Nobody Blows Glass Better Than Third Degree Glass Factory

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Prior to walking through the doors of Third Degree Glass Factory on Delmar, I had no clue how blown glass was made. Before long, I learned that it all starts with a raw chunk of glass, a blowpipe and a glory hole. Someone with 11 years of glassblowing experience doesn't hurt either.

When Jim McKelvey and Doug Auer started Third Degree Glass back in 2002, their goal was to create a fun place where the people of St. Louis could come to learn more about what glass blowing is, and if they wanted to, learn how to actually make it. Local artists sell their work there, and glass artists and students can rent out space to work and learn - and it all happens in a renovated 1930s car dealership.

Glass blowing itself has been around for thousands of years. It's a difficult art form, but for those who take the time to learn it, it's very worthwhile. If you're interested, click here to learn more about classes at Third Degree, and click on the Featured Video tab to see what Doug taught ToastedRav.

If you really want to submerse yourself into glass blowing culture here in STL, Third Fridays (the third Friday of every month at Third Degree Glass...get it?) are a great way to do that. Join a few hundred people each month for live music, local art collections, glass blowing demonstrations and tasty snacks.

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