Get creative with color! In this fun kiln shop experience, you’ll be guided by a skilled artist to use colorful glass granules (frit) and thin glass rods (stringers) to design your own vibrant glass suncatcher—a fun decorative way to capture sunlight and express yourself with glass. Once you design it, we’ll fire it, so all the pieces become one.

Make-It-Now experiences offer a quick, hands-on introduction to the colorful world of kilnformed glass. In the kiln shop, you’ll learn from a skilled local artist how to design and assemble your own glass creation using glass frit and stringers. In less than an hour, explore how layers of glass come together to form vibrant patterns and images of your own design. Perfect for beginners, these quick experiences let you discover the beauty of working with glass at your own pace and with no heat.

Ages 5+

Adult supervision is required for any child under 14 years old.

Due to the nature of hot glass, items cannot be taken home the same day they are created. All items made in the kiln shop must be heated and fused in the kiln, then cooled slowly. Items are available for pick-up after 5 days. Shipping can be arranged on site the day of your activity.

Fire up the torch, shape molten glass, and get colorful. In this quick and exciting flame shop experience, you’ll work closely with a skilled artist to gather and shape molten glass into a hand-crafted magnet using a 3,000°F torch. Swirl in all the colors of the rainbow to make a fun and unique work of art for your fridge.

 

Make-It-Now experiences offer a quick hands-on introduction to the magic of glassmaking. In the flame shop, you’ll work one-on-one with a skilled local artist at a 3,000° tabletop torch. In about 20 minutes or less, you’ll work together to heat, shape, color, and craft your glass item. Perfect for beginners, these short experiences give a taste of the excitement, skill, and artistry that goes into working with glass in a supportive, guided setting.

 

Ages 8+

 

Adult supervision is required for any child under 14 years old.

 

Due to the nature of hot glass, items cannot be taken home the same day they are created. All items made in the flame shop must go through an annealing process to slowly cool the glass. Items are available for pick-up after 5 days. Shipping can be arranged on site the day of your activity.

Explore how traditional coldworking can be utilized in non-traditional and modern applications. Learn how to operate all of the equipment to cut, grind, drill, engrave, sandblast, and polish glass in this entirely cold process class. Learn techniques to strategize the best optical placement of cuts and gain experience using special adhesives to chemically bond glass segments together. Create unique works of glass art with interesting surface textures and shapes.

Collaborate with glass blowers in the hot shop to design colorful items then manipulate them to reveal layers of color with the lathe, sandblaster, or lap wheels. Combine found objects, cement, and glass. Then cut, laminate, and coldwork new and exciting shapes.  Leave with a foundational knowledge of coldworking techniques and understanding of the lamination process. Come away with new skills, fun projects, and inspiration for more complicated works.

Evening Open Studio Studios are open until 9:30PM for students to practice. Depending on the class, process, and techniques, this time might be highly suggested by instructors for students to use. In other classes, this time might be considered optional.

 

For more information, please review Summer Intensives.

 

Learn more about Chris Ross at saburodesign.com

Join us for an evening of hot glass making and cold beer drinking with Two Frays Brewery.

We think beer tastes better in a handmade glass. The right glass can transform every sip, letting you savor the flavors and nuances of your favorite brew. In this quick and exciting hot shop experience, you’ll work closely with a skilled artist to blow and shape molten glass from our 2,100°F furnace into a handmade cup, perfect for enjoying a beverage of your choice.

After your hands-on studio time, kick back, and talk with the brewer, enjoy the beers, relax on the patio with some snacks, wander the gallery, and watch live glassblowing demonstrations throughout the evening. If you register for a later glassmaking slot, we suggest arriving early to enjoy all this event has to offer.

Cheers to a night of craft, flavor, and fun!

Ages 21+

Make-It-Now experiences offer a quick hands-on introduction to the magic of glassmaking. In the hot shop, you’ll work one-on-one with a skilled local artist at the 2,100°F furnace. In about 15 minutes or less, you’ll work together to shape, color, and craft your glass item. Perfect for beginners, these short experiences offer a taste of the excitement, skill, and artistry that goes into working with glass in a supportive, guided setting.

Guests under 21 not permitted.

Due to the nature of hot glass, items cannot be taken home the same day they are created. All items made in the hot shop must go through an annealing process to slowly cool the glass. Items are available for pick-up after 5 days. Shipping can be arranged on site the day of your activity.

