ABOUT
Robinson Scott became aware of handblown glass at the Minnesota State Fair at age 15 when the fair had a group of glassblowers from Mexico. He spent the whole day watching them make all kinds of glass animals. Almost 10 years later, while Robinson’s father was on sabbatical from his art teaching job, he came across a glass blowing program and was intrigued by the process. His father had the glassblowers create a glassblowing studio of his own and called Robinson to invite him to come check it out. Robinson wasted no time and was out at his studio in a short time. He and his father blew glass for several months after that initial phone call.
Robinson was so impressed with this new gooey, hot, elusive material that he became a little obsessed with the possibilities. This began his journey to gather knowledge and find the depth that hot glass had to offer. That journey started at the University of Minnesota, where he spent a year getting to know the process, people, techniques, and basic information. He then moved to Anoka Ramsey Community College in 1980. He registered for the glass blowing program there and without knowing, was engaging in a new life long pursuit. After spending 3 years at ARCC learning from the instructors and glass makers in the class, he had reached a point where he realized he needed to build his own studio. Robinson Scott Glass was created.
Seeking more information, he began to look outside of Minnesota for educational glass blowing opportunities. After much research, Robinson selected Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, Washington. Here’s where things became serious. He began to understand the incredible opportunities that were in front of him, the depth of possibilities, and the family of glass makers he was unintentionally joining.
While taking a class with Jan-Erik Ritzman, a 50 year Swedish master glass blower from the Kosta Boda Glass factory, Robinson became aware of an apprenticeship program he offered. Jan-Erik’s studio operated in Sweden and this was an opportunity he could not pass by and decided he had to go to Sweden and study with Jan-Erik. Getting accepted to be an apprentice was another matter, but it was lucky for Robinson that he was a family man with a wife and 2 children. Previously single students became homesick and felt the need to return home after a few months, Jan-Erik thought that he might have better success with 2 families, more community. Robinson spent the year with Jan-Erik and his partner Svenna Carlsson immersed in glass blowing from every angle. Robinson’s family spent the year in Sweden with him, learning Swedish, going to school and living Swedish life.
Before going to Pilchuck, Robinson had blown glass 8 to 10 hours a week. With Jan-Erik, he was involved in glass making 6 days a week, with so much more information about the process and techniques. After spending the year with Jan-Erik and Svenna, Robinson had a big decision to make, continue to work 60 hours a week at the cookware factory or blow glass full time. With all the new ideas and information he had acquired, the decision was fairly obvious, he could not continue to be a “part time glass maker”, it was all or nothing. In 1989, Robinson quit his supervisory job and went into glass making full time, and began creating glass. Glass making was never about making lots of money or becoming famous, it was and continues to be, about the exploration, discovery, camaraderie and the continuous effort to keep challenging his skills and ability.