My name is Gary Bodker, and I’m a glass artist and founder of Gary Bodker Designs in Portland, Oregon.
In October 2025, my brand-new glass studio, my dream space, was destroyed in a sudden fire started by a lithium-ion battery. I had only been blowing glass there for two months. It took me nearly a year to build that studio from the ground up, a space I thought would be my forever home.
In just a few hours, everything was gone: furnaces, tools, inventory, and the space where my team and I created the glass objects that have become the heart of my brand.
I began blowing glass in 2005, and in 2014, I started Gary Bodker Designs from scratch. What began as a one-man operation renting time at local public-access studios slowly grew into a full-time business. Over the years, I built a small but dedicated team of three full-time and one part-time employee, and our work is now carried by more than 100 national design boutiques and museum stores, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the Corning Museum of Glass.
We had just hired two new employees to help with the holiday rush, our busiest and most important time of year. Instead, we’re now faced with the unimaginable challenge of starting over.
Your support will help us rebuild by funding:
• Replacement of essential glassblowing tools and equipment
• A new, safe workspace where we can begin production again
• Support for my team while we get back on our feet
• Recovery of materials so we can fulfill existing holiday orders
It’s hard to describe what it means to lose a space that represents so much love, effort, and care, but I’m determined to rebuild. Glassblowing has been my life’s work, and I’m deeply passionate about continuing my career and keeping this craft alive. Beyond rebuilding for myself, I want to continue providing meaningful jobs for other talented, up-and-coming glassblowers, to give them the same opportunities I once had when I was just starting out. This studio wasn’t just a workplace; it was a place of growth, learning, and creativity. With your help, I know we can bring it back stronger than ever.
If you’ve ever collected my work, visited our studio, or simply believe in supporting artists who make things by hand, please consider donating or sharing this campaign. Every bit of support helps us take a step toward rebuilding, reigniting our furnaces, and continuing the craft we love.
From my whole team, thank you for helping us bring Gary Bodker Designs back to life.
— Gary Bodker
Instagram: @garybodkerdesigns
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