Classes

Create iconic images of the Steel City while learning to fuse glass. We will provide templates of team logos, bridges, and the iconic skyline. Then we'll leave it to you to create a locally-themed keepsake. You can’t go wrong with anything black and gold. After you create it, we will fire and fuse it and shape it into a mold. The result will be a functional dish perfect for holding spare change, serving small snacks, or storing jewelry.

Have a sweet tooth? Hop on a torch and create your own glass jaw breakers. Learn to sculpt small molten balls of glass into colorful hard candies like licorice twists, jolly ranchers, fire balls, peppermints, and more.  Want to make your own dish to display your candies? Check out our workshops in the Kiln Shop. 

Serve your favorite crackers and cheese on your own handmade glass charcuterie plate. Learn the basics of fusing glass including how to cut sheet glass and add color and design with frit and stringers to decorate and make a unique 8"x 8" glass board that you'll want to use for years to come. Charcuterie not included. 

Manipulate glass rods over a tabletop torch to create your own glass beads. In this introduction to the Flame Shop, learn the basic skills of heating rods of glass, applying glass to a mandrel, and shaping it with tools. Learn important decorative techniques, such as dots and trails to create beautiful beads you'll want to wear or share. You’ll make several different kinds of beads that you can take home.

Want to make a special gift for a family member or impress your coworkers? This paperweight workshop is an easy way to explore the potential of hot glass before committing to a longer class. Learn how to add color to clear molten glass and effectively shape it to make a small but distinctive desktop sculpture.

Have some fun while learning all of the steps of the stained glass process. You will choose from pre-determined patterns to create a decorative suncatcher or ornament that fits with the season. No experience is necessary but even those that have taken a stained glass class in the past will enjoy these seasonal creations.

MOLTN is a unique workshop designed specifically for teens to learn about glass art in multiple studios at Pittsburgh Glass Center. Teens have the opportunity to work closely with glass artists in the Hot Shop, Kiln Shop, and in the Flame Shop to explore making glass art through a variety of techniques and come away with some unique glass creations. Students work with molten glass out of the a 2,100°F furnace in the Hot Shop, manipulate solid glass rods on a 3,000°F torch in the Flame Shop, and prepare glass to be fired and fused together in kilns up to 1,700°F in the Kiln Shop. No experience necessary.

This workshop is designed for students in grades 6–12.

Want a more in depth glass experience for teens? Check out our afterschool SiO2 classes.

Scholarship Application: APPLY ONLINE

Use sculpting techniques to create a colorful mushroom paperweight. Work with an instructor who will help you gather, add color, sculpt, and shape hot glass from the 2,100°F furnace to make a fun and unique solid glass mushroom. This one-of-a-kind fungi can be displayed inside or outside.

Sculpt an expression of love in this heart workshop. Work closely with an instructor to learn how to melt and manipulate a solid glass rod into a molten ball over a tabletop torch. Swirl your chosen colors throughout the clear glass as you sculpt it into a beautiful heart. Create a wearable pendant or magnet (or both) for yourself or a loved one.

Are you interested in trying stained glass? Learn the basics as you create a charming and unique glass dragonfly. Learn how to cut and shape glass into beautiful wings and work with traditional stained glass lead came and solder to adhere and complete your project.

Bring the crystalline beauty of icicles inside your home. First, learn to use the tabletop torch to melt Borosilicate rods of glass. Then twist and pull this molten glass to create your own one-of-a-kind flamecicles. Hang them in a window to catch the light, on a tree to create a festive atmosphere, or give them as a beautiful gift.

Make a stained glass garden stake to add style to any indoor potted plants or add a burst of creative beauty to your outdoor garden. Using glass gems, explore stained glass techniques and learn to wrap and solder glass together to create a one-of-a-kind piece.                                                                                                           

Transform molten glass from a 2,100°F furnace into a one-of-a-kind, functional glass dish. Work with an instructor who helps you gather glass and add color to create a small, blown, double-walled glass bowl. Handmade blown catch-all bowls are perfect for holding spare change, serving small snacks, storing jewelry, or are beautiful just for display.

Didn’t finish your bottle? Use your own elegant, flameworked handmade glass bottle stopper. Learn how to control, manipulate, and add color to a rod of glass while shaping your own unique stopper over a tabletop torch. You make the glass and we add the stopper. Use this creative piece while entertaining and impress your friends. It also makes a lovely gift.

Fast Track Flameworking is a great introduction to the Flame Shop. Work on a gas powered tabletop torch that can reach up to 3,000°F and sculpt glass on a small scale. Learn to melt and manipulate Borosilicate glass while learning the basics of heat, control, and safety of molten glass. In the afternoon, the instructor will demonstrate three different items that can include small sculptures, pendants, marbles, swizzle sticks, or bottle stoppers.

Stir things up with handmade glass swizzle sticks. Impress your friends and family by explaining how you melted glass rods over a tabletop torch to create the elegant swizzle stick that garnishes their iced tea or cocktail. A variety of available colors will allow you to design a swanky set of four. Perfect to keep for yourself or give as a gift.

