This workshop covers the fundamentals of creating original designs and building them with leaded came and copper foil. Beyond design and technical instruction, this workshop will cover what most classes leave out: how to price work, photograph work, handle installation, reinforce panels and protect your designs. We will weave in decorative arts history throughout — not as background, but as a working resource. Understanding where this craft has been is part of knowing what's possible. The goal isn't mastery, it's the experience of moving through uncertainty toward a finished piece and gaining the confidence to keep making when the workshop is over.

This workshop introduces experimental glass sculpture through casting, coldworking and hot assembly. Students will work in the hot shop, cold shop, and kiln room, using furnaces, annealers, molds and grinding and polishing equipment. Emphasis is placed on material transformation, reuse of discarded glass and embracing imperfection. Students will develop small sculptural works or modular elements assembled into larger forms. The workshop may include group critiques, process demonstrations and discussions around contemporary glass and interdisciplinary sculpture.

This workshop is a comprehensive introduction to powder printing, a process that combines glass powders with traditional screen-printing techniques. We will open up a world of possibilities to explore, including developing new and expansive glass color palettes, creating intricate 2D designs and bold imagery and creating 3D work with compelling depth and texture using mulitple layers of glass powders. This workshop will cover analog approaches to the process, using easily accessible techniques with simple tools and materials to create work that belies the humble nature of this approach. We will also explore technologically based approaches to the process, translating digital imagery and designs into glass. This workshop will share the awesome potential of powder printing and provide a sound foundation for those looking for a highly accessible approach to printing with glass and those who wish to pursue more advanced or technologically driven techniques in the process.  

Every family has a story. With father-daughter duo Jacob Fishman and Zoelle Nagib, get to know the color stories and family histories associated with traditional neon glass techniques. We will explore traditional neon bending, touching on lettering and skeleton frames, and focus on the use of color to tell your own stories. In this workshop, students will utilize neon as a sculptural medium with color as the jumping off point. We will explore the available color palette, how different glass colors work in the flame, and, once lit, how the colors interact and speak to the intent of the artwork. Jacob will bring his technical engineering background, and Zoelle will bring her light-as-aesthetic sensibilities to push students' neon skills past the basics and into their truest artistic expression. Open to all levels, this class will center on light as the medium through which we observe and feel color families.

During this workshop, we will work in the hot shop on advanced blown and solid sculpture and color applications, including layered powder applications and stuff cups. We will guide you through creating everything from simple, nuanced shapes to elaborate, imaginative forms. Bring your ideas to life as we delve into the “how’s” and “why’s” of achieving your vision. Through personalized instruction during individual blow slots, you’ll refine your techniques and elevate your skills. Whether you’re a beginner, eager to learn, or an experienced glassblower looking to take your craft to the next level, this course will be both educational and a lot of fun.