Glass blower straddles art scene in Shelton, Tacoma

Kirk Boxleitner | Apr 21, 20220

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Ty Nault's upbringing left him with an affection for colorfully worked glass.

Shelton High School graduate Ty Nault went from pushing paper to being inspired by the artwork within walking distance of his office jobs. He followed up on his childhood fascination with stained glass by creating Molten Glass Works.

Nault's pre-artisanal career took him through stints in the insurance and medical business. Mailroom duties gave way to being an information technology worker for DaVita HealthCare Partners' Tacoma branch.

During lunch breaks with a coworker from 1998 through 2005, they checked out the art scene in Tacoma at several galleries within walking distance. Many of them featured glass art, often by Dale Chihuly, and the prices of those pieces made blown glass seem like an appealing field for Nault to enter, which he did with his first class in 2003.

Nault credited his Catholic upbringing with providing an early appreciation for churches' stained-glass windows. He experimented with melting glass bottles in campfires as a teen, but he said witnessing the art form's emergence and evolution was another experience entirely. Nault, again during his lunch hours, watched the Museum of Glass being built in Tacoma.

At first, Nault got involved by serving in a public relations capacity for the museum before he was able to interact with Chihuly more, sharing his dreams of following in the glass artist's footsteps.

Nault has since come to see molten glass blowing as a free-form meditation, whose results often surprise himself as much as others.

"It's fun and relaxing, because you're always creating something new and different," Nault said. "The most challenging aspect of my work has probably been creating new designs and ideas, while the most rewarding part of it, at least for me, is seeing the smiles on people's faces, and hearing them say, 'Wow.' "

Nault started his commercial career as a blown-glass artist by producing relatively "inexpensive knickknacks," while he now receives commissions for high-priced art pieces, often part of ambitiously creative series.

Nault connects with customers and admirers of his work through local markets and arts and crafts fairs, and through Facebook at "Molten Glass Works," which showcases his work and his production process.

Nault said he cherishes meeting Chihuly, but also credits his exposure to other "glass maestros from around the world" through Area 253 Glassblowing in Tacoma, from which he rents shop and studio space.

Nault straddles the art scenes of Tacoma and his native Mason County by serving as a virtual curator for the online gallery of Museum Contempo, a private gallery museum in Shelton whose themed, juried shows feature regional and international artists.

To learn more, go to "Molten Glass Works" on Facebook or email Nault at [email protected].