Matthew Buechner

For over 40 years, Matthew Buechner has dedicated his life to his passion for glassblowing. Born and raised in Corning, New York to father Thomas, a renowned glassblower, painter, and writer and mother Mary, also an artist, Matthew grew up in a life surrounding art. Matthew attributes his appreciation for making and collecting art to his loving, artistic parents. 

At age eighteen, Matthew had the opportunity to work as an apprentice for a glassblower, and it changed his life. He fell in love with the craft, as it was both creative and physical, like a sport. He describes, “glassblowing is art, craft, and sport, all rolled into one.” 

Matthew dedicated his life to glassblowing, studying it at Hartwick College and later as an apprentice at the Glasshutte Eisch in Frauenau, Germany as a bit gatherer and making stemware.

With his only savings, Matthew moved to Newport, Rhode Island in hopes of starting his own glass blowing business with his wife Adrian in 1981. It was then that Thames Glass was established, and it has been operated by him and his wife ever since.