Glass Art in Winona, Minnesota
It’s the Stained Glass Capital of the United States! Explore glass art in Winona, Minnesota and join us for a visit to Rose Colored Glass – an educational torch-work glass art studio with lessons in glass blowing and more!
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Show Notes: Links to Stuff We Talk About
Video Tour of Rose Colored Glass in Winona, Minnesota
Jack visits with Annie Grossarth-Nicol, owner of Rose Colored Glass and chats about her glass art and classes she teaches in Winona, Minnesota.
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Show Transcription: Glass Art in Winona, Minnesota
Segment: Intro to Episode
Kitty: Hey friends, did you know that the Stained Glass Capital of the United States is located in the small town of Winona, Minnesota?
Jack: Hey! That’s where we live! Folks, stained glass is like a kaleidoscope for buildings! Imagine shards of glass in dazzling colors – reds, blues, yellows, you name it – coming together to create a visual symphony. Held in place by dark outlines, each piece tells a part of a bigger story, whether it’s celestial scenes, abstract patterns, or even good ol’ Minnesotan landscapes. When sunlight hits it, oh boy, it’s like a dance of light and color, turning ordinary spaces into magical wonderlands. It’s a feast for your eyes and soul!
Kitty: And Minnesota isn’t just a haven for stained glass fans, Winona is home to Rose Colored Glass – an amazing studio and art space offering classes for all ages.
Jack: So stay tuned, as we explore the glorious glass of Winona and visit with artist Annie Grossarth-Nicol.
Kitty: This is gonna be fun! [Laughs]
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Segment: Intro to Hosts and Show
[Musical Theme with fade out]
Jack: Hi, I’m Jack
Kitty: and I’m Kitty
Jack: and we’re
Together: Jack and Kitty!
Kitty: And this is Travel with Jack and Kitty – where we highlight the best of the midwest.
Jack: We explore life in the heartland of America…with plenty of laughs and uff-da’s along the way.
Kitty: So join us for a little slice of Minnesota nice, on today’s episode of Travel with Jack and Kitty!
Segment: Glass Art in Winona
Kitty: Today, we’re takin’ you on a little hometown tour of Winona, nestled in the bluffs of southeastern Minnesota along the Mississippi River. This is where Jack and I live, and we love being in such a peaceful and artistic community.
Jack: We do love it here in Winona. But hey, Kitty, you know how they call Miami the “Winona of Florida?”
Kitty: I don’t think anyone says that…
Jack: Well they should, because folks around here like to say that Winona is the “Miami of Minnesota”.
Kitty: I think we got that nickname because of our location in the state of Minnesota…plus we’re the warmest part of the state.
Jack: Well hold on, Kitty, while that may be true…I’ve got a second nickname for ya: Winona is known as the Stained Glass Capital of the United States!
Kitty: Really? Are you joking?
Jack: I’m not. I would never joke around about something as important as this. Way back in the late 1800s, Winona was a booming lumber town. It got all fancy, inviting top-notch architects to build some seriously lavish structures. Stunning stained-glass windows are at the heart of these architectural wonders, crafted by some of the world’s most skilled artisans. And these stained-glass creations have been a part of Winona’s identity ever since.
Kitty: I have noticed a lot of stained glass around town. I mean, these windows aren’t just in churches, friends. Banks, historic buildings, you name it! Start looking around and you’ll notice these colorful hidden gems everywhere.
Jack: I tell folks to start their search for Winona’s glorious glass by heading to downtown, on the corner of 3rd and Lafayette. That’s where you can see Merchants National Bank, they’ve got Tiffany-designed windows that’ll make you go “wow!” Think blues and lilies designed to mimic the Mississippi River.
Kitty: Guys, these aren’t just pretty decorations. They’re a piece of Winona’s soul, casting colors onto the community in shades of blues, reds, and all the colors you can imagine.
Jack: Speaking of the importance of glass art to the community of Winona, I had the pleasure of visiting Annie Grossarth-Nicol, owner of Rose Colored Glass.
Kitty: I love her glass art creations.
Jack: It was really fun watching her work. You know, Rose Colored Glass is an educational torch-work glass art studio in downtown Winona. They offer a variety of classes and glass art at the shop, and they invite you to come experience the magic of glass for yourself.
Annie: Rose Colored Glass is, you know, about seeing the world in the most positive light possible. My middle name is also Rose, so that’s kind of why we played with that. Rose is a family name. But yeah, the idea of trying to help folks see life and art and glasswork through this very positive lens that’s kind of what we’re what we’re about.
Kitty: So Rose Colored Glass is Annie’s studio and it’s where she teaches classes?
Jack: Right, exactly. Her studio space is this kind of cool old funky warehouse – I think it may have been an old car repair shop back in the day, I’m not sure – but it’s this cool industrial spot that’s been transformed into a small gallery, working artist space and teaching facility. It’s really neat and it’s right here in downtown Winona.
Annie: The major thing we offer right now is classes. Yeah, that’s, that’s what I am most enthusiastic about it’s really exciting to share this with folks. Glasswork is kind of a less than accessible art. And so I really like the idea of facilitating this experience for folks.
Jack: I’m actually surprised by how few places there are like Rose Colored Glass. If you have an interest in learning glass art – from bead making to actually blowing glass yourself – this is the spot for you. I know folks from all over Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota visit Winona to take a workshop or class with Annie.
