DAKOTA GLASS WORKS

Dakota Glass Works is a state-of-the-art glassblowing studio located in the heart of Wardensville, West Virginia. The facility will offer community-based teaching and skills development to promote and preserve the ancient art form of

glassblowing and expose its transferable life skills to local Appalachian youth and the community. In addition to teaching those new to the craft, our hope is that Dakota Glass Works will become an artistic hub, hosting artists from around

the world to foster creativity, growth, and new ideas.

Dedicated to the life and artistry of Dakota William Powell, the studio will also use arts-based instruction to empower youth and connect them to the healing practice of glassblowing. Dakota’s love of this art was fostered at Firebird

Community Arts (Chicago) where the craft of glassblowing is tied to healing work for trauma victims, as well as mental health and suicide prevention services, offering a blueprint for how Dakota Glass Works can serve our own community.

Dakota, a member of the Farms Work Wonders family, battled mental illness during his life but was able to find moments of peace and solace when he was in the glass blowing studio. While Dakota sadly died by suicide in 2017, we hope that the programs offered in both the craft of glassblowing paired with the mental health programs and services can serve as a beacon of hope to those working within our studio.

Dakota Glass Works will be led by veteran glassblower Byron Gaylord and will feature a variety of coursework and programming that engages our students, the Wardensville community, and the many visitors who are increasingly making Wardensville a stop on their travels. In addition to providing training, we will also offer demonstrations for the curious, host visiting artists, and explore how we can use art as mindfulness. Operating as an additional living classroom in the Farms Work Wonders network of mini-businesses (joining our garden market, bakery, restaurant, and production kitchen), Dakota Glass Works will provide unique opportunities to gain real-life experience for students. Our artists and teams of assistants will also be producing items for purchase as well as working on commissioned pieces for businesses and private collectors to help fund our youth initiatives.

About Byron Gaylord:

Byron’s journey in glass blowing began in 2006 through participation in the Community Partnership between Schools and Business (CPSB) program that matched students to job opportunities that would be otherwise unavailable. He

quickly rose through the ranks, leading to coursework at Pilchuck, Dale Chihuly’s renowned international glass school in Washington, and at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. His exceptional skills have led him to work in many of the East Coast’s most revered glass studios and in 2008, just two years after starting the craft, he was nominated for a prestigious Corning Award.

While honing his professional skills, Byron began to incorporate Mindfulness into his daily work, allowing for a healthy attitude of non-attachment and living in the now. His gratitude for the doors that were opened to him and the support he

has received will transfer into his work with students here at Dakota Glass Works. Byron is dedicated to spreading this medium to the unlikely artist in hopes that lessons learned in the studio will benefit their lives for years to come.