DOUG AUER

Co-founder of Third Degree Glass, MADE, Delmar Maker District, Studio Glass Batch

Doug began blowing glass in 1996 as a student of Vernon Brejcha at the University of Kansas. A year later, he transferred to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale to pursue his BFA, studying glass blowing and technique under instructors Bill Boysen and Che Rhodes.

In the fall of 2001, Doug teamed with Jim McKelvey to co-found and establish Third Degree Glass Factory, with the goal of providing a place to share their passion for glassmaking with the public. Simultaneously, Doug was hired by Washington University to teach both beginning and intermediate glass blowing from the studios at Third Degree. He instructed students until 2004, when he made the transition to focus solely on building Third Degree into a world-class business.

In 2017, he and Jim joined forces on a new concept, which was transforming the stretch of Delmar Boulevard from Union to Kingshighway into the Delmar Maker District to support and promote makers of all kinds. With Third Degree Glass serving as the foundation, they opened MADE, a reincarnation of the former TechShop in the Cortex, as the second anchor. Doug has since been the driving force in growing the district and is responsible for bringing MADE for Kids by The Magic House, Craft Alliance, and eight new restaurants to the area.

Though his time is dedicated primarily to the daily operations of Third Degree, he still can be found practicing his original passion in the hot shop. His glass work most easily can be identified by its modernization of the classic teardrop shape.