The Chamber Salutes … Prestige Art Glass

Jeff Ball displays the piece he made to commemorate his wife, Carol, who passed away early this year.

Jeff and Carol Ball started Prestige Art Glass in 1990 because, as Jeff puts it, “I like creating and building things that make people happy. So I thought it might be a good way to spend my life.”
            Local glass artisan Joe St. Clair had died in 1987, and three years later, his equipment was being sold at auction. Jeff, a tinsmith by trade, had already decided to craft a new career direction, so when he learned Joe’s equipment was available, he and Carol snatched some of it up.
            “Joe seemed pretty happy with his life,” Jeff said, adding, “We’ve been making glass ever since.”
            Over the years, he said, Prestige Art Glass has carved a niche for itself as a source for specialty glass items.
            “We get requests almost every day for custom pieces,” he said.

            His company has produced items for the James Dean Museum that contain dust from the bricks of the old Fairmount High School. Jeff says he would like to take it a step further and make glass pieces containing dust from James Dean’s original tombstone.
            Jeff still beams when he talks about the very special Prestige Glass Art paperweight he presented to Doug Boles, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on May 6, 2016.
            “We called it ‘The Winner’s Weight,’” he said. “It contains brick dust from the track.”
            Jeff is also proud of the stunning glassware produced at his factory for the trophies given at the Anderson-based Little 500 to Alexander Rossi in 2016 and Takuma Sato in 2017. Most recently, he received a nod from the Kleenco Alexandria Grand Prix to supply commemorative pieces.
            He also is pleased to take requests from private individuals, noting a variety of personalized glass art he’s created that incorporate a loved one’s ashes or a pet’s paw print.
            Jeff praises his employees, who include glass craftsman Danny Butler and Danny’s assistant, Brian Troutman, for their topnotch work.
            Jeff was born in Elwood, graduated from Wendell Willkie High School, and lived his entire life here. He lost his wife, Carol Ann, in January. They were married forty-one years and have two children, Jeremy and Lisa, and one grandson, Nikolai.
            For obvious reasons, the Elwood Glass Festival is Jeff’s favorite hometown activity and looks forward to it every year.
            “I enjoy showing people what we do,” he said. “I stay busy the whole three days.”
            Prestige Art Glass is located at 527 South 28th Street. Its showroom is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday year round. Jeff is pleased to open the factory to the public for a behind-the-scenes tour. To schedule one, call 552-0688.
            Tours during the Glass Festival also are available from noon to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Buses will depart the Elwood Elementary School every 30 minutes and make stops at Prestige Art Glass and the House of Glass. It also will stop at the new Pipe Creek Historical Society, both located on South Anderson Street.