Life & Work with Cathi Milligan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathi Milligan.

Cathi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m pretty much an LA native, having come over on the boat with my mother at two months old from Sweden. My father was here in Los Angeles awaiting our return. My parents split when I was almost five, and I was raised by my dad. I had a strange and fun childhood highlighted with a pony (which led to a dislocated elbow), Christmas dinner with Michael Jackson and his family, jewelry making, kissing Mick Jagger, and other crazy things that can only happen in Los Angeles.

I always had a creative side and knew it was what I would pursue in life. First I was in graphic design and advertising, and then one day I found glass. Jewelry making had returned to my life and through that, I found glass bead making. Melting glass is a very addictive activity. My experiences as a glass bead maker led me to a number of craft TV appearances sharing my knowledge of bead making, glass fusing, macrame, and silver clay (it’s a clay with silver in it and when fired becomes pure silver). I was also offered the opportunity to write how-to craft articles and a book on macrame called Mod Knots.

Since I live in Highland Park, it seemed like the perfect place for my first location of The Glass Studio, which offered classes, gifts, fabrication services, and other glass-related activities. Around that time I also acquired the local art walk, known as NELAart Second Saturday Gallery Night. I loosely oversaw the art walk for 8 1/2 years during its 15 years run. Darn that pandemic. Another thing happened while I had my Highland Park store, I started a local art-oriented newspaper, NELAart News, later known as LA Art News. We printed for 6 1/2 years and now live online. All the while I continued to create glass.

Regular rent increases, large rent increases, made it impossible for me to keep my studio in the Highland Park area, so off to glamorous Sun Valley, where I enjoyed my “pandemic sanctuary”, and made glass. It was a place where my skills were allowed to grow even more, having added glass blowing to my list of favorite techniques. Unfortunately, I needed to move again. I have landed in Little Tokyo and have joined what will be the coolest makerspace/gallery in LA. Bold statement, but I know it’s true. The Glass Studio currently resides at The Makery on Los Angeles St., in downtown Los Angeles. The collaborative nature of the space is both inspiring and just plain fun.

Right before the pandemic began, I started my quest to be a real estate agent. I want to take all of the experiences I’ve had and bring it to the real estate industry. Besides finding homes for people to buy, I am in the process of developing artist spaces. With all of the moving I have had to do in my art career, I have fallen into the all too common situation of having unstable workspaces. I want to create spaces that artists can comfortably be in for years, so they can establish their careers and flourish and thrive. Be on the lookout for these spaces starting in 2023.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I mentioned the need to move fairly regularly. This is a problem many artists and business owners have to deal with. There is no rent control for commercial real estate. I had my rent raised twice in one year as a means of getting rid of me. This is the biggest challenge I have had to face. This is also why I’ve become a real estate agent. Thankfully I haven’t had to move where I live for 20 years.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I recently started a new company called House Jewelry. I started my glass career as a jewelry maker that made all my own glass beads. Now I want these for home decor. Large beads you can hang on your wall or incorporate with lighting. I am making beautiful home accessories that will be included in some of the homes I develop. I still make jewelry and plates and glasses but am moving away from that.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Check out The Makery. Makery.la is the website. I also have theglassstudio.net. Check out my work. Take a class. Buy something. Come to one of our openings or First Friday events. Or maybe I can help you buy or sell a home. Want to learn about investing in real estate? I do a variety of things.

Pricing:

• $50-$5000

Contact Info:

• Website: theglassstudio.net
• Instagram: @cathicreatesspaces
• Facebook: @theglassstudio
• Youtube: @thecreativespacezone

Image Credits
All photos by Cathi Milligan