THE MJ GLASSWORKS STORY

3 generations. 30 years.

My grandpa Tom Jackson and his brother Alf started Jackson Signs in 1966. They were one of the 3 sign shops that introduced neon to the state of Utah.  They would later sell the company, which would become Impact signs. My dad Tom Jackson stared Jackson Signs and Designs in 1985. I was lucky enough to learn the art of neon and work with him for 15 years until his passing in 2000. For the last 20 years, my business includes wholesale neon for signs shops from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Mesquite, Nevada. Through the years, I’ve become proficient in several other types of glass work, ranging from offhand glass blowing to lamp working and fusing/slumping. I’ve always tried to push the envelope with different applications of neon and within the last few years have been incorporating several different glass techniques. These fish are a great example. They are created from broken pieces of blown glass fused together in a kiln and then backlit with neon skeletons. When I’m not working with glass, you’ll find me playing Clawhammer banjo, putsing in the garden, or pulling our Airstream with Ash, Belle, Molly and Huckleberry - exploring and enjoying the big rivers or red rock.