As we approached our 50th year of business on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Hillyer House owner Paige Riley knew she wanted to commemorate with something BIG. And she knew just who to call.

Paige enlisted the creativity of local glassblower Jerry Spehr. Jerry is renowned for his beautiful rondels, mouth-blown pieces of art glass that have been spun into circular often irregular, shapes. Together they envisioned a large art installation featuring Jerry’s vibrant rondels - and from there, Paige handed over the reins and Jerry went to work.

Over the course of six months, Jerry painstakingly created 100 custom rondels - one for each of the 50 years Hillyer House has been in business, and one for each of the shop’s next 50 years. He meticulously plotted exactly where each piece would be hung, planning his overall design to fit perfectly in the 30’ x 5’ space behind the register in the shop.

Jerry worked inside Hillyer House only at night, hung a large sheet to cover his work during the day, and elicited a promise from Paige and all the Hillyer House mermaids that no one would see the wall until the final Labor Day reveal event.

And the result? STUNNING. Introducing VISION - one of the largest private art installations in the southeast. Incorporating movement, dancing color, driftwood, and Jerry’s gorgeous glass, our VISION wall is the sort of art that only comes along once every 50 YEARS!!