Who We Are?
ABR Imagery was born out of a love for lampworking. Located in beautiful Bloomington, Indiana, ABR has been a beacon in the Midwest for glass artists of all types. In the late 1990s, we started as an artist studio, where many regional artists would come to collaborate, trade ideas, and produce glass. Over time, it became a place you could not only make a few friends, but get a few clear tubes or rods, a couple pounds of color, and maybe a tool or two. Moving forward, our custom process of dichroic imaging was a catapult into the lampwork supply industry. Before long, we became one of the world’s leaders in lampwork supply, with a comprehensive web store and print catalog specialized for the lampwork industry.
Over time, ABR began carrying more and more products. The grassroots relationships we created as artists were the foundation of building a customer base. ABR literally grew up out of the lampwork revolution of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. As artists, what we saw most lacking from the industry at the time, was a comprehensive supplier with an emphasis on borosilicate flame working. Along with the growth of a budding functional glass industry, came more customers to the industry. This allowed major leaps to be made in lampwork supply. Color companies have doubled the color palette in the last 20 years. Machinery has skyrocketed in quality, specific application, and affordability for artists.
For an art form that is centuries old, that is really something special to have grown so much in such a short span. We are very proud to have been a part of it all. Along with this growth, came growth for ABR. We have now grown into a leader in innovation for the industry. Having developed many now popular tools, and having worked with kiln companies to design kilns for the boro lampwork industry, we are rooted in the expansion of supplies and resources for modern lampwork artists.
Part of our journey is being one of the industries leaders in providing equipment to industry events. Having put thousands of kilns and torches in hundreds of classrooms and live flame working events, we have become a sought after resource for some of the largest glass events in the country. We have dedicated many hours and miles to providing industry events with the capability they need to host so many wonderful events. From the Sonoran Flame Off in Tucson, to Champs Glass Games, to lampwork bead classes at Bead and Button, we have tackled all sorts of equipment supply and set up for live events and classes.