North

Yukon's first glass blowing studio welcomes prospective students

The ovens are stoked at Lumel Studios and glass blowers are creating their first made-in Yukon creations. After a year of construction, the art studio is now open, a first of its kind for the territory.
Glass blower Jason Murphy moved to the Yukon from Texas to help build the studio and now works as one of the artists there. (Cheryl Kawaja/CBC)

A new glass blowing studio is up and running on the Whitehorse waterfront, and owner Luann Baker-Johnson hopes it will attract visiting artists and be a place where art students can train.

"Canada does not yet have a glass mecca," said Baker-Johnson this week, "wouldn't it be great if we had an institute that brought people in from all over Canada, all over the world?" 

Lumel Studios has only been open a few days.

"It feels great, it's been a long time coming," said glass blower Jason Murphy. Over the past year, Murphy helped build the studio that includes wood from an old dredge in Dawson City. 

"It's good to play with some glass again," he said, just after finishing a low lying bowl. 

Baker-Johnson hopes the studio will soon offer classes for anyone interested in learning to blow glass. She's quick to add anyone interested in seeing the studio is welcome to drop by.