Make one-of-a-kind glass magnet keepsakes. Melt and manipulate a solid glass rod on a tabletop torch and add bits of colorful glass called frit. Learn to swirl your chosen colors throughout the clear glass as you shape and manipulate material into floral glass magnets.

Upcycle your glass bottles and jars and turn them into functional drinking glasses, vases, candle holders, or decorative pieces. Bring 2–4 bottles or jars. Then cut, grind, polish, sandblast, or engrave them into decorative and useful items for your home. To ensure you get the most of your time in the Cold Shop, please remove any paper labels from your glass before class.

Make your own colorful glass marbles using solid glass rods and a table top torch. This is a great introductory workshop to gain experience on the torch. Practice basic flameworking techniques and use a graphite molds to shape the glass to ensure symmetry. With the guidance of an artist, explore decorative techniques including twisties, dots, and trails to create one-of-a-kind marvelous marbles perfect for play or display.

These special workshops are designed with teens in mind. Students get the opportunity to learn about the PGC studios with other teens and make either a paperweight in the Hot Shop or a flameworked magnet in the Flame Shop. Sign up as an individual and meet other teens interested in glass, or bring a friend to share in the experience. If you are interested in a more in-depth experience, check out our afterschool SiO2 classes, full day MOLTN workshop, or summer boot camp.

These special workshops are designed with teens in mind. Students get the opportunity to learn about the PGC studios with other teens and make either a paperweight in the Hot Shop or a flameworked magnet in the Flame Shop. Sign up as an individual and meet other teens interested in glass, or bring a friend to share in the experience. If you are interested in a more in-depth experience, check out our afterschool SiO2 classes, full day MOLTN workshop, or summer boot camp.

If you have always wanted to try glassblowing, this one-day workshop is for you. Hot Glass Blowout provides a full day of introduction and hands-on time with hot glass. You will learn how to gather, shape, and manipulate molten glass. You'll start with making a paperweight. Then learn other techniques and skills to make a variety of glass objects. Hot glass is addictive. Once you’ve started working in the Hot Shop, you may not want to leave. Class time includes a 30-minute break for lunch. Lunch is not provided but we do have a refrigerator on site if needed.  

Create a beautiful handmade glass pendant. Learn how to melt and manipulate a solid glass rod into a molten ball while adding bits of colorful glass called frit. Swirl your chosen colors throughout the clear glass as you shape your glass pendant. A safety talk and glass demonstration will be given at the beginning of the workshop as well as a number of different techniques for shaping.

Sculpt your own colorful glass flower to display inside or out. Work with molten glass, frit (colored glass granules), and a variety of tools to color and shape a spectacular floral work of art.

Whether you have never touched flat glass or have your own kiln at home, all experience levels can gain knowledge from this class. Start with tool fundamentals, glass cutting, and basic fusing rules. As the day progresses, explore a variety of techniques and materials. Discussions will cover a wide range of information about kilnforming, mold materials, kiln theory, and firing schedules. You will leave this class with many functional glass plates, bowls, and platters of your own creation, as well as a wealth of kilnforming knowledge.

Personalize your own beer mug, wine goblet, or drinking glass in this 2-hour workshop. Work with an expert artist and use sandblasting, glass carving, etching, polishing, and dremeling techniques to create a unique drinking vessel. You bring your creativity. We provide the glasses.

Transform sheets of glass into a custom handmade house number plaque or name plate. With the help of an instructor, learn how to cut colorful sheets of glass and glue individual pieces together, like a mosaic, to create a custom glass panel that can be displayed inside or out. You design and make it. We'll fire and fuse it all together into a solid work of art. 

Continue where you left off in Beginning Flameworking. In this 12-week class, fine-tune your skills. The focus will be on color application, sculptures, independent projects, and an introduction to tubing. Use your newly developed skill set to push creative boundaries! Grades 9–12.  SIO2 Flameworking or equivalent 24 hours previous experience required.

This 12-week, intermediate-level class will build on the fundamentals taught in the beginner class and elaborate on more difficult blown shapes as well as teach new color application methods. If you have already taken the intermediate course, start working with hot glass in ways that go beyond creating vessels. You will also explore a variety of techniques to achieve different shapes and surface textures. Grades 9–12.  SIO2 Glassblowing or equivalent 24 hours previous experience required.

Transform molten glass into a beautiful heart you'll be proud to display all year long! Work with an instructor who will help you gather, add color, and shape hot glass from the 2,100°F furnace into a handmade glass heart. This makes a perfect gift for a loved one on a special occasion.

New! Make your own sandblasted pint glass and take it home the same night. In this introductory experience, you will get to design a unique pint glass using stickers and tape. Once you design it, work with PGC staff to create a frosted look using our industrial sandblaster. No heating or cooling required. This is one Make-It-Now activity you get to take home with you the same night you make it.

