Laura Bronson

Laura Bronson has always had a passion for artistic expression. As a child, she was always drawing or doodling. In high school, she taught herself the fundamentals of jewelry making and took art classes of all types, including a self directed art class in which she taught herself how to make a stained glass window. The joy of making that window spurred on the realization that this is what she wanted to do for a career. Art school was in her future!

Upon graduation, she attended the Rhode Island School of Design but had to return home due to family circumstances. Putting her education on hold, she spent several years of traveling throughout the United States and Canada, with formal education caught sporadically in between. Laura finally settled in Knoxville, Tennessee to complete her fine arts degree at the University of Tennessee. She graduated in 2000 with a BFA, with a concentration in drawing.

Serendipitously, a friend introduced her to David Goodson of Goodson Design Studio, the owner of a large, commercial stained glass studio on the outskirts of Knoxville. David is a Master craftsman, who had apprenticed years ago with the prestigious Judson Glass Studio in Southern California. Laura was hired on as an apprentice, preparing to be in this specialized education for five years, where she would learn all aspects of the stained glass industry. Her talent soon allowed her to quickly become the principal designer of the firm. Unfortunately, the owners of the studio decided to retire and Laura found herself needing another avenue to work with the glass she came to love.

In 2002, she decided to forge ahead and use what she had already learned and open her own, custom glass studio: Midnight Star Glass Studio was born. She delighted in offering various art glass techniques to her clients: traditional leaded and copperfoiled windows, sandblasting, and painting on glass (just to name a few). Laura's original designs allowed her to create a variety of styles to offer to her clients. She made one of a kind windows for her residential and liturgical clients.

In 2003, she started playing with other glass techniques, such as making glass mosaics and glass fusing. The fusing became "fusing fever" which has spurred on her fascination with all things glass. This has led her into participating in arts & crafts fairs throughout the Southeastern United States, such as the TACA Fall Fair and Dogwood Arts Festival. In 2005, Laura got married and moved the studio to Auburn, Alabama. She has added lampworking as yet another technique with which to play. Laura works from her home studio, where she lives with her family.