Barbara Lawlor, Nederland. Upon entering The Other One shop on the Peak to Peak Highway next to Peak Wine and Spirits, one is struck by the absolute pristine nature of the store, the sparkling display cases and the remodeled interior. Each piece of glass is presented as a work of art, most of them functional works of art.
Shop owners Ashley and Billy Wright will tell you their glass pipes and bongs are meant to be collector’s items, fashioned by glass artists whose work is known for its quality and individuality.
The Wrights opened a couple of weeks ago, after months of remodeling. They have been Nederland residents for the past year and having a business in town is ideal for them and their one and a half year old son, Tucker, who has been named the general manager and has his own office, complete with toys and napping cave. His parents say he is learning life’s lessons from being raised in a glass gallery.
Ashley is from Saint Louis, Missouri and Bill is from Tennessee. Ashley attended CU studying marketing and business management. Billy lived in Rollinsville and when the two met they moved to Telluride for a while, but both of them wanted to return to the Nederland area. They bought a home in Big Springs.
Last year the couple applied for a Home Occupation License but the community was not supportive, not ready for that move.
“Instead of ignoring our neighbor’s concerns, we decided to regroup, to go back to the drawing board,” says Ashley.
Billy has been collecting glass since he was 16 years old, all kinds of glass, not just the functional pieces. Learning about glasswork has been a passion of his. Building relationships and working with artists is a good place to start pursuing one’s passion.
Billy says, “Since our community has such an appreciation for art, for a different culture, we wanted to introduce the art of glass, which hasn’t been properly presented.”
The couple started working on the business last March, filing the formal documents, knowing that glass art is expanding and on the cusp of degenerate art, the art of glass-pipe making, the movement of beauty and function of creative minds.
“We wanted to get a foot in that movement before we actually showcased or shared our passion for glass. We built the collection and launched our website last week. We have created a sanctuary for glass. We have learned about it, we talk about it and there is a lot of glass in our memories. These are tangible souvenirs we want to share, to have people come in and appreciate the art.”
The pieces under glass are limited editions, some numbered and named. They have been purchased from Philadelphia to Oregon and everywhere in between, they range from $15 to $10,000. The artist Cowboy is among their collection. They say they were lucky to have purchased the first 2016 drop from the Cowboy collection.
Billy says that their store type is few and far between, that he has traveled all over the country checking out other shops and putting The Other Shop together. Years ago, there was a glass shop, Fire on the Mountain, on Second Street, but it eventually closed down.
Ashley has a full-time job and will be the shop’s business manager; Billy will run the store, interacting with artists and customers.
The Wrights say their glasswork is not disposable; the pieces are to be cherished.
Although many of their pipes are high end, they also have chillums, spoons and Sherlocks that are affordable.
The shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. – Fri. and Noon-5 p.m. on Sundays during the winter.
