Rainier Glass Studio

Born in Massillon, Ohio in 1973, Ryan moved to Lancaster, PA. in 1987 and completed his primary schooling at Lancaster Country Day School. In 1991, Blythe enrolled at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) School of Fine and Applied Arts to study Industrial Design. In 1992, he changed his course of study and transferred into the American Craftsman’s Glass Program at RIT. There he embarked on his glassblowing career under Michael Taylor’s instruction.

After leaving RIT in 1994, Blythe attended Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood Washington. He studied under Czech Glass master Petyr Novotony. Upon finishing his term at Pilchuck, he traveled to New York City to work for Leon Applebaum. Ryan Blythe relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana in February 1995 to work under Mitchell Gaudet and Scott Beinfield at Studio Inferno. By August, he was invited to be Artist in Residence as well as a faculty member at the New Orleans School of Glassworks.

In 1996, he became an assistant for Richard Royal while arranging a working relationship with Dale Chihuly in Seattle. In 1997, while working for Chihuly, he was introduced to Lino Tagliapietra and began working with him as well.
Blythe attended Pilchuck Glass School in 1998 for a second time, this time holding a scholarship to work under Italian glass Maestro Dino Rosin. Having made connections with Tagliapietra and Rosin, arrangements for studying and working in Italy came easy. In September 1998, Blythe apprenticed under and worked for Maestro Oscar Zanetti in Venice to produce hot solid technique sculpture. He went to Nasson Moretti Studio to work under Maestro Danelli and Adriano Zuffi, who had previously been Maestros for Archemedes Seguso. Soon After, Blythe had an opportunity to work at Fratelli Pagnin under Maestro Vitoreo Ferro.

After learning from Maestro Ferro, he was invited by Silvano Tagliapietra to accompany him to teach at Cerfav University in Nancy, France. He traveled to Marseille to work as an Artist in Residence at the CIRVA Studio. In 1999, he returned to the United States to resume work as a Starter and Gaffer for Chihuly.

Ryan Blythe established the original Blythe Glass Studio at the Bronze Works Foundry in Shelton, Washington in the Spring of 2000. One year later, he relocated his efforts to Lancaster, Pennsylvania creating the finest glass blowing studio on the East Coast. In 2012, he took over Uptown Glassworks in Renton, WA. After a variety of enhancements, he moved the studio to the Old Rainier Brewery Building in Georgetown, opening The Rainier Glass Studio in August 2013.