BATCH Gallery and the Exciting Road for 2021!

The idea came to us that we needed to rebrand part of our mission when we overheard a customer explain to her companion, “the gallery is filled with student work”.  This was a totally plausible viewpoint and one we had never considered in the overall layout of the gallery within the Glass Academy.

The work sold in the gallery is carefully curated and crafted from the team of skilled craftsmen that we train.  There is no ‘student’ work in the gallery, rather, each item sold in the gallery was made with careful design choices, an extensive quality control process and years of glass training for the craftspeople.  Yet, we could totally understand where one could come to this conclusion when coming into the ‘Glass Academy’, a glass school.

So, in the fall of 2019, we did some serious rebranding and came up with a fresh look for the Glass Academy that blended a new gallery concept into the picture. Something that would link the space together, yet also separate the space of manufacturing from the gallery.  We even went so far to adjust the studio layout to accommodate a future beverage & refreshment station that will be coming down the line.

We pondered a name and settled on something that resonated with all of us, created a logo, signage, stickers and more!  And then, BATCH Gallery was official!  The name was a nod to the studio cat whose been with us since inception, as well the materials used in the glass making process.  We felt it was the perfect name and we set the launch date for the new gallery: June 2020.

As the year 2020 rolled along, we were hopeful we could still do a summer launch. However, how could we do an opening or special event demos when we didn’t want to invite or encourage large crowds?  That was the opposite of everything we wanted for the gallery.  So instead, we pushed the date back and focused our efforts on the Facebook live shows and made other internal changes within the business.

By the end of 2020, it was evident that the landscape of retail was changing and it was time to launch the gallery as best we could. New social media pages are live for BATCH Gallery, marketing materials will be created to explain the two spaces within the building, and the interior space has been redesigned to match the changes.  Yes, we were busy little elves over the holiday season this year!
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and on Facebook!

And today, we are happy to introduce: BATCH Gallery
Come join us this weekend and enjoy some special bonuses!
Saturday, January 9th | 11AM-4PM

BATCH Gallery features handcrafted, high quality, and carefully curated works of glass art, both functional and decorative.  While many of your favorite traditional items like pumpkins and ornaments will still be sold, you’ll also begin to see new accessory items such as candles, tote bags, and puzzles with our products on them, as well as blank gift cards with gorgeous imagery.  Seasonal themed shows will continue with new artists regularly being featured in the gallery. Along with different mediums and more décor items such as lamps and beautiful drinkware sets like pitchers & drinking glasses.

We will continue to feature all products on the website so online shoppers can enjoy the fun too.  Packages will now arrive with the iconic B sticker on the outside of the box, representing the high-quality products sold at BATCH Gallery. Meanwhile, we will continue to hot stamp all items crafted in the Glass Academy Hot Shop with the signature GA logo so you will know exactly which items were made in our Dearborn studio.

Because there was some additional street and building upgrades this past summer, we feel like we received an overall rebranding in 2020!  Inside the business we were busy adding new features like curbside pickup, a new point of sales system, adapted hours, and our biggest feat; an updated website shopping page to feature all our fabulous products for easy shopping wherever you are!

Classes will continue in 2021 with new items to choose from and free shipping of your creation will be included.  2020 was a perfect blend of timing and unexpected growth in each of the businesses, Glass Academy & BATCH Gallery, that reside within the Maistrapa building at 25331 Trowbridge. 

We welcome you to come by in 2021 and take advantage of all the special promotions that BATCH Gallery has to offer, as well as the new Glass Academy classes. 

We fully expect 2021 to be an exciting ride of live glassblowing shows and events highlighting great craftspeople, customers, and organizations filled with laughter, joy and good times to be had by all!