FROM ‘NICHE’ TO NETFLIX: HOW BLOWN AWAY HAS CHANGED THE PERCEPTION OF GLASS by Kim Thompson “We’re making a glassblowing competition show for Netflix. We’ve been told we have to talk to Corning, so please call us back.” We’d gotten voicemails like this in the past—but this one had an urgency that begged for an immediate response. A week later, a production team visited The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) and details were shared about the concept of Blown Away, the competition show that would expose the art of glassmaking to a global community— something that hadn’t been done since the PBS documentary Chihuly Over Venice. With the Netflix name attached to Blown Away, CMoG knew there was a lot of potential in this production, and we had to be part of it. “Even in that initial meeting, Blown Away was described as a ‘love letter to glass,’” said Eric Meek, CMoG’s Sr. Manager of Hot Glass Programs. “That’s
what really captivated our imaginations and made us feel comfortable aligning with Blown Away. We knew this was going to be a quality production created by people who appreciated the beauty and complexity of the material. They wanted the world to understand and appreciate it, too. At CMoG, our mission is to inspire people to see glass in a new light, and we knew that’s exactly what this show could do.” The CMoG team learned early on that renowned artist Katherine Gray had been confirmed as the “resident evaluator” for Blown Away—essentially what Tim Gunn was to Project Runway. “I feel like this is going to be like a bomb going off in the glass world,” Katherine predicted, during filming of Season 1. “It’ll blow the doors off our whole little community and make it available for so many other people to experience and see.”
Images Courtesy of Netflix, Blown Away
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Blown Away by Success The first season of Blown Away launched in July 2019, quickly earning accolades in major print publications, and catching the contestants a bit off-guard. “I’m still often surprised and overwhelmed at the scope and visibility of the experience,” said Alexander Rosenberg, who was a Season 1 finalist. “I’ve been regularly recognized by fans in public, contacted and commissioned by A-list celebrities, and been interviewed for podcasts, books, and on daytime TV. I’ve been able to make a stable living for the first time in memorable history.” And Season 2 contestants seem to be on a similar trajectory. “I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the positive responses to me and my work since the show launched. We’ve had some great interactions with new clients and well-wishers,” said Elliot Walker, who won the second season. “This sort of global exposure is such a pivotal moment in an artist’s career that people often overlook the journey and struggle all artists have to advance their careers in the first place. Everyone picked for the show deserved to be there without a doubt, and it was great to meet them all and learn for their varied experiences.” But what is it about Blown Away—a seemingly niche show—that has spurred this kind of mainstream success for its participants? Co-CEO/Partner and Executive Producer at marblemedia, Matt Hornburg, describes the elements that led to the lightning-in-a-bottle success of his production company’s hit series. “The ultimate essence of the show is about passion, and I think audiences love to watch people who are passionate about something where there’s high stakes for them in pursuit of trying to create something that moves us,” he said. “Passion is a universal theme that
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