Partner Profile: Cracked Glass Design

Kathryn Moores, owner of Cracked Glass Design in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, remembers a fascination with glass from her childhood. “As a young girl, I recall looking at goblets and just being mesmerized,” she remembers. “The way the sun hit them and the colours that came out on different surfaces and the sound of pure crystal fascinated me.”

Kathryn has had a distinguished 25-year career in the Canadian Forces. That work led to a four-year posting in Europe. “I had the opportunity to visit so many glass artists and countries where glass had been created for centuries,” Kathryn says. “The churches in Europe were always on my visiting list when I travelled.”

In the meantime, Kathryn also learned more about glass art. She started working in stained glass about 28 years ago, and soon she took up glass fusing as well. She had lessons from multiple world-class artists, and she continues this learning process even today. “Glass artwork is evolving so quickly and we’re such a large community with so much to learn and to give to each other,” she points out.
Kathryn opened her storefront location in beautiful Trenton, Ontario in November, 2021 - not far from the air force base where she worked for most of her career. Growth at Cracked Glass has been steady, and Kathryn has worked hard to find the perfect staff that fit with her vision of a friendly, laughter-filled space that all ages can enjoy and create in.

Although that doesn’t mean there were no bumps in the road. Covid-related shutdowns were challenging for her new business, and even more dramatically, a car was accidentally driven through her storefront in the spring of last year. Cracked Glass was closed for six weeks for repairs, and the loss of so much glass needed significant restocking.

But as Kathryn points out, she didn’t open the business out of dire financial necessity. She started it because of her love of glass, and wanting to share that with her community. 

It has paid back huge dividends in the people she has met, their stories, and the smiles, laughter, and friendships. “I've watched artists create things they never thought possible,” Kathryn says. “It fills me with joy every time I hear, ‘I made that!’”

The repairs to the front of the store are now long completed, and new customers and old can always expect great service, selection, a personal touch, music, and homemade cookies. Cracked Glass is working on expanding their online shopping capabilities, and they source Canadian-made products whenever they can (such as Glassola Tools layout frames!).

Cracked Glass is ready to expand. Kathryn is looking carefully for a larger space, has just hired two more assistants, and has added more store hours to accommodate their clients' schedules. The store is also looking to start holding gallery shows, as well as working with interior designers to design pieces for private residences.

Going forward, Kathryn’s plan is to continue to try to touch, inspire, teach, and encourage more people to explore the endless possibilities of glass. 

Here at Glassola Tools, we’ve loved our visits to Cracked Glass, and we look forward to dropping again soon to see what Kathryn is up to next!

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