Jon Firth
Jon Firth was born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1955. He was educated at Sydney Boys High School until 1973 when he joined the RAAF. He served as an electronics technician until his discharge in 1979. He then worked as a manager in the licensed club industry in Sydney until meeting high profile glass artist Marc Grunseit in 1984.
After receiving intensive instruction from Marc in stained glass and some warm glass technique, Jon and his wife Sue moved to the Northern Territory in late 1985. They settled in Darwin where Jon’s studio “Unicorn” is located in the light industrial area of Coconut Grove.
Over the ensuing years his passion for glass has never waned. He has attended many master classes during this time, perfecting his skills and expanding his knowledge.
In 1996 he toured extensively through Britain and France, researching both ancient and modern glass. Collectors in South East Asia, Europe, the UK, Japan and North America have acquired Jon’s work. The NT Government has given many of his creations as gifts to numerous world leaders. He was successful at the prestigious Alice Craft Acquisition in 1995 and 2001, and had his work acquired by Katherine Town Council in 1996.
He has been commissioned to design and make windows for a number of churches throughout Darwin and Palmerston including; The Lone Pine Chapel at Robertson Barracks, The Chapel of St John, HMAS Coonawarra, and St Paul’s RAAF Chapel in Darwin. In 1990-91 he restored the large stained glass window, The Star of the Sea, in St Mary’s Cathedral, Darwin.
In 2009 he was commissioned by the cathedral to design and make a window of 10 square metres for the Lady Chapel. (The first new stained glass in St. Marys for 40 years).
Jon Firth is a member of the Australian Glass Artists Association (Ausglass).
He is the glass tutor at Territory Craft Darwin(Crafts Council of the NT).
He travels extensively tutoring and consulting on different aspects of art glass.
Unicorn Glass:Don’t You Know It’s Magic. www.unicornglass.com