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From Glass Art Magazine TM ·
January/February 2006
September, 2005
On August 28, I was as ready as I could have possibly
been. I had heard all of the reports in the media and, being
a resident for over 25 years, I knew almost instinctively what
I needed to do. I had to protect myself, and my family, and I
had to do what I could to preserve my small business. A category
five hurricane was bearing down on my hometown-New Orleans.
In 1993, I opened my own glassblowing business: Rosetree Glass
Studio. Three and one half years later, we renovated a vintage
Art Deco movie theater into an award-winning studio that houses
our business. Rosetree sells work to over 400 retail shops, galleries,
and museum shops across the country. I make the handblown glass
pieces along with the help of three employees and my wife, Brenda.
We wear many hats, as most people with small businesses do. We
design the artwork, make the pieces, do publicity, market the
work, handle sales, and run a gallery that is located in the
front of my building. Each piece is individually made with care.
On that fateful day, while my wife prepared at home with my
teenage children, Marcy and Max, I prepared the studio. I intended
to take everything necessary to re-establish our business, if
we were wiped out. The most important thing was the computer
with all of our back-up files. I also took my Rolodex with years
of contacts, a notebook in which I keep track of everything that
I order for the studio along with phone numbers, copies of our
accounts receivable, and copies of our upcoming orders. I emptied
400 pounds of molten glass out of our furnace and turned off
the gas and power to the building. As I screwed the final piece
of plywood across my door, I took one last look at everything
that we have spent the last 13 years building, not knowing if
there would be anything left when we returned.
We planned to evacuate to Magnolia, Texas. This is the home
of Brenda's brother and his family. With the car loaded with
essentials, mementos, and cherished items, again I surveyed what
we had accumulated in 16 years. With the dread that we might
not ever see our city and our lives the same way again, we entered
a sea of traffic that would ultimately take 16 hours to navigate
through the, typically, six hour drive.
When we arrived in Magnolia, I knew that there were many things
that were out of my control. I tried to concentrate on the things
that would be positive or beneficial to my family and business.
All of the reports and warnings indicated that this was the "perfect
storm" that would crush New Orleans. We were told that we
might not be able to return to our beloved city for six to eight
months. This was out of my control. What I could do was try to
get my family back to some sense of "normalcy."
The first thing I had to do was to become financially sound.
We had to contact everyone possible in our accounts payable and
work out a payment plan. The response was resoundingly positive.
The first credit card that I called was American Express. The
person I talked with went out of his way to defer payment, add
to my credit limit, let me know that emergency cash was available,
and to even give me his home phone number in case I needed him
at any time. He told me that I had been a loyal customer for
many years and now it was their turn to take care of me! It was
an incredible expression of customer service that will be appreciated
for years to come. Next was my cell phone provider, Sprint. I
knew that I would have to use my cell phone extensively for business
during our time away from home. The customer representative changed
our payment plan to give me more minutes and free text messaging
(two teen-agers take up a lot of minutes) for less than I was
paying before the storm. One week later I received a text message
from Sprint that told me they were giving me a free month of
service. I received similar service from most of the accounts
that I called.
Setting up a place to work was next. A glassblowing studio
is not something that can be set up without logistic problems.
A furnace that holds 2000-degree molten glass is not quickly
thrown together. I had an incredible response from both friends
and strangers I had never met before. I was offered studio space
at over 15 studios across the country. The problem was that I
would have to leave my family, and I had always maintained that
remaining together as a whole family unit was the most important
part of our evacuation. I explored finding a studio in Houston
and found two wonderful people, Dick Moiel and Kathy Poeppel,
who turned on their studio, Houston Studio Glass, and allowed
me to start making my art.
As I sit writing this from Magnolia, Texas, we are waiting
out the next hurricane, Rita. I have had reports that our home
and studio have both sustained damage, but not irreparable. The
area of New Orleans that our studio and home are located in,
Algiers, was not badly damaged from the storm.
When we are able to, we will go back to New Orleans and re-establish
our business. In the past few weeks we have learned a lot about
what transpires ina disaster of "biblical" proportions.
We also have learned that there are some very thoughtful and
caring people who are willing to help their friends, as well
as those whom they have never met.
November 2005
After five weeks of being displaced and apart, my family
is now home and whole. After five weeks of emotional, physical,
and mental anguish, we can start a new and better chapter in
our lives. Brenda and I returned last week to assess damages
and realized that although we had damage to both our home and
studio, it was not enough to separate the family. We enrolled
both kids in school on Friday and went back to Houston this weekend
to bring them home. We are lucky; a lot of families are torn
apart by this disaster.
