Lawrence family glass blowers
~ story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh
The soft hum of flame meeting glass echoes through two cozy Nashville studios / shops, Quintessence Gallery on the main drag of South Van Buren Street, and Lawrence Family Glass Blowers around the corner on East Franklin Street. For nearly 60 years, magic has come to life one breath, one flame, one delicate curve at a time. Identical twin brothers Jim and John Lawrence mesmerize visitors with glass blowing artistry— sculpting molten glass into exquisite flowers, intricate figurines, whimsical creatures, and even exact replicas of human arteries.
Passers-by don’ t just watch glass objects take shape. They become part of a theatrical experience infused with storytelling, banter, and more than a few laughs.
16 Our Brown County • May / June 2025
John and Jim Lawrence, owners of Lawrence Family Glass Blowers.
The brothers’ secret always has been part chemistry and part showbiz. But to understand the fascination with the Lawrence Family Glass Blowers, you’ d have to pull up a chair and spend a while listening to the stories about their father’ s fascination with glass during his tenure as a Ball State University physical chemist, as well as the ruckus tales of the boys first cutting their teeth traveling with their dad as glass artists in the circus.
Traveling and working alongside their father, Dick Lawrence, the brothers learned early on that the art was only part of the equation. In the carnival world, you didn’ t just sell a piece— you sold the experience. They learned to perform, and charisma was as important as craft. Audiences invariably lined