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Hot Glassblowing
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Beyond the Cup
Move beyond the basic cup shape to create other hot glass forms.
Take your glassblowing skills to the next level by moving beyond the cup. In this intermediate class, you will expand on basic vessel forms by exploring new techniques and shapes while refining your understanding of heat and timing to blow glass quicker and thinner.
Prerequisite: Hot 1 or 24 hours equivalent hot glass experience with instructor permission is required.
Ages 14+
Hot Glass in the Fast Lane
An 8-week curriculum, accelerated into just 4 weeks.
Explore glassblowing in just 4-weeks! Learn to gather molten glass from the furnace, and then sculpt it into various forms, from paperweights to simple blown shapes, like cups and bowls.
Focus will be placed on the team approach to glassblowing and will emphasize safety, proper tool use, basic techniques, and materials.
This class is appropriate whether you have limited hot shop experience or none at all. You will experience the same number of contact hours as students attending the once-a-week, 8-week classes, but in a condensed, 4-week format.
There are two options: One class meets twice a week on both Tuesday and Thursday; the other is a longer day on Saturdays.
Ages 14+
Gather and Brew: Blown Glass Cup
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+
Don’t put a cork in it yet. Register here to make a glass bottle stopper in the flame shop and register here to make sandblasted drinkware in the cold shop!
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.
Ages 21+
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.
Incredibly Intricate Murrine
with Penelope (Rakov) Lee
In this five-day class our goal is to break down the best method for constructing incredibly intricate murrine. Because of its complexity, murrine can be intimidating and hard to know which steps to do in what order. But by slowing down and really looking at how to best approach each step in the process, we can achieve the kinds of patterns that can seem impossible.
We will cover:
- Some color theory
- How to pull successful cane
- How to build simple, and then complex bundles
- When to work hot, and when to work cold
- What to look for when cutting murrine for the hot shop, the kiln shop, and other applications
- How to set up a plate for patterned roll ups
- And finally, how to manage your piece with all those murrine.
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 Penelope (Rakov) Lee at https://www.instagram.com/pennyrakovlee/
Talk Suppio
with DJ Benyosef
This five-day glassblowing class will focus on pulling cane to create cane tubes, known as "suppios." This technique is excellent for producing matching or similar objects, making it ideal for production-style work. You will learn the entire process, from pulling cane and rolling it onto a bubble to pulling the tube and cutting it into smaller tubes or cups (suppios). We will also cover gathering, twisting, and blowing up the tubes.
By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of pulling even cane, managing wall thicknesses, and achieving uniform twists. The class will also introduce various wraps and incalmo techniques.
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 DJ Benyosef at benyosefglass.com
Beginning the Journey
with Beyvan Schantz & Lyla Nelson
This beginner glassblowing class will introduce you to the hot shop. We will start by gathering glass out of the furnace, then introduce blowing bubbles and learn to apply hand and tool techniques. By the end of the week, you’ll be working with a partner to create functional vessels you can use. Following this class, you should feel comfortable in any hot shop with an understanding of the tools, processes, teamwork, and communication involved in making blown glass work.
All levels are welcome.
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 Beyvan Schantz at www.beyvanschantz.com
and Lyla Nelson at www.lylanelson.net
Reflections in Glass: Mirroring the Sculpted Bubble
with MiNHi England
This intermediate-level class invites you to explore the reflective possibilities of glass through the process of creating chemically mirrored blown sculptures. Students should already be proficient in gathering and blowing a bubble, as the class will build on those core skills to develop refined, sculpted forms suited for silvering techniques.
The first three days will be spent in the hot shop, focusing on the intentional setup of a bubble designed for mirroring. You will learn how wall thickness, form, internal access, and glass cleanliness each influence the success of the silvering process. The class will experiment with transparent color applications in bar and frit, observing how different hues interact in front of a mirrored surface to create variations in tone and depth within the final chrome finish.
Through daily demonstrations and guided practice, we’ll cover foundational sculpting techniques including bitwork, simple bubble manipulation, and torch-worked surface texturing to enhance form and optical complexity.
The final two days will transition to the classroom, where you will learn the pouring chemical mirroring process. Special attention will be given to the chemistry and care of mirrored surfaces, how to achieve a clean, even silver coat, and the best methods for sealing and maintaining its brilliance over time.
By the end of the course, you will leave with a deeper understanding of how to merge hot shop form making with reflective surface treatment, creating mirrored glass objects that are visually dynamic and built to last.
Additional Class Materials
Organic vapor respirator is required for the mirroring process. Students may bring their own. Respirators can be purchased from PGC prior to the class for $80.
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 MiNHi England at www.minhi.com
Building Your Tool Box
with Nate Cotterman & Adam Holtzinger
This five-day class will focus on skill building through repetition of technique. We will work through simple forms that can be used as building blocks for many complex ideas and designs. We will address everything from the arrangement of your bench and how you move through the shop, to starting and finishing your piece with accuracy and intention. We will use drawing and calipers to pre-visualize our ideas prior to going into the shop. Color techniques will be covered as skills develop, but this course will mainly focus on blowing glass accurately and efficiently and being able to repeat the process to get desired results.
This class welcomes those with some glass experience and the desire to enhance their skillset. Those interested should know how to gather and the basics of blowing glass.
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 Nate Cotterman at