$25/person ages 5+

Create a lovely heart magnet or pendant to wear or give to a loved one. In this introductory experience, work alongside a local artist to heat up rods of glass over a tabletop torch in the Flame Shop and sculpt the material into a festive and fun piece.

$30/person ages 8+

Feel the heat of the furnace in one of our hottest introductory workshops. In the Hot Shop, you'll work with a local artist to transform molten glass into a unique glass flower you'll be proud to display or give to a loved one.

Ages 5+ $45/person 

Show off your love in glass. In this introductory experience, you'll combine colorful pieces of glass granules (frit) and thin colored glass rods (stringers) to create a decorative glass ornament or valentine. Once you design it, we’ll fire it in a kiln with a hook for hanging.

Ages 5+ $30/person

Feel the heat of the furnace in one of our hottest introductory workshops. In the Hot Shop, you'll work with a local artist to transform molten glass into a unique glass flower you'll be proud to display or give to a loved one.

Ages 5+ $45/person 

Have you ever wanted to duplicate an object in glass or create a glass replica of your own hand? Learn several casting techniques in this 10-week class. Using clay and wax, shape your own positives, such as a tile or small 3D object, and then learn to construct a mold around this positive. These molds will hold glass that will melt in the kiln and become a positive shape, creating a glass duplicate of your chosen object.

You will also explore the processes of fusing and slumping. Learn how to cut pieces of flat glass and arrange them into patterns and forms to create your own suncatchers and platters! Finally, spend time in the cold shop and learn about the equipment as you finish your work.

Grades 9–12 (Ages 14 - 18)

In this 10-week class, learn how to use the torch, the heat it generates, and gravity to shape molten glass. After a discussion of studio set-up, tools, and safety, demonstrations will alternate with working time. Learn about Borosilicate, a hard glass with a high melting point that can be used to make small sculptures, jewelry and more. Finally, focus on the process most appealing to you.

Grades 9–12. (Ages 14 - 18)

In this 10-week program, focus on skill-building and understanding hot glass. This is a great course if you have taken a PGC workshop or are just beginning your exploration of hot glass. First, instructors teach the basic skills of gathering, blowing, and tool handling. Next, focus on making functional vessels. After that, move into the sculptural world and begin creating larger vessels and learning a variety of decorative bit-work techniques. From there, follow your imagination! A series of group projects will occur throughout the 10 weeks.

Grades 9–12. (Ages 14 - 18)

Feel the heat of the furnace in one of the hottest date nights. Get close to your date in the Hot Shop and work together with a local artist to transform molten glass into one unique glass flower. Choose your favorite colors and try pulling the molten material together into a beautiful flower. Join us for a private Make-It-Now evening of glass.

This unique date night experience allows each couple to work together in one of our studios and create one work of glass art together. Because it takes teamwork to sculpt, blow, or fuse glass, this is definitely a compatibility test. After your hands-on studio time, we’ll provide small bites and wine or beer. Glassblowing and flameworking demonstrations will take place throughout the night. $95/couple  ages 21+

Cozy up with some glass in the Kiln Shop for date night. Work together with your date to transform sheets, granules, and small rods of glass into one beautiful and unique glass plate you can use to serve your favorite crackers and cheese all year long. Join us for a private Make-It-Now evening of glass.

This unique date night experience allows each couple to work together in one of our studios and create one work of glass art together. Because it takes teamwork to sculpt, blow, or fuse glass, this is definitely a compatibility test. After your hands-on studio time, we’ll provide small bites and wine or beer. Glassblowing and flameworking demonstrations will take place throughout the night. 

$95/couple ages 21+

Each "seat" of registration is for one couple. 

Create an assortment of fun, fused, funky, and one-of-a-kind magnets. Learn how to cut and shape sheet glass and use glass frit and stringers to adorn your glass creations. These make beautiful and practical additions to your fridge.

Beer always tastes better in a handmade glass. The glass is an important part of the enjoyment of the drinking experience. The shape of the glass can allow you to savor the taste and complexities of any beverage. Learn how to make the perfect beer glass.

Join us for an evening with Two Frays Brewery. Talk with the brewer, taste the beers, watch how the perfect glass is created and then make your own glass. Pre-registration required. $80 per person.  Ages 21+

Learn how to turn a piece of traditional window glass into a unique and decorative work of art. With the help of an expert artist, you'll learn how to use our specialty equipment in the Cold Shop. Etch glass with the sandblaster. Engrave glass with the lathes and drill holes in glass with a dremel. This workshop is a great opportunity to try the equipment and machinery in the Cold Shop, and create a one-of-a-kind glass suncatcher. No heating or cooling is required for this workshop. Take what you make in the workshop home with you the same day.

Don’t put your special photo in a plain, store-bought frame. Make a customized frame using colorful stained glass and cabochons. In this 2-hour workshop, you will decorate a wooden photo frame base and choose from a wide selection of glass to bring your custom frame to life. Cabochons are optional but make a wonderful embellishment to any design. After you glue the pieces onto the frame, the instructor will have a grouting demonstration. Students will grout their frames at home using grout provided by the instructor.

