Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 2815 Summer 2016 | HTCinc.net Forget exact steps, these two have it down to an art form — a choreographed pas de deux that’s perfectly in sync, and neither ever falls off the music. Their natural teamwork — no doubt a result of decades of collaboration and mutual devotion — is fluid and worthy of envy. So how do folks from New Jersey and New York wind up in Conway, South Carolina, spending each day creating something out of nothing? Thirty years ago, the pair embarked on two grand adventures in one year: marriage and opening a glass shop. “When I met Eddie, he was in the flat glass business,” says Barbara. “My ancestors were also glass blowers, so we always had a connection with glass. When I met him and found out he worked with glass, I thought it was just the coolest thing.” About 10 years into their venture, the two took a glass-blowing class and instantly fell in love with the specialty. The pair was inspired to learn more about it, which ultimately led them to start their own glass-blowing project. “After our first class, we immediately knew what we were going to do next,” Barbara says. “We didn’t know how we were going to do it or how we were going to afford it, we just knew we were going to do it.” At first, all they had were three furnaces and a dream. Now, 30 years later and still in Conway, the couple have built a successful business. They sustain a craft show presence, lead art classes throughout the year and garner anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 annual visitors from all over the nation. And it’s no wonder why. Each viewer experiences the beauty of their art a little differently. That’s the attraction of handcrafted, original work — no two pieces are the same. Like the visitors making their purchases, each creation has its own exclusive identity. However, all the artworks share one thing in common — hands entirely dedicated to the craft created them with great care. After 30 successful years, what are the next steps for Conway Glass? “We are planning on moving into a new building later this year,” says Ed. “We are absolutely thrilled! We’ve been looking at this amazing location for almost 20 years now, and we see it as fate that it recently fell into our laps.” Serendipity has seemingly hit the Streeters, and the future of the shop certainly looks bright. Their classes, workshops and occasional public demonstrations are a sensational treat, and their handiwork is an absolute can’t-miss. And, the pair is adding a bit of antique charm to the mix when they relocate to a 100-year-old historic building in Conway this fall. If you’d like to walk away with your own custom piece of art, sign up for a class online today by visiting conwayglass.com/classes. Classes are held October through April. Find out more by calling 843-248-3558 or by visiting conwayglass.com.