Please Help Wild Desert Glass Studio Rebuild

Hi, my name is Tracey and I'm a local glass artist at Wild Desert Glass Studio in Tucson, AZ.

On January 4th, with dreams still fresh about a brighter new year, tragedy struck Wild Desert Glass. It’s a shock and loss that we, as local glass artists, are all trying to recover from, but the depth and scope of our loss is nothing compared to the loss experienced that day by the owner of Wild Desert Glass, Alysa Phiel - our mentor, teacher and friend.

Fire ravaged through the structure of Wild Desert Glass Studio on that fateful day. It robbed the Tucson Glass Community of magical space where so many of us gather week after week to create one-of-a-kind art glass pieces, share ideas, share our passion and celebrate a very special community that bonds us in our love of glass and art. It’s a place where you hug when you walk in, and you run back from your car at the end of the day, if you’ve forgotten to hug before you left. It’s a place where you can safely leave self-doubt at the door, because the studio glows with encouragement and new perspectives. Wild Desert Glass is the heart and soul of Alysa Phiel and it is elevated and rooted in her life-long passion for glass. A passion that was passed on to her for three generations. A love that she exudes in her generosity, her inspiration and her patience.

We are still trying to get our heads around how, in less than an hour, all that goodness was shaken to the core - but we are fighters and we’re determined to help Alysa build the studio back. None of us are surprised that there are photos at the scene that day that prove that Alysa is a fighter too! Because, on that day, Alysa fought that fire with the same passion and determination that she inspires in so many of us. Alysa fought the flames until the moment she’s pictured handing the garden hose to the fireman when he arrived. She fought with all her might to save our art, her art, her family treasures and her livelihood. Just like she didn’t let up until the firefighters arrived that day, she hasn’t let up since. But, as difficult as it is for her to ask for help – she needs us now more than ever.

If there are reminders, or lessons, this story has many. Perhaps the most powerful ones are around gratitude. We are eternally grateful that Alysa, her family, and all her animals were spared that day. We are grateful for the glass artist community that Alysa has built, that we are part of. We are grateful that Alysa’s community has come together to help in any way possible, her family is already re-building the studio, her family and glass artist friends have worked tirelessly to salvage any art and glass that could be saved and cleaned and re-used.

Beyond the emotional loss and shock, Alysa’s financial loss has been overwhelming. The fire left a long, deep trail of destruction that has resulted in mounting bills and an enormous loss of income. Without money coming in, it is nearly impossible for Alysa to re-build her beloved - our beloved - Wild Desert Glass Studio.

We are asking anyone who knows adversity, who appreciates the importance of small local artist studios and recognizes how these types of studios encourage and inspire the arts among communities, to please help us rebuild. We assure you that there is no donation too small.

We hope by providing options such as donating to this fund, purchasing something through the Amazon Wish List (see link below), sending a donation through PayPal at https://www.paypal.me/AlysaPhiel or sending a gift card, that you may see an option that you prefer to use in support of these efforts. If you are a glass artist using COE 96 glass, we invite you to also support Wild Desert Glass during these difficult times by making a purchase at http://www.WildDesertGlassStore.com And finally, if you aren’t able to assist financially, no worries - just please send love, encourage creativity, inspire personal growth and hug your family, friends and pets.

In gratitude and appreciation!

Tracey Smith

On behalf of:

Alysa Phiel, Wild Desert Glass Studio

CAN YOU PLEASE HELP US? HERE IS WHAT IS NEEDED TO RE-BUILD AND RE-OPEN:

Luckily the large cold working equipment at the studio and many of the larger kilns are outside the studio building, so they were spared that day. However, what follows is a list of the many, many things that are needed to rebuild and re-open Wild Desert Glass Studio. Please also visit the Amazon Wish List https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/FAK38PGK6RUD/?ref_=lol_ov_le if you prefer to purchase many of the items on this list. Home Depot or Lowe's gift cards would also be greatly appreciated to purchase building supplies. And if you are local to the Tucson area and could help us with dry wall, carpentry, electrical or plumbing we would be incredibly grateful.

GLASS ART:

Hundreds of irreplaceable family heirlooms and pieces that were available for sale, or to be used as demos for upcoming glass shows, or were created by local glass artists and ready for pick-up, are not recoverable. Thousands of glass canes, rods and murrine inventory was severely depleted. Hundreds of glass sheets need to be salvaged or replaced. Glass liquid paints and liquid gold need to be replaced. Stands, plate racks, stringer display/storage racks were not recoverable.

STRUCTURE:

Walls, ceilings, outlets, insulation, windows, display units, storage units, counters and counter tops, and stools all need to be re-built or replaced. Ceiling fans, ceiling lights, a mini-split heater/air conditioner, mini refrigerator need to be replaced. We need brooms, dust pans, paper towel holders, garbage cans.

GLASS TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

(2) Cress Kilns GK1: (1) Cress Kiln GK3: (1) Paragon 4 Kiln were destroyed. Kiln tools: Rake, dams, furniture need replacement. (1) Laptop computer (1) HP Printer (1) Cricut Cutter need to be replaced. (3) Dremel tools (1) Dremel Drill Press with drill bits were not salvageable. Needle tip bottles, rulers, squares, scissors, scale, calculator, glass cutters, nippers, grozers and pliers need to be replaced. The large collapsible lighted photo box was destroyed as was the sealer, sealer bags and storage containers.

CONSUMABLES: Kiln paper, Fiber paper, black sharpie markers, gold sharpie markers, various adhesives such as glue and unscented hairspray, glass polish will need to be replaced, as will all the protective gear: (3) noise reduction safety ear muffs. (5) cut proof gloves (3) waterproof aprons and arm guards.