I’m sitting in my living room on a quiet Saturday morning. The sky is dark. A storm is on its way. I’m packing to go to Las Vegas for the 27th Annual Glass Craft Expo. It will be my 6th year teaching ShardWorx Art to glass enthusiasts. I love getting away, and I hate getting away. So many, many life changes since I first attended this event! Six years ago, my kids were in middle school, my husband was flying for Delta, I owned a couple of art galleries and The Shard Shop was going strong! I was going strong. But, with enough time, comes change. My kids are driving now. We spend our free time visiting colleges. My husband has been gone for almost 4 years now, and I still struggle with that one.
Our world economy has changed drastically as well. I’m down to one gallery in Grayton, and the time has come to close that one too. That cute little gallery has brought me so much joy in the past 10 years! It allowed me to connect with the community, with art lovers, with people just wanting to see glass sparkle! It hosted glorious art events, holiday gatherings, musicians, guitar lessons, and TV show tapings! HGTV, Golf Channel and Emeril’s lifestyle show!) It also launched a future business: The Shard Shop!
To everyone that ever visited, Thank You!
It’s time for me to step away from gallery ownership. Realizing that I’m not Wonder Woman anymore, I need to take some stuff off my ginormous plate. It doesn’t mean I’m not gonna keep creating! I’ll still produce art for galleries that carry my work, for JohnRichard.com, and for a small group of collectors. I’m going back to traveling the world. (I was an international flight attendant for 18 years back in “the day”!) I’ll still teach too, but it will probably be in France or South America.
The last time I paused my life trajectory, I slowed down just enough to birth two children at the same time. This reflective time is what launched my current, explosive art career. I’m curious to see what happens this time!
The really good news is that my space in Grayton will become a NEW ART GALLERY! Please help me welcome LaDuna Gallery to Grayton Beach and 30A! New owners, Dana and John Maher have created their own unique gallery space and I’m excited to see it come to fruition. John works in oils and sculpture. Dana fuses glass and creates amazing glass mosaics. And, a third artist will be represented as well!! Me! See?! My work will still be there, and I’ll still poke my head in once in a while. Dana and John are long-time locals (well over 20 years) and are over the moon excited to become a part of the vibrant art scene in my fave place on earth, Grayton Beach FL.
I love you all, and I’m so very grateful for the opportunities and support.
Hugs of glass…
Mary
UPDATE: To be clear, I own another business that's right next to my gallery in Grayton Beach. Its called, The Shard Shop. It's a super fun place to come in and MAKE ART that looks just like mine! That business isn't going anywhere! To me, these businesses are very different. But others see them as one, I guess. The Shard Shop will live on for many, many years 
Visit us at ShardShop.com.