3 years ago
I started fusing glass in 2010 with Spectrum Glass...
I started fusing glass in 2010 with Spectrum Glass. I quickly moved to Bullseye because I liked their color palette and hand made textures better for my work. I am an avid environmentalist, have worked for the Sierra Club, helped clean up the LA River, participated in recycle programs wherever I live. You get the picture. When I learned that heavy metals had been found in the moss in Bullseye's neighborhood, I followed the story closely, because clean air comes before art. I learned that Bullseye had been in full compliance with DEQ regulations up to this report, and as soon as they learned of the problem, they voluntarily ceased production of the glasses that were implicated as possible sources of the problem (even though there was no evidence to confirm this suspicion). They constructed a "bag house" (a filter for their furnace) at great expense for a small business and were in the process of finding out from the DEQ if they could restart production when the recent shut down order came from the (totally misinformed IMO) governor of Oregon. I believe Bullseye has been an honorable partner in the search for the causes of heavy metal pollution in Portland and I hope that the city and state will work with them to enable them to stay in business in a way that is healthy for the environment and viable for their bottom line. They are one of only two companies that make the raw materials I use every day. If they are forced out of business by rash policy makers, it will set a terrible precedent for small businesses and will choke an entire field of art (and the businesses who support it).