Zachary Nafziger, owner of and sole craftsman at ZN Stained Glass, is the first to admit business may not be his strongest suit.<\/p>\n
But the clients who nominated him for the “10 Under 40” and invest in his works, which includes the entrance to Eastern Mennonite High School \u2014 an 18\u00bd-foot piece featuring a starry night version of Midtowne Market\u2019s logo \u2014 and glasswork for at least two dozen private establishments in the downtown Harrisonburg area, disagree.<\/p>\n
Nafziger has more than 1,400 followers on Facebook, and he\u2019s only been in business for eight months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI claim to not be a good businessman, but I\u2019ve come up with sort of a price structure that\u2019s extremely reasonable for one-of-a-kind regional art,\u201d said the artisan who came to Harrisonburg by way of Morris, Minn. \u201cIt was shocking to see my Facebook page \u2014 suddenly everyone\u2019s like, \u2018Hey, you\u2019re really good.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Nafziger\u2019s success, however, did not come overnight.<\/p>\n
After he graduated from EMHS in 1994, Nafziger followed his passion for art to the Savannah College of Art in Savannah, Ga. He remained in the port city for the next two years, before taking time to travel.<\/p>\n
After that point, Nafziger decided he wanted focus in his life: He moved back to Harrisonburg, enrolled in and graduated from Eastern Mennonite University\u2019s art program in 2002, and found stability as a photographer with Rosetta Stone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was my first real and only job ever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Nafziger held that position until Rosetta began cutting payroll and, eventually, employees. His layoff was a trying moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sat around for about three or four days, feeling sorry for myself,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was weird to get dumped by something I was so connected to for 12 years. I watched the company grow and take over the entire language-learning world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout his tenure with Rosetta Stone, Nafziger made glass part time and, at the urging of a fellow local artist, moved his home studio to The Gladys Burke Studio in Larkin Arts on Court Square, where others would have access to his works.<\/p>\n
He signed a year lease in March and business has increased since.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this point, word-of-mouth has helped me so much,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople aren\u2019t just looking for any glass; they\u2019re looking specifically for me. When I\u2019m meeting clients, I\u2019m not selling something that already exists \u2014 I\u2019m selling myself and what I can do for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want whatever I make for them to be permanent.\u201d<\/p>\n