John Shelton is a nationally known blown glass artist who specializes in Early American designs. His authentic cobalt color is considered the best available today. Two pieces of his work are in the permanent collection of The Corning Museum of Glass in New York, considered the “Hall of Fame” for glass.
John Shelton has studied early American glass firsthand in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Department of Collections and at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. Throughout his nearly 40 years as a master glassblower, he has worked with many collectors and notable authorities on the subject of historical blown glass, such as Ivor Noel Hume, retired chief archaeologist at Colonial Williamsburg.
While most glass studios today buy pre-mixed, pelletized batch or re-melt someone else’s glass, Shelton makes his glass from the basic elements of sand, soda ash, and lime. John Shelton never uses recycled glass. The extra effort and expense makes his work more authentic to the colonial process. He also uses tools hand fashioned after ones used by colonial glassblowers.
He has produced in excess of 500,000 pieces of glass, each hand-blown and original.
You can place glass orders online at this website, or submit a special request on our Custom Glass Order page.
Check out this video from 2011. John Shelton gives a demonstration using traditional glass blowing techniques. Guest starring John’s daughter, Brittany Shelton (https://www.etsy.com/shop/silentsongbyrd).
Location & Hours
Shelton Glass
4512 The Foxes
Williamsburg, VA 23188, US
+1 (757) 345-9892
Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheltonglassworks
View our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/sheltonglassworks/