Create a lovely glass habitat for your air plants. An instructor will help you gather glass, add color, and then blow, shape, and manipulate a glass bubble into an elegant handmade terrarium. Air plants not included.

Make your own distinctive glass goblet in this unique two-day multi-studio workshop. On the first night, work with instructors in the Hot Shop to gather, color, and shape molten glass from the 2,100°F furnace into your goblet’s foot and stem. On the second night, work with instructors in the Cold Shop to etch and sandblast a pre-made top in a way that makes your vessel truly unique. Then, learn to cut, glue, and assemble your pieces so that they become an amazing and functional goblet.

Design and create your own plate that will adorn your Seder table for many years to come. Learn to work with sheet glass and variety of colorful frit and stringers to create your own unique design.

Kids ages 8+ and their adults are invited to have fun and make glass together. This workshop is designed for kids to work with and alongside their accompanying adult.

Each participant will make one fused glass suncatcher by combining brilliantly colored pieces of sheet glass, glass granules(frit) and thin glass strands(stringers) to create luminous suncatchers. Once you design it, we’ll fire it so that all pieces become one.

Pleae purchase one "seat" for each participating individual. Cost per participaing individual is $45.  All students ages 8 - 13 must have an accompanying,registered adult. You must register as at least one adult and one child. One adult can sign up with up to two children between the ages of 8 - 13. Students ages 14+ do not need an additional adult to participate. 

Choose from a variety of transparent glass colors and coldworking techniques and equipment to transform a piece of flat glass into a fabulous pair of glass earrings or a pendant. Work with an artist and learn how to grind, sandblast, carve, etch, and dremel your way to a stunning piece of wearable glass art.

Make one-of-a-kind garden stakes to adorn indoor potted plants or add a burst of creative beauty to your outdoor garden. Create birds, cats, flowers, fruits, and veggies, or just have fun with color and pattern while learning to cut sheet glass and incorporate frit (colorful glass granules) and stringers (thin, colored glass rods). 

Make a decorative glass ball that you can hang in your home or garden or float on a pond or birdbath. Work with an instructor who will help you gather molten glass, choose and add color, and blow and shape into a one-of-a-kind piece. 

Create a unique fused glass mezuzah using a variety of materials, including sheet glass, frit (colored glass granules), and stringers  (thin colorful glass rods). Whether the mezuzah you make depicts a scene or has a decorative pattern, it will look beautiful by your door. (Scrolls and mounting hardware are not provided).

New! Make your own sandblasted pint glass and take it home the same night. In this introductory experience, you will get to design a unique pint glass using stickers and tape. Once you design it, work with PGC staff to create a frosted look using our industrial sandblaster. No heating or cooling required. This is one Make-It-Now activity you get to take home with you the same night you make it.

$25/person ages 5+

Create a unique, colorful glass magnet to display or pendant to wear. In this introductory experience, work alongside a local artist to heat up rods of glass over a tabletop torch in the Flame Shop. Add color, sculpt the material, and design a unique and fun piece.

$30/person ages 8+

Feel the heat of the furnace in our hottest introductory workshop. In the Hot Shop, you'll work with a local artist to transform molten glass into a stunning paperweight you'll be proud to display all year long. Choose your favorite colors and try pulling the molten material to create a beautiful and unique swirl inside.

$45/person ages 5+.                                                                                                             

Make a unique glass decoration for spring. In this introductory experience, you'll combine colorful pieces of glass granules (frit) and thin colorful glass rods (stringers) to create a decorative glass ornament of your own design. Once you design it, we’ll fire it in a kiln with a hook for hanging.

Ages 5+ $30/person

In this one-day workshop, use the torch to melt and combine glass rods to make pendants that appear to encapsulate little explosions of color. Detailed demonstrations will be given on the compression technique. Instructors will provide individualized troubleshooting so that you can form several captivating pieces. Learn to apply color, make loops, and manipulate the glass to take whatever shape you desire.

Hot glass is a material that moves like taffy, not water. In this class, you will explore this unique property of glass with press mold making.

Press molds are unique because they allow glass to be cast into thin forms with texture and details on all surfaces. These molds will open up the possibilities of your glassmaking!

In this class, you'll learn how to build refractory press molds and kiln-cast glass into many flat and thin shapes. We will start with the basics and help you advance to cast your own objects.

No experience is required. 

This introductory Borosilicate (hard glass) class will cover the basic skills needed to build a solid foundation as a flameworker.  Safety, effective tool use, control of molten glass and manipulating it, and proper seal formation will be the focus. Begin with a solid rod of glass and walk away with solid glass miniature sculptures. From turtles and fish to birds and trees, create a menagerie of imaginative glass figurines. Bring your sketchpad to plan your ideas!

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 clear 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.

CLASS SCHEDULE NOTE: This 4-week class meets twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday. 

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 clear 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.

CLASS SCHEDULE NOTE: This 4-week class meets twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday. 

