Kelly Lowe at Peggy’s Cove Glass reflects on her years in glassblowing and the art behind awards.
“I’m honoured to have the opportunity to make the Halifax Business Awards,” says Kelly Lowe. Lowe is the owner and head glassblower of Peggy’s Cove Glass, a new glassblowing studio located 30 minutes from downtown Halifax in Seabright.
Known for designing and creating some of Canada’s most prestigious awards—including those presented to our nation’s top musicians, members of parliament and business leaders, Kelly Lowe is an accomplished glassblower, artist, and ambassador for the arts.
While in high school, Lowe was intrigued when a friend told her about a glassblowing program. When scanning the Sheridan College course calendar, she saw a three-year course in glassblowing and decided to sign up. “From the first time I stood at the furnace, I was hooked. There was no going back,” Lowe said.
That was 26 years ago. Now Lowe is bringing to life her dream of having her own glass blowing studio in Atlantic Canada. “I always wanted to live in Nova Scotia,” she says. “I was keeping a watchful eye on property listings and when the right one came along, I took a chance and made an offer. A month later, I packed up and moved from Hamilton (Ontario) to Halifax. It was a bit of a whirlwind, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
The next 18 months were spent getting the studio and gallery ready to operate. She also recruited two former Nova Scotian Crystal glassblowers to work alongside her, Luke Peters and Brian Tebay. Collectively, they have over 70 years of glassblowing experience.
In Ontario, Lowe’s work was focused on creating awards, appreciation and recognition pieces. “I enjoy the challenge of translating a brand, an event, a milestone, into glass,” says Lowe. “And I love colour. Colour can be used in endless ways to tell a story.”
When the Halifax Chamber of Commerce contacted her in the fall of 2023 and asked if Peggy’s Cove Glass would be interested in making the 2024 Halifax Business Awards, Lowe immediately accepted. “Luke and Brian made awards for this event in the past, so they were familiar with the shape of the awards,” says Lowe. “I was able to enhance the awards by adding colour to represent each recipient’s brand.”
Now that Lowe has her own studio and gallery, she is able to add locally inspired products to her offering that appeal to consumers and tourists alike. In the gallery, you will find elegant sailboats, her take on the iconic Peggy’s Cove lighthouse and stunning, colourful buoys. She also creates one of a kind art pieces that portray Nova Scotia’s landscape.
The studio is designed so visitors to the gallery can watch Lowe and team while they work. “As a medium, it always challenges you,” says Lowe. The magic of glass has never gone away for me. Every time you sit down at the bench to make something, there’s always something new to learn.