Annie: You’ll learn techniques for bead making, techniques for more sculptural glass. You learn how to make like pendants or sculptural work, little like animal sculptures. We also do like a blown glass class. So yeah, there’s a big variety of different things that folks can learn here. And then once you’ve taken a class here, you can come back and do practice work via open torches. So, open torch sessions are just a few hours that you can rent torch time. You can use the tools while you’re here and then you buy glass from us. But again, you know, I love being an artist, but my motivation is just sharing this with people. I value community above pretty much anything else, I think. Being in a community, making art together, doing something that’s a little bit scary at first, but can be really empowering…I think it’s a really positive experience for folks.
Kitty: So did you have to wear those crazy protective glasses during your visit?
Jack: I did, she’s big on safety first. I mean, you are working with an open flame. Even watching Annie light the torch, is interesting. But once you get over the initial spectacle – and even fear of the flame – it actually becomes a very meditative and transformative experience. Seeing ordinary glass being transformed into colorful creations, it’s really, really neat. So, I’d say even if you’re a totally newbie like me – if you have an interest in doing something creative and fun – glass art may be just the thing to try. Annie’s great about making you feel safe and welcome.
Annie: You know, some fairly approachable techniques. And in the intro blown glass class, we start again with a marble and then we make a little blown glass ornament, is our second project in that one. And then the final project in that is the world’s tiniest mug. So, you know, just trying to keep things kind of fun and interesting for folks. Yeah, we’re doing – starting this week – we’re starting a class that’s focused on making mushrooms. So we’re going to do a little mushroom bead and then we’ll do a couple of solid sculpture mushrooms as well. So yeah, we’re trying to just keep things interesting for folks.
Jack: In so many ways, Annie is carrying on the tradition of Winona’s glorious glass.
Kitty: So folks should come for a visit to our little town, have some lunch and wander downtown in search of the stained glass…then head over to Rose Colored Glass to make a creation of their own.
Jack: That’s a great idea. And if you’re pressed for time, swing by the Visitor’s Center on Huff Street, right in between the two lakes and they’ll give you a map for a self-guided tour of all the stained glass hot spots here in Winona.
Annie: We’ve been here just over a year, so we officially began offering classes July 1st of last year. So yeah, full year. Thank you Winona for helping to make this happen. And this is such a great dream come true, being able to have my own shop.
Jack: You know, it was fun because during my visit to Rose Colored Glass, I actually got to watch Annie make some art – she started working on creating a little glass fish as we chatted. If you listen close you can hear her torch, hissing away in the background. She also started to teach a class during my visit, and it was really neat seeing how passionate she is to share her talents with others. She’s one of those kind of fun teachers that really cares about her students.
Annie: Classes, sharing this, is what I personally feel most passionate about. I feel driven to create things. I love to make, but because I got access to learn such a kind of guarded art, that’s not necessarily super easy to access if you don’t have the means and resources to, it’s just felt really important to me to continue to try to share this with folks because, you know, yeah, glass work is usually pretty inaccessible. So I like the idea of being able to make this accessible for folks. I love the feeling of teaching people to do something and then encouraging them to the point where they personally feel successful. There’s something just really joyful and special about helping to facilitate this experience for folks.
Kitty: I’ve always wanted to try making glass art, but it does seem a bit scary.
Jack: You know, I was impressed because Annie makes this an all ages experience. She’s big on safety, and while I was there a younger person – probably still in elementary school – was making some incredible glass art.
Kitty: That’s so cool.
Jack: Yeah, if folks want to watch more of Annie, take a little studio tour and listen to my full interview just visit our YouTube channel – Travel with Jack and Kitty – or check the show notes from today’s episode and you’ll find a direct link to the little video I made while visiting Annie.
Jack: Well, give me three words for – the first three words that pop into your head – for Rose Colored Glass.
Annie: Positive, innovative and unique. And here is a little fish, that we just made. It’s super fun to be able to do these different things.
Jack: Like I said, check out the video we uploaded to our YouTube channel. In that last clip you just heard, I was trying so hard to get my camera to focus on the little fish Annie made while we chatted. It was pretty crazy, we talked for about ten minutes or so, and by the time we were done Annie had made this beautiful glass fish, with brilliant yellow and blue fins and a transparent body…the shape was just perfection…this is one of those things you have to truly see to believe. Which is what makes this such good radio.
Kitty: [Laughs] Well, I think the point of today’s show is to celebrate another, little-known facet of life in the Midwest. Who knew that Winona, Minnesota is the Stained Glass Capital of the United States?
Jack: Yeah, and who knew I could be around so many open torches and not set myself on fire?!
Kitty: [Laughs] You are a bit clumsy.
Jack: Kitty, that reminds me, how many lightbulbs does it take to change a lightbulb?
Kitty: I dunno, how many lightbulbs does it take to change a lightbulb?
Jack: Depends on how clumsy you are.
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Segment: Closer
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Kitty: Guys, as a special thank you for listening today, visit JackAndKitty.com to download our free guidebook called, “Best in the Midwest: Your Guide To Epic Fun”. Again, that’s JackAndKitty.com. It’s our way of thanking you for listening today.
Jack: Speaking of thank yous, we want to give a very special shout-out to all our patrons on Patreon.
Kitty: Yes, thanks for your support.
Jack: And finally, if you’d like to talk with other listeners about today’s show, visit our Facebook page to chat and share your thoughts.
Kitty: All of these links can be found in the show notes, along with a transcription of today’s episode. Find that at JackAndKitty.com. Thanks for listening!
Jack: And on behalf of my better half, have a super day!
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