Melissa Ayotte
Melissa Ayotte may have been born among glass rods and the roar of the torch, but she is no mere apprentice to her father. The same curiosities that drew her father to glass art initially pulled her in other directions. She began her studies in psychology, which led to a broader interest in arts. She took formal art classes in photography, sculpture and glass while also delving into her own self-study of painting, poetry and the creative process.
While finishing her Master’s program at Antioch New England Graduate School, she apprenticed in the glass studio with Rick, and it was then that her interest in glass began to take hold.
Melissa aims to push the limits of the paperweight, creating novel pieces which reflect her sense of nature – earthly, human and divine.