We traveled through two different hurricane destruction zones
on our way to get the kids. As you travel, you first notice trees
and signs down, then billboards, then structural damage. You
can see where the eye made landfall because the trees and signs
change the direction of where they dropped. We passed convoy
after convoy of tree services, power companies, and military
(with drivers seemingly barely old enough to drive). You think
"good luck and god speed" and silently say "thank
you." The traffic into New Orleans was heavy on Saturday
with people who had just been given the o.k. to see their property.
On Sunday, the traffic was heavy leaving the city with people
who saw much more destruction and despair than we experienced.
The estimate is that over half of the population won't come back.
Although we weathered the storm in better shape than many,
my life has become a series of Russian dolls. One problem is
solved and another is exposed. The status quo has changed. My
city has become an occupied camp that has very limited services.
It is common to see young troops walking the streets with M-
16s. Humvees are everywhere. We have basics such as electricity,
potable water, sewage, and gas, but in a city that used to number
50,000 on this side of the river, we have only a couple of gas
stations, three restaurants, and two markets. They all do not
have a lot of stock, but they all have lines. A six-pack of Heineken
is the coin of the realm to facilitate things. There are a few
people in the neighborhood who can "requisition" whatever
you ask for. It is like Radar and Klinger on M.A.S.H.- that's
how I got a lift to get up on my studio roof!
I fired up the glass furnace in the studio, and we should
be able to start making glass this week. It is hard to concentrate
on work when it has become a full-time job getting all of the
other things done (or started). We have been making lists to
feel like we accomplish something during each day.
There are three things that you notice now. One is the smell.
It is the smell of rotten meat and rancid fish. Almost everyone
lost their refrigerators and freezers and the contents. The units
line the streets, taped up and waiting to be hauled away. Another
is the piles of garbage that are heaped on the sidewalks. They
say that it might take over a year to haul off all of the debris.
The final thing you notice is that the once lush tree canopy
of the city was severely damaged. So many trees were toppled
or split. Not many trees are taller than two stories and if they
are, they are stripped of leaves. You see a lot of empty space
over neighborhoods where there once were large oaks, pecan, cypress,
smagnolia, and pine trees.
That is enough observations for today. I'll leave you on one
last note. I saw a hawk circling over a broken tree in front
of my house...another creature displaced by a horrible storm.
I hope that it finds its home and its family. I have mine. ··
July 2006
Yes, it's been a long strange trip, but the journey is only beginning.
Some days, it's good, and some days not so good. The situation in
New Orleans has faded as old news on a lot of fronts, but here we
are bombarded 24/7 with all the crap that surrounds us. It seems
that everyone here is suffering from PTS syndrome. That is understandable
in our situation, but it does not make it better. There are many
times that I stop and have to remind myself that things will get
better.
To answer the question, my response is this: New Orleans is like a friend, relative,
or lover who is critically ill in the ICU of the hospital. Everyone is gathered
in the waiting room waiting, and waiting. Hours pass and no one comes to tell
you how the patient is. You just have to keep waiting for that one doctor or
specialist to interrupt the anxiety and tension and tell you of a course of action
that they will take to make the patient better.
That is our situation en mass. We keep waiting for someone to come forward with
a plan that will help this crippled city off of her knees. All sorts of plans
are bandied about but nothing gets put into action. Large areas of the city look
the same as when the floods receded. Looted stores sit empty. Large piles of
debris mount on the streets. 30,000 abandoned cars are still sitting and waiting
to be disposed of. FEMA trailers sit empty while requests for them are still
at a staggering height. Everyone is going to spend the next 3 1/2 months with
one eye on the Gulf in anticipation of the next storm. It's not an easy way to
live ---full of anxiety. Brenda and I have "upgraded" our evacuation
plans and have even talked about where we will go when the next one hits. This
city can not survive another blow right now and that is frightening.
We were very fortunate to be on the "right side" of the disaster. We
did not flood. My heart aches for those who lost everything. I really want to
help make New Orleans a city to be proud of. We have been told that this will
be the land of opportunity, that we have the chance to start fresh and new. But
right now those statements only scream of political rhetoric. It will be a great
day when plans are put into place and progress is made. Now we only have small
victories---the zoo, aquarium and art museum have re-opened. Restaurants are
slowly coming back. Mardi Gras and Jazzfest were amazingly successful. The Saints
will have their first game in the Dome on Monday Night Football on Sept 25th
. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill played Thursday night to a capacity crowd for the
first show in the Arena. All of these things would have gone without fanfare
before, but now they are touchstones.
I don't mean to be a downer, but I thought that y'all might appreciate some thoughts
from inside. We have to look at the glass as half full, but somedays someone
spills the glass and you have to wait to get more....
Pre Flood
Who We Are
Rosetree Glass Studio, Inc. was founded in 1993 with a goal
of making quality, affordable, beautiful, handmade blown glass
objects. Every piece is individually made to give each its own
unique character. Due to the nature of glassblowing, no two pieces
are ever exactly alike.
