Pier Glass Sandy Recovery
Pier Glass Studio was one of the first businesses on the
Beard Street Piers and has been committed to making Red Hook a creative haven
for artists. For over 19 years it has been a place to create and collaborate
for many glass artists, as well as a place where the public can come to learn
about the process of making glass.
Hurricane Sandy devastated the studio destroying equipment and art projects,
but we are committed to this neighborhood and are determined to rebuild here.
This is why we are reaching out to you, dear friends, patrons and art lovers,
to help us financially in restoring this wonderful haven in the harbor of NY.
Eight weeks after Sandy, Pier Glass still remains without electricity. "¨Corrosive
salt water destroyed its furnace, scattered grinding and polishing tools,
shattered glass, and devastated the many artists who call this place home. Mary
Ellen Buxton-Kutch, co-owner of Pier Glass, says the glass studio's recovery is
a full time job. Many of the artists who rely on Pier Glass as a place to
produce their work are without any income. We predict the studio will be
functioning again within 3 to 6 months, but this will be impossible without
your help. We speculate costs of $30,000 to rebuild the kilns, refurbish the
glass furnace, and to replace lost or destroyed tools and equipment.
The support of friends, family and strangers, in these unimaginable times,
warms our hearts, and gives us hope that perhaps it is possible to move forward
after this terrible event. We hope at this time you areable to contribute to
our efforts to restore Pier Glass as a safe harbor for the artists who live and
work in this area.
With much love and gratitude from, Kevin Kutch, Mary Ellen Buxton, Alison
Ruzsa, Kevin Scanlan, Stacey Sandow, as well as all of our students, and
renters.
