History
Douglas and Renee met in 1993 and began blowing glass together shortly thereafter in Minneapolis at a community college. In 1995, the couple transferred to the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, where they completed their training in glass. In 1996, the couple married and discovered their unique heritage while travelling to Venice for their honeymoon. During a very short layover in Chicago, a ticket agent recognized the couple's last name and began to tell them about a Sigwarth Glass Factory in Hergiswil, Switzerland, where three members of her family worked. This came as a huge surprise to the couple who later discovered that glassblowing had been a Sigwarth tradition as far back as being named for their trade, "maker of light." When Douglas' great-great-grandfather Ludwig brought his family to the United States in 1850 from Germany, glassblowing left this line of Sigwarth's but only for a short time. Douglas and Renee revived a tradition of beauty with vitality and passion. In 2001, the Sigwarth's opened their own glass studio in rural River Falls, Wisconsin; in the St. Croix Valley. The Chicago Tribune labelled the Sigwarth's as "The New Wave; Tomorrow's 'it' Artisans." (Nov. 30, 2003). The Sigwarth's work combine elegant forms with vivid, rich color. The beauty of their glass is timeless and will add life to any decor.
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