At Rosetree we melt our own glass from raw materials to give
us the clearest glass available for studio use. An extensive
color palette is achieved through the addition of color glass
chips and powders to the clear glass.The glass is then treated
with a solution of rare and precious metals to produce the beautiful,
multi-colored, iridescent effects. Rosetree Glass is found throughout
the United States in fine craft shops, galleries, museum shops,
and specialty stores.Our beautiful creations have been purchased
as corporate gifts for major corporations, including White Westinghouse
and Gibson.
If you're in the New Orleans area, we'd love to have you visit
us! Rosetree Glass Studio is located in historic Algiers Point,
just across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter. We
have maps and instructions on how to find us via either the bridge
or ferry on our Visit Us page. The ferry is free for pedestrians,
and only a dollar when going west to east for cars. Come see
glassblowers at work, and take a look around our real, live gallery.
History of Rosetree Studio and Gallery
When I split from my partner and a thriving glassblowing studio
to be out on my own, one area in New Orleans was my only choice
in relocating. Algiers Point, an historic neighborhood just a
short ferry ride across the Mississippi River from the French
Quarter, offered proximity to a large city, but with the closeness
of a neighborhood of older homes that were being rehabilitated
by caring owners.
One building a vintage Art Deco movie theater, caught my interest.
The perfect location for my studio, it offered space - 6,000
square feet - high ceilings and room enough for a gallery. The
major drawback was that it had been vacant for 10 years and was
in extreme disrepair. With enough capital to start a new business,
but not enough to take on such a big renovation project, I set
up Rosetree Glass Studio in rented space two blocks up the street
from the theater in an old lawnmower repair shop.
Over the next few years, I passed the theater quite often,
daydreaming of how I would use the space. As luck and hard work
would have it, business grew to a point at which the 1,600 square
foot former lawnmower repair shop was getting very cramped. During
this time, my wife, Brenda, and I drove around the area looking
for a building suitable for our needs and in better shape than
the theater. We found two other properties that could have worked
and put in bids on them, but neither deal worked out. The  theater had always been in
the back of my mind, so I started to put some serious thought
into its rehabilitation.
Although I had had experience running a business, the construction,
real estate, contractors and all that accompany a project of
this scale were pretty new to me. After selecting contractors,
getting architect drawings, talking endlessly with both my banker
and my real estate agent, and negotiating with the owner, we
decided to buy the building. We closed on March 22, 1996. The
building that we had dreamed about was finally ours - and then,
reality set in!
After cleaning out all the debris, we found the damage to
be more extensive than we originally had thought. More than 50
percent of the roof was severely damaged (you could see the sky),
and the floors and ceilings were a mess. The good news was that
while working, we discovered the original terrazzo stairs and
lobby - still intact. The bad news was that the work that had
already been done up to that point had to be removed in order
to restore the lobby. My original thought had been simply to
make the building functional, and worry about the upgrading later.
After finding the terrazzo, however, everything changed. We decided to build a large
gallery and a viewing room in addition to the blowing studio.
As work progressed, we ran into more than our fair share of setbacks,
including our general contractor having a heart attack, and our
roofer disappearing for two weeks (and resurfacing in St. Louis),
rain for an entire week after the roof was taken off, a handicap
ramp that went through three changes so that it wouldn't take
up all of our studio space, and a plumber who did not understand
the needs of a glassblowing studio. We worked our way through
all of these problems and started to see the light at the end
of the tunnel.
At the very start of this project, I already had an idea of
what I wanted to do for the grand opening. In New Orleans, we
have festivals and parades for everything from gumbo to strawberries.
Since we would have to move the  furnace
two blocks on a forklift, I thought, "Why not have that
forklift lead a parade with a brass band and second-line dancing?"
We named the event "Glass Fest." The idea was received
with great encouragement from the Algiers Point neighborhood.
We set the date for the opening for early August, but then
had to move it back when we realized that the permits and inspections
could not be done in time. Even though we had postponed the date
for three weeks, we still had to sweat through the fire marshal's
inspection and the plumbing inspection on the day before the
opening.
August 24th finally arrived. Our parade started at the old
studio (two blocks away). With the brass band leading the way,
my wife and I, and our children, Marcy and Max, second-lined
in front of the forklift, which carried the glassblowing furnace.
Following behind  was
a large number of friends, neighbors and people who had read
about the event in the newspaper or seen the preview of the studio
on a local television station. By the time the parade reached
the new studio, there were more than 250 people outside the building
awaiting the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Glass Fest was a great
success.
As I sit and write this a month later, it's hard to believe how
far we've come, and the potential for where we can go. We've
learned a lot along the way - both good and bad. On the whole,
we are very proud of what we have accomplished. But we can't
rest on our laurels - we've got a lot of orders to fill!
This article originally appeared in The Crafts Report,
December 1996
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