In this spotlight we hear from Dominique Caissie, co-owner of Terrapin Glassblowing Studio in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Dom resides in downtown Jaffrey, with some roommates and her beloved rescue dog Pilar. She is passionate about volunteering to make her community a more vibrant place. She is the past-President of TEAM Jaffrey (Jaffrey's Main Street Organization), a member of the Jaffrey-Rindge Lions Club and on the Executive Development Committee for the town. But most notably, she spends her time lovingly teaching glassblowing at Terrapin Thursdays through Sundays. She told us a little bit about her business, how it began, and how she sees it fitting in to the Monadnock region’s creative community!
When I began to look for ways to chase my passion in the Monadnock region, I found there was a lack of public studio space for glassblowers. That was what ignited the real dream - this idea that I could create a small business that would fill the need for an accessible glass studio in the region.
It was a long, slow process of finding a suitable location, and getting all of the permissions in place. It was important to me to have the studio in Jaffrey, but options were somewhat limited because glassblowing requires very hot equipment and needs a building with a high level of fire safety construction.
Thankfully a spot on Fitzgerald Drive became available, and with the support of the local community, Terrapin Glass was born into its first location. Since then, we have expanded into a larger space at 79 Hadley Rd. - still in Jaffrey.
Terrapin's commitment to the arts in the Monadnock Region goes to its very core. We are a business based around glass art, and we work everyday to share that love with our entire community.
Collaborations are our favorite! For the past two years we have been featuring different independent artists and makers every month within our large gallery space. We also are launching a co-op within our Flame Shop; creating a community of flameworking artists, and opening up our space for them to learn, work, and sell their creations.
Beginning in March 2020 Jaffrey will be participating in First Fridays, with our studio as a base. We will be working with Reality Check, and our neighbors Cafe 532, to offer themed activities on the first Friday of every month. These events will be alcohol free and family friendly!
Lastly, we do have a number of different products that we use as fundraisers for local organizations. Our longest standing project is lion pins & pendants, in which we give a portion to the Jaffrey-Rindge Lions Club with every sale. We also have an ever-expanding Granite in Glass line, in which we donate money to the Monadnock Conservancy with every sale. And one more. For every Memorial we make with a pawprint on it, we donate money to the rescue group Paws New England.
Our vision is for the region, and the state of New Hampshire, to recognize the importance of art in communities. Through our large social media fan base we are able to draw a massive crowd of visitors from all over New England. While they all come to Jaffrey because they are drawn to the molten glass, we are also sure to educate them on our region. We keep maps and brochures available for tourists, and we send them off to other small businesses to stimulate the local economy.
We are also passionate about sharing the work we do with anyone who is interested! We offer free tours whenever we are working, and we love to have groups in for free demonstrations. We have brought in nursing homes, girl scout troops, home school groups, and other entities for educational glass art visits.
For us, it’s all about community, and we’re always looking for new friends to join ours - follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates. You can also come to visit or take a class with us. Our class and event calendar is up on our new website, complete with online registration and our Gallery and Gift Shop are open to the public Wednesdays from 12-8 and Thursday through Sunday from 9-4.
We are always trying something new, creating something new, and bringing new energy into our creative space.