ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE CLOSURE OF FLO GLASSBLOWING AND THE CREATION OF A NEW GLASSBLOWING COOPERATIVE IN OTTAWA:
Announcement
Effective July 1st 2019, Flo Glassblowing will cease operations and the facilities will be closed over the summer months. Our studio’s gallery hours, classes, and rentals will be running as scheduled until June 15th, 2019. The Studio will be closed for the months of July and August to allow for a new non-profit cooperative, currently titled the Ottawa Glassblowing Cooperative, to incorporate. This new cooperative will offer Glassblowing to the Ottawa community commencing September 1, 2019 through a membership structure.
Personal note from Melody
Creating and running Flo Glassblowing has been one of the most rewarding endeavours that I could have ever imagined. You have all supported Flo and have helped fulfill a childhood dream that I had when I first saw the creative magic this art form has to offer to so many.
However life is change and my personal life has now changed so much with the demands of marriage and motherhood. I know it is the right time to let go of this career as a solo Glassblowing business so that I can devote more time to my family and return to the creative fulfilment of being an artist. Running a business is both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time.
In discussing my need for more personal time away from the business of operating a Glassblowing Studio several key and experienced supporters of Flo Glassblowing have stepped forward with the idea of creating a non-profit cooperative to take over the assets and operations of Flo Glassblowing along the lines of the very successful model in Vancouver called Terminal City.
If you have any questions and want to be kept informed on this new initiative please contact ottawaglasscoop@gmail.com.
I look forward to being a member with you in this exciting new project.
– Melody Jewitt
What does this mean to Flo Glassblowing and you?
- From now until June 15th all regularly scheduled classes and rental time slots will be running as usual.
- Between now and July 1st you will have an opportunity to purchase a membership in the new Ottawa Glassblowing Cooperative. Initial discussions with the Steering Committee suggest there will be two or three tiers of membership based upon the highly successful Vancouver Glass blowing Cooperative model:
- Regular Membership
- Teacher membership
- Founding or supporting membership
- Memberships in the new Cooperative purchased this founding year of the Cooperative will be guaranteed to remain at the initial purchase price for as long as you maintain your membership. The prices will be finalized by the new Board of the Cooperative over the next few weeks, but will be based on a non-profit cooperative accounting basis and therefore the best and most reasonable rates possible.
- All Flo Glassblowing gift certificates will expire with the closure of Flo Glassblowing on July 1st 2019. You may however use your gift certificate to purchase something from our shop or register into a class.
To register into a class with a gift certificate:
-email us at floglassblowing@gmail.com
-please include the following information: the date and time of the class you’d like to attend, your email and phone number, the first and last names of the attendees, and the gift certificate voucher #.
How long do we hold class items?
We currently hold items made in class for 90 days. At this point, we will ask students to pick up their class items as soon as possible, and no later than the end of May, 2019. As we get closer to the closure date we will be letting students know in class when they can pick up their finished items.
How long will we hold rental items?
We ask all renters who have items in the shop to come and pick them up as soon as possible and no later than the end of May, 2019. There will come a point as we clean up the shop that we will not be able to store items and if they are not picked up we may unfortunately have to get rid of them. We don’t want to do that so please pick them up!
When must Flo Print kits be returned by?
In order to receive your finished Flo Print, please return your kit to Flo by May 15th, 2019.
More details will unfold as we have them but in the meantime we appreciate your patience with us during these last months of operation.
Thank you,
The Flo Team
Please come out to show your support and to bring awareness to the cause.
Emmalynn (photo credit: Laura Marrongelli)
Create individually cast glass impressions of your dearest young ones feet and hands, and even paw prints of your favourite fur friends! Your print can be made into treasured keepsakes to last a lifetime.
