Glass art studio spreads joy with ‘floats for frontlines’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A glass art studio in Lincoln City is working hard to bring joy to front line workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Videos on ThornMeadow Glassworks’ website show the technique and the beauty that goes into making glass objects like their famous floats. 

Megan Tinder and Aaron Sertich own the home-based studio. They launched the “Floats for Frontlines” campaign to share the beauty of glass art with front line workers. 

Tinder said they just want to give back. 

“It’s really important right now,” she said. “We wanted to show our appreciation, we have our studio at our house so we’re able to make glass and bring smiles to people’s faces.” 

Tinder and Sertich hold a virtual raffle each week and pick two frontline workers to receive floats. 

The glass balls are well known to Lincoln City visitors as part of the “Finders Keepers” floats the city leaves on the beach for people to find. COVID-19 has caused the temporary suspension of the program. 

Nominate a frontline worker

“So with everything being closed, we decided we’d do a weekly raffle—give one float away a week,” said Sertich. “Got a lot of positive community response so that turned into two floats a week.” 

Tinder said the raffle has helped frontline workers feel supported. 

“They’re happy, they’re ecstatic, they actually feel really appreciated that someone votes for them each day to win one of these raffles,” she said. 

Tinder and Sertich are also making glass ribbons for people to hang in their windows in support of frontline workers. They also made terrariums for quarantine kits for kids being sent out by the Lincoln City Cultural Center.