PGC 161

Bring your garden to life with a vibrant stained glass garden stake. In this introductory workshop, you’ll explore the fundamentals of stained glass. Under the guidance of a skilled instructor, you’ll learn to cut, wrap, and solder glass gems into a one-of-a-kind design that brightens potted plants or outdoor beds. Great for adding personality and sparkle to any space.

 

Ages 14+

 

Meditations on Glass is a new, unique way to experience our current exhibition: A Fine Intoxication: Gathering Glass. 

Using a variety of guided mediation techniques, participants will be invited to open their "eye-mind," a kind of visual awareness that uses the eyes to focus on an object and then allow one's awareness to grow beyond one's sight.  Instead of engaging the breath or a mantra to stabilize the mind, participants will use the exhibition pieces as objects of our meditation.  

The session will start with a basic introduction to vipassana (clear seeing) meditation, followed by the invitation to wander around the gallery until you find the artwork that interests you most. Next you will be invited to rest your gaze on that artwork as you are guided through a series of instructions to become more aware of the color(s), saturation, light, shape, positive and negative space, etc. As the body relaxes and the senses attune, you will be able to drop into a deeper relationship with the glass art object and even enter the mind-state of the artist at the time the artwork was created. Ultimately, this produces a heightened sense of presence and an intimate awareness of the relationship between artwork and the self, far beyond what the eyes can see.

While studies show that the average length of time a person spends looking at an artwork is 15 seconds, we will spend at least 15 minutes "looking" at two or more glass artworks of your choice with space in-between for reflection, sharing, and/or questions. 

Workshop lasts about 90 minutes. 

No experience/knowledge necessary of either meditation or glass art. This is non-religious experience. All are welcome.

About the Instructor

Jeffrey Dorsey has been leading guided weekly meditation sessions and seasonal retreats for groups for more then two years. Jeffrey created Meditations on Glass having been inspired by a Buddhist workshop called, Opening the Eye-Mind and by the book, Look, Look, Look, Look, Look Again, Buddhist Wisdom Reflected in 26 Artists by one of his teachers, Kevin Townley, Jr. Dorsey teaches similar sessions using artwork at the Carnegie Museum of Art's Mindful Museum program. His heart work builds on 30 years of creative artmaking, ritual, mindfulness/ meditative practices, and training in various therapeutic modalities, leadership models, and anti-trauma facilitation. His practices blend the teachings of the wisdom traditions, mysticism, and modern-day scientific approaches to mind body awareness. Dorsey's aim is to teach people skills to regulate their own nervous systems through creative experiences that reconnect us to our senses, our bodies, other humans and the more then human world. You can view his current art/healing project at anotherlight.art. 

Dorsey is also an arts administrator who has currently the Executive Director of Union Project, a ceramic arts center in Highland Park. Fun fact: From 1999-2009, he was manager of the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (a collaboration of The Bloomfield Garfield Corporation and Friendship Development Associates) who created Unblurred, First Fridays on Penn and who acquired and sold the building to the Pittsburgh Glass Center at our current location 5472 Penn Avenue. Jeffrey lives in Friendship with his wife, two adult children, and two cats.

 

Spend an unforgettable and fun week this summer diving into the world of glass. This program is designed for teens in grades 6-12 (ages 12-19) to take over the Pittsburgh Glass Center studios. It gives students the rare hands-on opportunity to learn the many facets of glass in one of the top facilities in the country. Working with experienced instructors, students will rotate through all of the studios and explore glassblowing, flameworking, kilnforming, and coldworking. New this year, students will also connect glass and technology in the fabrication lab.

Please look over our Teen Boot Camp Policies and important information regarding scheduling and forms by clicking here: https://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/teen-boot-camp-policies/

Required Forms

All registered students must complete our Teen Boot Camp Intake form. This form is presented during the registration process, and is required for all students prior to their first day of camp. Forms will ask for emergency contacts, known student allergies, and designated persons allowed to sign students out of camp.

Scholarships are available for all students! Scholarship Application 

New this year: tuition can also be paid in installments upon registration.

Do you relish the idea of trying your hand at glass? Do you get geeked for gherkins? Then have a dill-ightful time making glass pickles in this introductory workshop. Guided by a skilled instructor, learn to melt and shape clear and colorful rods of glass over a 3,000°F torch to create your own glass pickle ornament, pendant, or mini sculpture.

 

Ages 14+

 

Due to the nature of hot glass, your items will be available for pickup 5 days after your activity.

Turn sheets of glass into a sparkling, functional work of art. In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn to cut sheet glass into geometric shapes and combine them with frit (colored glass granules) and stringers (thin colored glass rods) to design a one-of-a-kind dish.

 

Once your design is complete, we’ll fire it in the kiln to fuse everything together and then shape it in a mold, creating a beautiful and functional piece. Perfect for holding spare change, serving small snacks, displaying jewelry, or simply adding a touch of glassy sparkle to your space.

 

Ages 14+

 

Due to the nature of hot glass, your items will be available for pickup 5 days after your activity.

Dive into the magic of molten glass. In this introductory workshop, heat and shape molten glass into whimsical whale sculptures using a 3,000°F torch. Guided by a skilled instructor, learn torch basics, experiment with adding color and playful details to create one-of-a-kind creations. Add a glass loop to make it a pendant or keep them as trinkets. Perfect for adding whimsy to your home, fish tank, or sharing with a friend.

 

Ages 14+

 

Due to the nature of hot glass, your items will be available for pickup 5 days after your activity.

PGC 123 Take it slow and let your creativity slide. In this introductory workshop, learn to heat and shape borosilicate glass into charming little slugs using a 3,000°F torch. Guided by a skilled instructor, learn torch basics and add color and texture to make each one your own sluggish creation. Add a glass loop to make it wearable or keep it as a figurine to add to a potted plant.

 

Ages 14+

 

Due to the nature of hot glass, your items will be available for pickup 5 days after your activity.

Craft a whimsical glass dragonfly. In this introductory workshop, you’ll explore the fundamentals of stained glass. Under the guidance of a skilled instructor you’ll learn to cut, shape, and assemble glass into delicate wings. Then you’ll solder your creation with glass gems into a charming, decorative piece. A perfect project for beginners who love colorful, nature-inspired art.

 

Ages 14+