Learn Flame Shop basics in this 4-week intro course, which gives you the same number of contact hours as our 8-week class. Work with Borosilicate (hard) glass rods, which can be melted, colored, and shaped into decorated beads, pendants, marbles, and sculptures.

Over 4 weeks, focus on hand control, color application, and annealing while receiving one-on-one troubleshooting advice.

CLASS SCHEDULE NOTE: This 4-week class meets twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday. 

Do you have a desire to create an effect in glass but you are not sure how to do it? Maybe you’re inspired by moss, weathered tile pavers, or the patterns on a butterfly’s wing. 

Join this class to test various powder, frit and enamel techniques to get just the right look. You’ll have four weeks to experiment and collaborate with your classmates to generate ideas, share results and work on individualized projects.

Fascinated by the intricacies of colorful glass beads and glass jewelry?

In this introduction to beadmaking, learn the basic skills of heating glass, applying it to a mandrel, and shaping it with tools in just 4 weeks. Plus, learn important decorative techniques, such as dots and trails. You’ll make several different kinds of beads that you can take home!

Learn to work with Borosilicate (hard) glass over the torch. Borosilicate is very resistant to shock which makes it perfectly suited to scientific applications. It's also appropriate for countless artistic projects.

Explore the creation of Borosilicate beads, marbles, and pendants while learning new methods for applying color to your glass objects.

Gain full access to the cold shop's grinders, sanders, lathe, lap wheel, sandblaster and drill presses with expert guidance from our experienced instructors. Learn new techniques and improve upon existing skills to carve, shape, polish and embellish glass.  Make projects of your own design or finish started pieces. Open projects is great for hot glass workers, kiln formers, glass casters, and artists or who want to develop and enhance their skills to finish glass.

Intro to Coldworking, 24 hours of coldworking experience, or instructor permission is required. 

Build on what you learned in Flame 1, continue to develop hand and glass control, learn to effectively multitask, and develop a greater confidence with a variety of techniques. 

Refine your current skills while discovering new skills along the way as you focus on personal projects working with Borosilicate glass.  Both group and one-on-one demonstrations will be provided as students work independently.

Learn the fundamentals of hot glass sculpting in this 4-week course. Using a hot torch, sculpting tools, and by applying bits, you'll create fun and interesting sculptural forms in solid and blown glass.

Hot 1, 24 hours experience or permission of the instructor is required.

Get ready to light your glass up! In this class, you’ll explore stacking readymade glass and using kilnfired enamel as a solder to create your own plasma light sculpture. New to glass? Create your sculpture with found glass vessels like vases, bottles, cups, and bowls. Have some experience in glass making? Bring your own handmade cups or vessels and turn them into plasma sculptures. This class will utilize the equipment in the Cold Shop to cut, drill, and grind your readymade glass. Harness the power of the kiln to fire your work together, and use the plasma cart to fill it with gas. 

Please bring 3 - 4 sets of glasses or vessels to work with. No experience necessary. 

CLASS SCHEDULE NOTE:

This is a 4-week class that meets twice a week for 3 hours. 

Thursdays: 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM AND Saturdays: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Discover a rainbow of options with color-shifting dichroic glass! Learn how to make sparkling fused glass pendants and earrings using a variety of techniques. We’ll also incorporate accessory glass and decals, explore coldworking techniques, and attach findings that turn your one-of-a-kind creations into wearable works of art. No prior jewelry or glass fusing experience is required.

Learn to work with Borosilicate (hard) glass over the torch. Borosilicate is very resistant to shock which makes it perfectly suited to scientific applications. It's also appropriate for countless artistic projects. Explore the creation of Borosilicate beads, marbles, and pendants while learning new methods for applying color to your glass objects.

Start your weekend early with all the fun of an 8-week course in half the time. Explore the Tiffany method of stained glass while creating your very own stained glass panel from a variety of provided patterns. Learn the basic skills of cutting and shaping sheet glass, foiling, and soldering to create a panel you will proudly display.

Class time includes a 30-minute lunch break. 

Learn to work with Borosilicate (hard) glass over the torch. Borosilicate is very resistant to shock which makes it perfectly suited to scientific applications. It's also appropriate for countless artistic projects. Explore the creation of Borosilicate beads, marbles, and pendants while learning new methods for applying color to your glass objects.

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 clear 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.

In this 4-week class, learn how to combine clear and colorful glass into a helical wonder. We will focus primarily on color design and technique so that you can heat up a ball of glass and draw it down into a rod with the diameter and number of twists that you want. We will look at some artistic applications for twisted cane. Then let your creativity run wild. This is a beginner to intermediate class.  

In this 4-week class, learn how to make tiny worlds inside spheres of glass.

Each week you will learn a new color design while honing your basic flameworking skills and getting ever closer to the elusive perfect sphere. Things that you'll learn along the way might include pulling striped cane, clear or color encasement, heat control, and more.

This class is intended for beginners or intermediate flame workers. Join us to advance your technical skills, consider new forms and designs, and hopefully make some friends along the way.

