Douglas and Renee Sigwarth

Sigwarth Glass — A Personal History
Douglas and Renée Sigwarth’s story began in 1993, when they met as young artists discovering their creative voices. They found their way to the glass studio at Anoka Ramsey Community College in Minneapolis, where the furnace's heat and the rhythm of teamwork pulled them together. What began as shared curiosity quickly became shared purpose.

In 1995, they transferred to the University of Wisconsin–River Falls to immerse themselves fully in the study of studio glass. A year later, they married—two artists committed to building both a life and a creative partnership.

During their honeymoon in Venice in 1996, a chance encounter changed everything. As they checked in for their flight, an airline ticket agent paused when she saw their last name. She told them that members of her own family worked at a glass factory in Hergiswil, Switzerland, owned and operated by the Sigwarth family.

The couple was stunned. Until that moment, they had no idea that Douglas’s ancestors were European glassblowers. With more research, they uncovered a remarkable lineage: Douglas was descended from generations of master glassworkers who had practiced their craft across Europe for centuries. His great-great-grandfather, Ludwig Sigwarth, emigrated from Germany’s Black Forest to the United States in 1850. Ludwig and his two eldest sons worked in factories in New York and Pittsburgh, blowing plate-glass windows. But after winning 80 acres in an Iowa land lottery, Ludwig moved his family west and left the glass trade behind. Farming became the new family path—until Douglas and Renée unknowingly picked up the thread more than a century later.

“Glassblowing is in the blood,” they often say. And with that spark of rediscovered heritage, they poured their energy and passion into reviving the family craft.
In 2001, the Sigwarths opened their own glass studio in River Falls, Wisconsin. From those first early firings, their signature style emerged—elegant sculptural forms, rich color, and a joyful sense of movement. Their work quickly gained attention. In 2003, the Chicago Tribune called them “The New Wave; tomorrow’s ‘it’ artisans.”

Today, their work is displayed in countless homes throughout the USA, as well as the permanent collections of the University of Minnesota’s Goldstein Gallery (Minneapolis, MN), West Bend Mutual Insurance (West Bend, WI), Capitol Lakes PRS (Madison, WI), and the Museum of Wisconsin Art (West Bend, WI).

Their large-scale garden installations brighten spaces such as Olbrich Botanic Gardens (Madison, WI), the Museum of Art & Whimsy (Sarasota, FL), and Elmhurst Memorial Hospital (Chicago, IL).

Each piece of Sigwarth Glass is more than art—it is a continuation of a legacy interrupted for generations and rediscovered by fate. Their work is a celebration of color, form, and connection, reflecting both the history behind them and the life they’ve built together.
The beauty of their glass is timeless—an expression of joy, resilience, and the ever-glowing thread that ties one generation to the next.

Artist Statement
"Our art is born from our partnership. Together, we are the creators of all that surrounds us. Early on, we identified what inspired us and guided our spiritual journey. Our relationship with glass is one outlet that represents who we are; it is the perfect medium for our expression. We start with the fiery, molten mass of ideas that quickly begin to form. It is through careful skill and breath that our creations grow. We pass the piece off to the other and give over trust; as partners, we depend on each other. We allow our intuition to guide this fluid medium to its final state. From here, new ideas arise, and new directions emerge."

-Renee and Douglas Sigwarth