We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlin & Kirk Whitten and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlin & Kirk, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We had an affinity for fire and molten lava, and a passion for sculpture the lost wax process, welding and fabrication. Caitlin was about to finish her BFA in Sculpture while Kirk was ending his Welding, Machining and Industrial Arts Program. We took a glassblowing class in Oregon, and were blown away; we thought, “We can do this!” We had a dream to become professional artists, inspire others to love glass art while keeping our ecological footprint small. We created an energy-efficient, recycled-glass studio, and as our glass art travels the world, we make memories and know it brings enjoyment. 2009 marked the start of Solar Flare Glasswork & Design as our dreams came to life. As we Traveled around and sold our glass hot air balloons we discovered Steamboat Springs and fell in love with it. 2018 we opened our Brick and Mortar shop in Downtown Steamboat Springs. We teach glassblowing and glass fusing classes. Making memories and giving the ultimate Glass Blowing experience has been a dream come true for us. When we opened our studio and fine art gallery, we were able to offer glassblowing classes, live demonstrations, as well as display in our fine art gallery. We want to inspire another generation to love glass.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We each create a unique variety of pieces; my favorites include mushrooms, terrariums, apothecary jars, and paperweights. I’m also captivated by the Fibonacci sequence, I love combining cast metal and glass.

Kirk, our Master Electrician and builder/metal fabricator, designed our glass studio. During the pandemic, we got to take a 10-week Venetian glassblowing class from the Corning Museum of Glass — and it left Kirk totally inspired! Now he loves to spend time crafting Venetian inspired glassware.

Collaborating and making pumpkins together is our happy place. We also work together to make larger sculptures and aspire to help each other see their artistic vision come to fruition.

We were recently given the opportunity to design and create recycled glass gondola ornaments for the Steamboat Ski Resort. Our Glass Gondola Ornaments, were crafted from recycled glass removed from the windows of the old ski school and gondola building. This unique memento honors the resort’s history and decades of cherished moments.

Was it easy? No, not at all. Recycling “Float Glass/Window glass is extremely difficult and precarious – we broke more than 150 gondolas while perfecting our process”. But we didn’t give up. The end result is a one-of-a-kind product with exceptional quality. We are honored and cherish the victory of completing such a challenging project.

The world needs more Glass artists. Be inspired create, grow and do good. “Keep dreaming until you find you are living it!”

We are grateful for this recognition.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If visiting Steamboat Springs I would suggest taking a glassblowing class. This is a unique opportunity to work with glass that is 2130′ and everyone should try glassblowing at least once in their lives.

The Strawberry Park hot springs hot springs are a must. They require a reservation but are a fabulous way to spend the afternoon in nature. The Old Town Hot Springs offers more than just hot water. There is a full fitness center with many exercise classes including Essentrics w/ Caitlin and a spa that offers massages. Both are wonderful hot springs.

Fish Creek falls is a stunning waterfall with a short low commitment hike.

The food here is amazing and our favorite place to eat is Noodles N’ More. Offering Thai, Noodles and Fresh Sushi.

Skiing, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Fishing Steamboat Springs has it all.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We honor our moms with this beautiful, meaningful article. It celebrates their love and support in our lives, recognizing the importance of having a cheerleader to encourage our journey. Thank you Susan for pushing us to chase after our dreams. Thank you Jane for your grounding and support. We love you very much.

Website: www.SolarFlareGlass.com

Instagram: @SolarFlareGlass

Facebook: Solar Flare Glasswork & Design

Youtube: https://youtu.be/RCiempGVlho

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.