A native Floridian, Jay McIver entered the glassblowing field in 1975 when he was a junior in high school. His first instructor was Roger Smith the glassblower at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida.  After high school, Jay went to work for Crystal Creations in Houston, Texas, where he trained under Mark Avery, one of the top glassblowers in the world. While associated with Crystal Creations, Jay became experienced with retail operations, managing glass shops at Great Adventure in New Jersey and Six Flags Theme Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Eventually, Jay returned to Florida where he established a wholesale operation, doing contract orders for large companies in Disney World, Cypress Gardens and others. Jay also began to craft scientific items used in university laboratories around the world. These scientific items require a proficiency that only a very small percentage of glassblowers ever attain. In 1990, Jay decided to use his talent in the art and collectors market. He then began participating in art shows throughout thecountry, and continues to do so today.