I’m proud to be part of bringing that level of tradition and craftsmanship directly to our local glass scene.
Today, I manage the studio, teach, and still make my own artwork, so in a lot of ways, the story hasn’t really stopped. I’m still that person who fell in love with glass in ’97, just with a lot more to pass on now.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been rewarding, but far from smooth. When I first started building The Glass Spot, I had no idea what it would really take. My father, a welder by trade, helped me source materials and build out the hot shop itself, piece by piece, but even after we got the doors open, the real challenge was just staying open.
The furnace runs 24/7 unless we’re shutting down for maintenance, so the overhead never stops. I quickly learned that running a working studio isn’t just about making art or renting space to other glassblowers, it’s a constant balancing act of keeping the lights on, every single day. It’s still the biggest commitment I’ve ever made.
Then the pandemic hit, and that tested us in a completely different way. We had to reorganize almost everything from how we taught, how people moved through the space, how we kept our community engaged safely. It forced me to adapt quickly instead of sticking to how things had always been done. I’m incredibly grateful for how our patrons and the local glass community rallied around us through that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At its core, my work is Venetian-inspired and I apply that to both my personal artwork and commissions. I have strong relationships with designers who hire me for their projects and a steady stream of home decor commissions, both original designs and replacements, sometimes even historical lighting reproductions where I’m recreating a fixture true to a specific period or style. For my personal work, I mostly focus on vessels, using Venetian technique to shape and detail them. When I have the time, I love practicing goblet-making the traditional Venetian way. Ultimately, it’s meditative, technical, and connects directly back to the centuries-old tradition I’ve spent years studying. What I think sets me apart is that connection to the source, my relationship with Maestro Davide Fuin, which also led to founding Goblet Days, our annual artist residency here at the studio, and allows me to bring that same authentic technique and instruction to our local glass community rather than keeping it to myself. I’m proud of being a conduit for something bigger.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Being an artist and a business owner demands most of your time. I was dedicated when I started, but I had no idea what that would really mean until I was in the thick of it. Also, make time for your own art, even when it feels impossible to justify. If you don’t carve out space for inspiration and experimentation, no one’s going to do it for you. Lastly, things change, be ready to stay adaptable. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it’s that the craft is only half of it and that building something that lasts takes just as much resilience as it takes technical skill.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrisskibbe.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglassspot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theglassspot/
- Other: https://www.richmondglassspot.com/
