‘It’s my zen’: Meet the business owner blowing glass in Monticello for more than 20 years
MONTICELLO, Ill. (WCIA) — On Friday, June 14th WCIA is headed to Our Town Monticello! Leading up to the live broadcasts in the middle of downtown, we highlight the people, places and things that stand out in town. One of those places is Prairie Fire Glass and its owner, Jim Downey.
He has been blowing glass for 27 years and running his own business for nearly 22.
“I had a corporate job for 20 years, then I stumbled into glass blowing at the U of I in the late 90s and absolutely fell in love with it,” he described.
Now, he goes to work every day in Downtown Monticello experiencing joy.
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“I absolutely love what I do,” Downey said.
By day he’s running his Prairie Fire Glass studio, and by night he’s finding his moment of zen.
“It requires such a level of focus, that the rest of the world goes away,” Downey said while talking about the art of blowing glass.
Everything he makes starts as a piece of clear glass, and then goes into the 2,000-degree furnace.
After leaving the piece of glass in there for a few seconds, it becomes “drippy.” As the outside surface cools down, the inside stays warm and becomes easy to pull apart. The glass stretches out pretty long and pretty fast.
When it comes to making the final product you take home, Downey said it takes 9,487 days and an hour and a half. That’s how long it took him to develop the skill, and then actually put it to the test within 90 minutes.
Working and owning a business in Our Town Monticello means a lot to Downey.
“There’s one and a half million people within a 75-mile radius of Monticello,” he said. “Monticello is the perfect day trip destination.”
He’s proud to be a stop for many and looks forward to visiting with more visitors from near and far in the future.
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“Monticello is a good place to be. It’s a good place to visit,” he reflected. “I’m proud to be here and I’m proud to have been here 22 years.”
You can check out his store in person in Downtown Monticello Tuesdays thru Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or, you can see his artwork online at this link.
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