Huntingdon art studio helps people tap into their creativity
B. Fisher Creations offers a creative outlet with evening workshops. Photo: Provided.
“I never planned to be an entrepreneur. I didn’t want to start a business,” Barb Fisher of B. Fisher Creations shared. “I just wanted to do art… and it wasn’t until my husband lovingly told me, ‘you gotta go,’ that I considered finding a shop.”
Fisher started out giving art lessons to kids in her basement and now teaches adults how to fuse glass in her own studio. “I offer glass fusing workshops for adults in the evenings and on the weekends, and I have met many people and made many friends through these classes.”
“People are looking for experiences instead of things,” she said. “No one else in town fuses glass as I do.” Still she didn’t anticipate the level of success she’s found.
“My Startup Alleghenies coach, Christa McGeary, is great. She is always really helpful and welcomes all questions I have,” Fisher said.
Barb Fisher says that the art workshops are unique in the area and have been increasingly popular as people look for new experiences to try. Photo: Provided.
“Barb is a beta tester for an exciting project we have coming up,” McGeary shared. “She is talented and offers really cool custom and heirloom pieces.”
Fisher has been honing her talent since she was a child. She was always interested in drawing, painting and sculpting with playdough. “My mom painted, and my dad is a fantastic woodworker. I grew up watching them create and having the confidence to do it,” she said. “I do most of my woodwork for my signs. I wanted to learn, and my dad taught me.”
While Fisher herself said she can’t pinpoint her “secret sauce,” it’s apparent to those around her: a love for creating and her desire to help others tap into their own creative side is what drives her, and people love her unique offering.
“People are looking for experiences instead of things,” she said. “No one else in town fuses glass as I do.” Still she didn’t anticipate the level of success she’s found.
Fisher credits Startup Alleghenies with helping her turn her passion into a business. Photo: Provided.
While she didn’t start with a strong desire to start a business, Fisher has discovered her inner entrepreneur among a family of business owners. Her parents owned grocery stores, her husband is a master mechanic who works on imports and her son is the brains behind the 3D printing at Fisher Motorworks.
“When I got too busy, I realized it had grown into something I wasn’t expecting,” Fisher said. “I grew from my basement shop to this building we bought in Huntingdon. And I am still growing and don’t want to stay the same. My work ethic and customer service will never change, but I want to grow in my talent and the products I provide.”
Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.
