The Strength of Glass and Melanie

By Brigid Morrissey

Melanie and her husband Casey (in the background) are bringing art to the forefront in their community.
Here she stands in front of the hot shop. 

Melanie Miller shares a lot of qualities with glass. Both are made up of multiple elements.They are versatile and can attain many forms. They are fluid, and they both hate the cold. Their most amplified quality is that they are transparent. You can see right through glass, and Melanie is so open and willing to share both triumphs and struggles. Although Melanie’s story doesn’t date back as far as the first century BC, she has traversed many regions and seen many cultures that have been integrated into her personal history.

Because of her love for the hands-on approach and the tactile elements of art, Melanie fell in love with ceramics in high school. “I grew up pretty poor, so the extent of our art material was crayons. I made a lot of things with mud. There was this innate sense of going back to my childhood, me working with clay.”

Her free spirit and love of the arts led her to cities such as Nantucket and Maui, but landed in Louisville after marrying her long-time friend and glassblowing artist, Casey Hyland. In 2002, he established his business, Hyland Glass, and Melanie came on board in 2006. “We never skip a beat. I know exactly what he’s been through. We’re basically one unit, one movement. The art world is what ties us together.”

A few of Casey's pieces which are on display in the gallery. Photos by Melissa Donald 

Despite Casey’s obvious talent and Melanie’s savvy business approach, they have their share of struggles. “It is day to day for us. Glass is a luxury good, and we have a very small group of people to depend on.” We need the community to support the arts.”

At Hyland Glass you can learn how to blow your own glass paperweights and ornaments, rent the space to host events, or peruse through Casey’s handiwork.