Celebrate the summer solstice at Pittsburgh Glass Center in this quick and fun cold shop experience and turn an ordinary piece of glass into beautiful one-of-a-kind work of art. With the help of a skilled artist, use a lathe and traditional cutting and glass engraving techniques to cut star or sunburst designs to create a magical suncatcher.

Capture the beauty of the summer sun with glistening glass!

Ages 14+

Make-It-Now experiences offer a quick hands-on introduction to the art of coldworking. In the cold shop, you’ll work with a skilled local artist using our specialized equipment to personalize your own glass piece through engraving. In less than an hour, you’ll experience the cool side of glassmaking. Perfect for beginners, this guided session is a fun and creative experience with no heating or cooling required.

This is one experience where you can make it and take it home on the same day.

During this class, Emma will introduce her original method of fusing and casting multiple layers of glass, which she has been exploring and developing, with great success, for past 20 years. This innovative technique enables fusing/casting of thin glass sheets used to set up layers composed of tiny mosaic-like elements, thus achieving three-dimensional images inside the transparent fused/cast sculptural object.

This class will focus on a new way of three-dimensional thinking in creating glass objects; on using properties of glass to achieve visual effects as well as to achieve a sense of movement within cast glass objects. You are not required to have previous experience in glass fusing. Beginners will be able, along with students possessing advanced glass fusing skills, to create and finalize their own three-dimensional glass objects during this class. Additionally, you will receive basic information about grinding and polishing three-dimensional glass objects. At all times, students will have access to an extensive digital gallery in Emma’s laptop including images of recent work as well as closeups revealing fine details on layers inside the glass object. Expect to discover an exciting new method of creating images within transparent three-dimensional glass objects.

In the past 10 years, Emma experimented with new techniques such as glass mosaics made from pre-fused elements, as well as sculptural objects constructed from tiny pâte de verre elements - a rather unusual and innovative application of pâte de verre technique. Another field of experimentation is using pâte de verre elements for inclusion onto layers of fused/cast objects. During her class, Emma will demonstrate and explain these methods, as well as vast possibilities and combinations. Students will be encouraged to experiment and play with kilnforming techniques in order to create a range of small fused, cast objects.

Evening Open Studio

Studios are open until 9:30PM for students to practice. Depending on the class, process, and techniques, this time might be highly suggested by instructors for students to use. In other classes, this time might be considered optional.

For more information, please review Summer Intensives.

Learn more about Emma Varga at www.emmavarga.com

In this five–day class we will explore fundamentals and techniques for working with borosilicate glass. We will make small marbles, animals, and hollow bottles as we build on the basics of manipulation and addition of hot glass in the flame. We will round out this class by exploring surface design with color rod and frit designs for getting that artistic look that is an exciting addition to clear rod and tubing.

Torch set up and adjustment will be covered as well as home studio design/safety, regulators, ventilation, and oven selection.

All levels of experience are welcome to this class.

Evening Open Studio

Studios are open until 9:30PM for students to practice. Depending on the class, process, and techniques, this time might be highly suggested by instructors for students to use. In other classes, this time might be considered optional.

For more information, please review Summer Intensives.

Learn more about Tim Drier at https://www.instagram.com/driertim/?hl=en

Brunch just got a glow-up. Gather with friends for a morning of tasty brunch bites from our friends at Third Space Bakery, refreshing mimosas, and hands-on glassmaking. In this quick and exciting hot shop experience, you’ll work closely with a skilled artist to blow and shape molten glass from our 2,100°F furnace into a handmade cup, perfect for enjoying a brunch mimosa or beverage of choice.

After your hands-on studio time, relax on the patio with brunch bites and a beverage, wander the gallery, and watch live glassblowing demonstrations throughout the morning. If you register for a later glassmaking slot, we suggest arriving early to enjoy all this event has to offer.

Good food and a little molten magic—it’s the brunch plan you didn’t know you needed.

Ages 21+

Make-It-Now experiences offer a quick hands-on introduction to the magic of glassmaking. In the hot shop, you'll work one-on-one with a skilled local artist at the 2,100°F furnace. In about 15 minutes or less, you'll work together to shape, color, and craft your glass item. Perfect for beginners, these short experiences offer a taste of the excitement, skill, and artistry that goes into working with glass in a supportive, guided setting.

Due to the nature of hot glass, items cannot be taken home the same day they are created. All items made in the hot shop must go through an annealing process to slowly cool the glass. Items are available for pick-up after 5 days. Shipping can be arranged on site the day of your activity.