As we enter 2025, we want to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves, share a bit about our journey, and express our gratitude for your support along the way.

Nicolette and I met in school, quickly forming a close friendship that blossomed into a relationship just before our high school graduation. Growing up in the Peninsula near San Francisco, we shared a mutual love for exploration and instantly connected through the joyful experiences we created together.

At 19, I took a chance glass-blowing class, igniting my passion for flameworking. I spent countless hours in the East Bay learning the craft, eventually renting studio space and teaching classes. Early experiments with techniques like fuming and marble-making became my foundation. Seeing my tutorial published in The Flow Magazine was an early milestone that encouraged me to keep creating.

By 2015, I began teaching at the Bay Area Glass Institute and The Crucible, demonstrating at Stanford, and showcasing my work at art fairs. Nicolette and I were inseparable, turning every event into an adventure, camping along the West Coast and soaking in the beauty of places like Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, and the Columbia River Gorge.

Participating in Maker Faire Bay Area—an event with over 100,000 attendees—was a breakthrough moment, and I was honored to win an Editor’s Choice ribbon for my flameworking demonstrations. Competitions and shows followed, including prestigious events like the San Francisco American Craft Council at Fort Mason, King’s Mountain Art Fair, and with the Association of Clay and Glass. These experiences deepened my connection to the craft and the artist community.

In 2017, Nicolette and I moved to Fairfax in Marin County, where I joined the artist cooperative Art Works Downtown in San Rafael. This space allowed me to take on exciting projects, including creating 84 hand-crafted glasses for a Jerry Bruckheimer table setting—a surreal and memorable moment in my career.

In December 2019, we began construction on our first retail location in Glen Ellen. Although the pandemic forced us to pivot, the challenges taught us invaluable lessons in business development and resilience.

By 2021, we opened Dickinson Glass Studio and Showroom at The Barlow in Sebastopol, building out the space ourselves with much help from my dad. Together, we created a modern, functional studio. That same year, we got married, welcomed our daughter Luciana, and embraced the joys and challenges of family life.

The years since have brought incredible opportunities, from working with Duckhorn Vineyards and Quince to being featured in publications like Sonoma Magazine, The Press Democrat, and Forbes. One highlight was partnering with Nissan to create a Kumiko lantern for their ARIYA AWD First Drive event, blending Japanese design with my craft.

Workshops and team-building events have flourished, reaching over 1,000 students, including Girl Scouts of America and Sonoma Academy. Being finalists for Sonoma County Tourism’s Stars of the Industry awards in 2023 was an honor that reflected our commitment to creating meaningful experiences.

In 2024, we embraced change, moving to a beautiful west county property surrounded by vineyards and redwoods. This new space has inspired visions of a seasonal events, a deeper connection with our community, and a permaculture garden waiting to bloom. We ended the year with a memorable Holiday Open House, celebrating the support and friendships we’ve built over the years.

— Nicolette and Michael Dickinson