Harness the awesome power of chemical reactions in fused glass to achieve a variety of exciting special effects and color variations. In this class, you will learn which glass colors chemically react with one another and how to control or prevent their reactive effects in your glass work. Chemical reactions in glass fusing can result in a wide range of effects from subtle to dramatic and can be a versatile tool in your glass art idea box. Put your lab coat on and let's start experimenting with glass chemistry!

Learn to work with Borosilicate (hard) glass over the torch. Borosilicate is very resistant to shock which makes it perfectly suited to scientific applications. It's also appropriate for countless artistic projects. Explore the creation of Borosilicate beads, marbles, and pendants while learning new methods for applying color to your glass objects.

Move beyond the basic cup shape to create other hot glass forms. This class is highly recommended if you have taken Hot 1 and/or Hot 2 and now seek to hone and expand your skill set.

Hot 1, 24 hours experience, or permission from the instructor is required.

Beer always tastes better in a handmade glass. The glass is an important part of the enjoyment of the drinking experience. The shape of the glass can allow you to savor the taste and complexities of any beverage. Learn how to make the perfect beer glass.

Join us for an evening with Necromancer Brewing. Talk with the brewer, taste the beers, watch how the perfect glass is created and then make your own glass. Pre-registration required. $80 per person.  Ages 21+

Make your own distinctive glass goblet in this unique two-day multi-studio workshop. On the first night, work with instructors in the Hot Shop to gather, color, and shape molten glass from the 2,100°F furnace into your goblet’s foot and stem. On the second night, work with instructors in the Cold Shop to etch and sandblast a pre-made top in a way that makes your vessel truly unique. Then, learn to cut, glue, and assemble your pieces so that they become an amazing and functional goblet.

In this Hot Shop class, basic glassblowing foundation skills will be covered however, the unique properties of glass will be explored to achieve unique possibilities in the Hot Shop. You will be pushed to think outside the glass bubble and be inspired by the properties of fire, fluidity, and the reflective qualities of glass. Glass will be used in a fun, creative yet inviting way to create one-of-a-kind sculptures, 2d prints, and video clips to explore the inspiration and new possibilities in the Hot Shop. 

Once basics are introduced and achieved, you will be given props, supplies, and a timeline to drive, explore, and create in a fun and unique way. You should be comfortable with the idea of being curious, flexible, and spontaneous in a Hot Shop where fire, heat, and cracked glass will be seen as tools and not just results of failure. 

In this comprehensive class, you will learn the fundamentals of hollow sculpting in Borosilicate glass at the torch in order to design plasma lighting. We will cover shaping, texture, and proper seals in order to make simple and complex sculptures. Sculpting techniques will include abstract and figurative forms. Learn to add and design around the electrode and filling tube.  

We will cover advanced topics like encasements, inclusions of phosphor, and jacketing as well as problems and design challenges presented by this method of working. Once your glass vessel is complete and checked for leaks, we will put our pieces under vacuum and fill them with noble gasses!  

Class time will alternate between demonstration, discussion, and plenty of work time.  

You are encouraged but not required to utilize the evening open studio. On the last day, we will light up all of our work and have our own private plasma show. You should come to class with a sketchbook and plenty of ideas. Reference photos are encouraged for you with specific ideas you’d like to pursue. Experience working with hollow glass tubes is required. 

Despite its elaborate name, pâte de verre is a phenomenal way to learn about kiln working and mold making. French for "paste of glass," pâte de verre is an excellent introduction to firing temperatures, glass behavior, mold making, and kilnforming! 

This class will begin with colorful bas relief tiles and expand into 3 dimensional objects. Through granulated glass we will explore color application, texture, and shape. This class will also cover the use of alginate, a mold material that will allow you to take found objects and transform them into glass. Pâte de verre is well suited for small sculptural objects so bring your sketchbook, ideas, and items and let's get to work!  

While the instructor may not be present in the evenings, you will have access to the classroom after dinner and will be able to continue to work on projects if you choose. There will be a thorough introduction to the classroom on the first day so that you will feel comfortable working independently. Additionally, firing schedules and program writing will be examined so that when you leave you can continue to work with confidence. 

Pâte de verre requires kiln firings. You should expect your final works to be out of the kiln late Friday or early Saturday.  

No prior knowledge of glass is required for this class and beginners are welcome. More advanced students may also find a great deal of interest in the topics covered.  

Your instructor will demonstrate how to create blown vessels by making and stuffing cups and then layering color through a variety of techniques. The final objects will then get carved in the Cold Shop.  

Through examples of layering color in stuffed cups or using the Swedish overlay technique, and applying them to graal, cane, or straight into vessel study, this class will open your practice up to layering and revealing colorant in a variety of themes. 

Demonstrations will include layering color bar. You should consider coming with a few healthy chunks of color for experiments. You will ideally need to have more than a beginner understanding of glassblowing in order to translate forms into goals with layered color.  

Coldworking and then finishing techniques will be demonstrated but you should not expect to leave with finished Battuto and then polished work.  

