© 2008 Kitty Vickers

Ron Hinkle is an accomplished master glass artist who embodies great passion and appreciation for glass and the history of glass making.

Born and reared in Buckhannon, West Virginia; Ron Hinkle developed a love of glass at the tender age of 12. Taking the glass tubing from his chemistry set, Ron learned to bend and stretch the glass over the burners of his gas stove. He became fascinated by the movement, the flow, and the possibilities of glass.

During the summer before his senior year at Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Ron learned the glass factories in nearby Weston were looking for summer help. He began work at Louie Glass, and after just one summer, he was completely awestruck by the magic of glass and had an insatiable hunger to learn more about his craft. He returned to Louie Glass after graduation in 1974 and would spend the next 20 years learning from the masters while developing his own style and technique.

Within the first few years at Louie Glass, Ron worked independently during his breaks, at lunch, after work, and on weekends to learn the art of glass blowing. He was soon assigned to a glass blowing position, where he remained for 14 years.

During this time, Ron observed his co-workers crafting paperweights with colorful glass flowers and intricate designs encased within the glass. He was consumed with achieving this skill and growing his repertoire. Within a year, Ron's paperweights were in such demand among the employees that they would purchase them while Ron was still forming the glass. His co-workers would claim a paperweight before it was even cooled. Soon he was crafting paperweights during every spare moment and even secured an apprentice to assist him. He quickly realized that in order to meet the growing demand of the employees, other individuals, and an expanding list of gift shops was going to require even more time.

Ron began investigating the possibility of starting his own glass studio. He sought the advice of Jennings Bonnell, formerly of Big Pine Key Glass Works Studio in the Florida Keys, who assured him that his talents were adequate and the market for fine handmade art glass was as open and endless as the number of items the mind could create. Ron and Jennings visited accomplished glass artists including Roberto Moretti, Harvey Littleton, John Littleton, Gary Beacham, and Walter Evans. Ron also sought input from Vander, Mark & Merritt of Three Bridges, New Jersey; Robert Hammond of Scott Depot, West Virginia; Charlie Gibson of Milton, West Virginia; Charles Lotton, Fred Wilkerson, Sr., Fred Wilkerson Jr., Leon Applebaum of New York; and Jim Davis of Pennsboro, West Virginia among many others. He learned about the processes involved in their individual creations, studio construction, and product marketing.

With a dream in his left hand and faith in his right, Ron set out to build his own glass studio. With literally no money to invest, it took him four years to personally build the tank, furnace, and studio. Ron and his father, Paul Eugene Hinkle, harvested logs from their property and traded part of the logs to have the lumber sawed for construction. Ron purchased second-hand tools and machinery and even collected tools that had been discarded, thrown away to repair and return them to service in his own studio.

In mid-1993, Ron left Louie Glass to officially opened Hinkle's Dying Art Glassworks on January 1, 1994. He began by marketing his work exclusively through wholesale, particularly to Princess House Consultants, with which he became acquainted through Louie Glass. It didn’t take long before orders started pouring in from many states and because of the quality of his work; word of mouth became his best marketing tool.

Since it began, business at Hinkle's Dying Art Glassworks has grown by at least 30% every year. Ron's art glass is now available in more than 30 states and in select international locations. In December 2005, his business became known as Ron Hinkle Glass.

Ron's work has been featured numerous times on both the West Virginia Governor's Tree and the Christmas Pageant of Peace trees at the White House in Washington, D.C. For the 2000 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, GA, Ron crafted hundreds of glass peaches for distribution to dignitaries and guests. He has regularly demonstrated his craft at the Mountain State Arts & Craft Fair at Ripley, WV and has been featured in USA Today, Lifestyle Crafts Buyers Guide and All About Glass magazine.

The product line at Ron Hinkle Glass includes original designer vases, rondels, bowls, stemware, table lamps, and a series of novelty figurines including animals, fruit and flowers. He is currently developing a line of handcrafted custom lamp shades for both chandelier and sconce applications.

Ron is currently partnering with Fenton Glass USA in developing and creating for Fenton a limited edition Christmas ornament using Burmese Glass supplied by the Fenton Factory in Williamstown, West Virginia.

In the May 9th 2003 Edition of the New York Times Journeys Section the article entitled Thirty-six Hours in Morgantown, West Virginia stated, “The highlight of the shops is the Gallery at Seneca Center, a co-operative that features the work of artists like Ron Hinkle, a Buckhannon, West Virginia glassblower who loves color in dapples and swirls.”

Ron is fulfilling a lifelong dream to create and sell his own works of glass art. Thanks to Ron and other artists like him across the country, glassblowing is no longer a dying art, but alive and well in the 21st century.

© 2008 Kitty Vickers

In 1969 when Richard was a teenager, he started his glass working career at Colonial Glass Plant. A few years later he went to Louie Glass where I first met him in 1973. Richard achieved superior gathering skills in only a few short years and has the reputation of being the best in his field. His skills continue to grow as he works as a finisher in the creative process in my studio. Richard has worked for Ron Hinkle Glass since 1999.

Scott comes from a different school of learning than Richard or I. During his childhood, he lived beside the famed Art and Craft Center of Wheaton Village in Millville, NJ. During fourteen years of careful observations and his willingness to be a volunteer at the “Village” Scott learned techniques from various artists. Scott is my gatherer whose job is to gather the molten glass from the furnace, apply the colored frit to the molten glass and manipulate those colors into patterns. Scott has worked for Ron Hinkle Glass since 2004.

Richard and Scott have endless imagination and skill and it is an honor to have them in my studio. Adding Richard and Scott’s expertise to mine totals over eighty years of glass making artistry to Ron Hinkle Glass.