our people
The Unique Art Glass team may be small, but we dream big. Not only are we passionate about creating and preserving art glass and its time-honored traditions, we're invested in sharing our knowledge and contributing to the impact art glass makes in the world.
Mark Olson
Founder, Owner, & Principal Designer
As founder and principal designer at Unique Art Glass, Mark has spent the last several decades not just building his artisan business, but also cultivating its creative direction and developing mastery in a wide range of art glass methods and techniques. While those in the industry may readily identify the organic, meandering lines of a nature-inspired piece as the signature work of Mark Olson, this master had made his living by custom-designing and collaborating—building a staggeringly diverse body of work that showcases many different traditions, styles, and motifs.
Terre Olson
(Formerly) Account & Marketing Manager
Terre has taken her much-deserved retirement—but as it turns out, "retiring" from a family business is more like semi-retiring indefinitely. Good thing she's still wild about glass too. Over the years, she wore many hats for the company. In the early days, she often stepped in as an assistant in the shop—hand-drawing patterns, handling glass, and the like. Over time, she took the reins of the business development, marketing strategy, finances, networking, and whatever else needed tending. With her interior design background and experience working at an ad agency, she had a talent for finding creative, fun pathways to grow the business. Now, her sharp design eye and logistical expertise are regularly consulted, free of charge—much to our benefit!
Zack Olson
Project Manager & Lead Fabricator
Zack is the organizing force behind the business operations, and if he's not answering phone calls or emails, he’s busy fabricating the darn windows! While currently poised to take over the business, Zack didn’t think much about glass as a kid. Sure, the backyard shop was always full of it, and his parents often talked about it, but he never imagined himself in their shoes. In high school, however, he discovered a talent for the complexities of fabrication, and soon got a job at a wholesale glass warehouse. Eventually, he started working part-time for the family business, but his interest was casual. Everything changed in 2008. In the midst of the financial crisis, Zack’s older sister Caitlin tragically passed away, and the family was rocked to its core. Zack moved home and started working full-time for Unique Art Glass. A few years later, he began apprenticing as a fabricator, spending the next ten years practicing Mark's custom-build methodology and honing precision craftsmanship. Nowadays, he can be found bossing Mark (and the rest of us) around for a change—and not surprisingly, he's quite good at it.
Julia (Jules) Smith
Designer & Marketing Manager
Under Mark's artistic direction, Jules designs many of the custom art glass creations coming out of Unique Art Glass today. Trained as a multimedia designer, she's also behind our creative content, from the website to social media to business cards. While the Northwest is her home today, she technically created her first stained glass piece in Ohio—an orca whale in high school art class, if you can believe it! Some years later, she took glassblowing and flame-working courses in St. Louis, where a passion for glassmaking was sparked. Once in Seattle, she met Zack and was introduced to the intricate craft of stained glass. In 2018, she was hired to re-design the logo, website, and other brand pieces, soon discovering the wonderful story behind Unique Art Glass. Needless to say, she's honored to be part of this humble, creative family—keeping this awesome art form alive.