Eric’s work in the class and demonstrations will all be reflective of his work in large scale vessel study with abstracted Italian Battuto. 

Demonstrations will be 9am – noon, and then blow time will be available for you to work through techniques.  

This course will focus on utilizing Borosilicate glass at the torch, as we delight in the details of sculpting objects. We will spend the week objectifying objects, by breaking forms down into the sum of their parts, and recreating the objects of our desire in glass.  

Instruction and demonstrations will cover basic flameworking techniques: rod construction, bridging, armatures, solid sculpting, and a taste of non-vessel sculptural tube working will round out our week. Together we will work through project ideas from planning and construction right down to final touches and embellishments.  

Time will be allotted for demonstrations-on-demand, class discussion, and problem solving. Feel free to bring a few drawings, sketches, and/or objects that resonate with and inspire you. Your objects may vary in scale from miniature to life-size, from the majestic to the mundane. 

Demos and assisted work time will occur between 9am-5pm, and there is plenty of time to continue working and see demos-on-demand in the evening open studio hours.  

Open studio hours are available to help you with specific project goals and demonstration requests that go beyond the scope of class time. Though this intensive may be geared towards a beginner or interme

This class encompasses all aspects of making a stained glass panel, from design and production, to mounting the work in a 10-by-10-inch frame illuminated with LED lighting.  

Many samples will be made in class, and one frame with LED lights will be provided to each student to professionally display their artwork. Techniques covered include painting, pen-and-ink drawing, air brushing and atomizing with enamels, sand blasting, mounting and lighting. Prepared silk screens will be provided by the instructor for you to print with in class.  

We use premixed enamel paints which are added to the surface of the glass, kiln fired, copper foiled, and soldered. You don’t have to be professional artist. You can bring existing images and trace them on glass. 

Included is a Marketing for Artists lecture. It presents an organized, stress free, marketing for artists plan, resulting in better sales of your art. Joseph worked as an art director at GQ, People and Good Housekeeping magazines, where he gained insight from editors on marketing.  

Also included is Joseph’s Advice on Art Residencies lecture. Joseph has attended 15 artist residencies. In this lecture he will share tips and advice on choosing a residency, and show photos from some of his favorite past residencies. 

Teaching from 9am-5pm with open studio hours from 6-10pm. You should bring inspirational resources such as sketches or found images to use in the final panel. Design themes can be based on a favorite fable, book, movie, or themes of past work that you would like to continue in glass.  

Items be out of the kiln by 3 pm Friday. diate student, please know that all skill levels are welcome! 

This class is an introduction to the emerging artistic medium known as plasma light art. We will combine the fundamentals of physics and furnace glassblowing to create illuminated glass sculptures. The proverbial lightning in a bottle! 

There is something magical about this process of making light, and by producing light through the use of electrified gases we create an invitation for play as it responds to your proximity and touch. If you think this is neon, you will be surprised how different this will be. Plasma light art is an evolving and experimental art form. If this sounds interesting, then I invite you to come join us. 

Hot glassblowing has always been a collaborative art making process. This class requires some basic hot glass skills and an open mind prone to misdirection. So, it’s important that you are comfortable working in the Hot Shop and working with a partner. This means you have a working knowledge of glassblowing fundamentals, while you may need some guidance here or there, and the ability to work through independent ideas with coaching and demonstration.  

We will cover the fundamentals for creating a vacuum tight vessel using various hot glass techniques and shaping methods, discuss guidelines on form and structure, design considerations, and preparing your sculptures to be filled.  

Expect to make use of open studio time, as our class time will start with demonstration, practice exercises, lecture/discussion, and giving as much work time as possible. When you include having to fill our sculptures with gas, we will need all the time the class has to offer! 

A list of easy to digest resources will be available to help you prepare on taminglightning.net called Plasma Primer: Learning Resource for Students, Co-learners, and Educators. 

Sculpt with hollow and solid techniques using Borosilicate glass in this one-week class. There will be a focus on animal life and human forms. Small scale work and larger scale multi-piece assemblage will be covered.  

We will start each day with a demo that will last until at least lunch time. After lunch you will have the rest of the day to work on your desired projects with the instructors help. Your instructors can do further demos each day if requested. Come with a sketch book of ideas to explore and we will make it happen! If you are interested in animal life, bring photos or small-scale models from a craft store or hardware store. Your instructors will have some color available for you to use but if you have favorites, bring them.  

We will cover a variety of color applications and their impact on sculpting. We will cover all levels of sculpting from simple to complex. No matter what your skill level is, you will have plenty to work on and leave with buckets of knowledge!  

Apply imagery to glass for added visual and conceptual impact. We'll explore a variety of techniques that can be applied to any discipline from stained glass to glassblowing. Come away with components to include in your next project as well as a large fused and slumped collage plate incorporating your images.  

