Glass has been part of American making since before there was an America — the first manufacturing attempt in the colonies was a glasshouse in Jamestown in 1608. From that beginning through the imperial factories of St. Petersburg, where Catherine the Great’s craftsmen developed the colored glass formulas that defined Russian decorative arts, to the neon-lit commercial streets of mid-century America, to the studio glass movement born in a Toledo museum shed in 1962 — glass has been shaped by human hands on both sides of the world for centuries. Two Virginia makers are heirs to all of it. Chloe Kottwitz bends neon by hand at Uptown Neon, the last operating neon shop in the city, keeping alive a craft that once lit every American main street. Annie Frazza taught herself stained glass in her parents’ basement during the pandemic and now creates contemporary pieces at Art Works in Richmond, in a tradition that stretches from medieval cathedrals to Tiffany’s New York studios to Russia’s own ornate Orthodox interiors. The two met in the alley behind their respective businesses and homes — they call it Glass Alley. In conversation, they talk about what glass demands from the people who work it, how an ancient material keeps pulling new makers in, and why this particular alley in the city of Richmond has become, improbably, a center of American glassmaking.

About the speakers:

Chloe Kottwitz has been working in the medium of neon for the last six years. Shortly after earning her BFA in Art and Design from Alfred University in 2021, she began apprenticing at Uptown Neon in Richmond, VA. In 2023 she became the sole owner and operator of Uptown Neon, a 35 year old establishment when purchased. Her personal work focuses on mixed material sculptures for your home, often combining glass neon with wood to bring an element of nature to your interior space. Rooted in the skills she developed through commercial neon production, her practice uses the traditional glow of neon to create inviting, sculptural forms with a distinct Presence. In addition to her studio practice, she is renovating a historic building in Western New York to open a neon school and residency program. Kottwitz’s work reflects a commitment to preserving the legacy of neon while confidently evolving how it is used and understood in the world.

Annie Frazza began making stained glass in 2020. What started as a hobby in her parents’ basement to distract from the fact that the world was ending soon blossomed into a passion for glass. A glassion. Self-taught from watching many hours of Youtube tutorials posted by old men and honing her craft through trial and error, she eventually decided to share her art with the world. She now works out of her studio in Richmond, VA creating original and custom pieces and selling her wares at local markets.

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