Farewell Starfish

for about two years prior to my mat leave, I worked downtown at a client site, and often took the time over lunch on our many nice spring and summer days (no, it's not always raining here - definitely less than the mainland) to go walking. One of my favourite spots to stop in was just a block and a bit away, Starfish Glassworks. They had an open, working studio and anyone could come in and watch the artists working the glass from a mezzanine gallery. They also offered classes to the public. I had tried last year to get into one of their workshops, but missed the last spot in the spring dates by about an hour, and I had a pretty good idea that I wasn't going to have much time for that in September.
So I checked in this morning at their site as it's getting close to the time when they announce the next year's classes, and I was determined not to delay this year. I was very disappointed to find a note at the top of the workshops page stating that there would be no classes offered in 2007. And as I poked around a little more, I was saddened to read in their latest newsletter that they are closing their doors at the end of the year.
The glassworks will be greatly missed downtown - I know a lot of folks who would stop in from time to time who wouldn't otherwise visit a gallery. I wish each of the artists involved good luck in their future endeavors and hope to see more works from them at other venues.
Farewell Starfish