This is a 9am-5pm class with additional evening studio time available. Susan will teach a variety of imagery-on-glass options including sandblasting resist, silk screen with enamels and powders, painting by hand, and high fire decals. You can use your own photographs (digital and printed,) or non-copy righted images from magazines or the internet. Basic knowledge of Photoshop Elements is a huge plus, as well as bringing your own laptop. If those assets are not available to you, assistance will be provided at PGC. Projects will be ready to take with you by 3pm Friday.  

Consider using your new knowledge and components from this class and stay an additional week for Susan's June 19-23 class, Sewing Glass with Susan. 

This class will be a perfect jumping off point for anyone that wishes to start working with cane, a technique that enables you to add color, stripes, and pattern to the glass. Proper glassblowing skills such as gathering, blocking, and marvering will be a primary focus in order to establish a solid foundation to build your cane technique. 

Our goal will be to work as a synchronized team to learn to pull cane, pick up cane on a bubble, and make a finished vessel from your patterns. This will be supplemented with smaller “quickie“ projects that can be easily accomplished with cane in the glass studio. 

You will have access to the glassblowing studio in the evenings for extra practice time. 

Students in this class should have two or more years of experience working in a hot glass studio, be able to comfortably take two or more gathers of glass, and have experience working with color rod and taking a color overlay. 

Come and learn to squeeze all the juice out of your rollers and pick up a really fun way to work with Borosilicate. In this class we will cover all the ways to heat and shape without leaving the roller. We'll learn to contain and control variables by heating, blowing, and shaping without leaving the roller. This way we can make larger and cleaner shapes with less effort, saving energy, and retaining our focus throughout the day. Cones, spheres, cylinders, cups, bowls, Dewar seals, and jacketed vessels will be just some of what we cover in this class.  

The most important function of a good roller is to center objects, but what else can they do? This approach to hollow shaping Boro is an amalgamation of Hot Shop and Flameworking techniques. As such, soft glass artists who are transitioning to the torch are also encouraged to enroll.  

Cups, goblets, flared feet, beakers, hot-popping, double walled vessels, bridging, function building, and encapsulation of sculptures will be covered along with whatever else we have time for. Advanced turning styles like the crawl and the walk back will be covered in depth.  

Rollers will be provided for the duration of the class and will be available for purchase afterwards. But if you have a roller that you like, please bring it.  

There will be open studio time between demos Monday-Thursday and demos all Friday morning before clean up. Torches are available for students but I encourage you to bring your own if you are able. Blow hoses are also encouraged and we will discuss ways to make them less cumbersome. Bring your sketchbooks! 

By heating, blowing, and shaping mostly on the roller we can maintain better posture with less fatigue. I believe this approach can help us work larger without injury and longer into our lifetime.  

Learn to sew glass with Susan Taylor Glasgow. Susan will reveal the engineering and intricacies of sewing glass. You will explore a series of projects from small to large, learning the techniques involved creating sewn glass sculptural objects. Basic glass cutting skills are required.  

This is a 9am-5pm class with additional evening studio time available. You will start small, learning the technique, and end having constructed a 3-D sculptural house. Three projects will be completed. You will be able to bring your projects home at the end of the class. Consider taking Susan's Imagery On Glass class the week before to incorporate imagery into your sewn glass!  

Teens in grades 6–12 take over Pittsburgh Glass Center in this intensive class. This one-week summer program introduces the science and art of glass to teens. It gives students the rare hands-on experience of learning the many facets of glass in one of the top facilities in the country. Sessions will include glassblowing, flameworking, kilnforming, and coldworking.

Scholarship Application Deadline: June 1.  APPLY ONLINE

In this class we will focus on skill building through repetition. We will be creating systems to manage the material and build a tool arsenal that you can use for your career!

Repetition for Efficiency 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 briefly covered, but this course will mainly focus on blowing glass accurately and efficiently and being able to repeat that process. 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.  

This class will use basic techniques and tools to practice a wide variety of blown forms. We will keep things simple and manageable until we have consistent results. The goal will be to amass dozens of forms of various shapes and scale and then assemble them at random to create new and intriguing finished objects. 

We will focus mainly on blowing forms. We'll start slow, and practice thoroughly until we have consistent results and can get shapes, we demand rather than what just kind of happens. We will keep things pretty simple at the bench, not too many tools and not too many crutches. We will pull points from tubing and use diamond shears, jacks, paddles, punties, and claw tools to shape and assemble. 

One of the goals will be to stack up dozens of bubbles of differing thickness, shape, size, and color. We will then assemble multiple bubbles together to create intriguing unplanned objects. Aspects of design might randomly include beauty, the golden mean, symmetry, or ugly, unusual, and odd proportions.  

Using sketches, critique, and class dialogue we will sort through everything, make edits, and come up with the next big thing.  

We will have class from 9am to 5pm and practice time in the evenings. Nobody will fall behind.  

To get the juices flowing, we’ll start by looking at some visual resources such as paintings, photos, prints, patterns. Some will be provided by the instructor, some you are encouraged to bring, and some we will find and make along the way. Then we’ll explore some strategies and practices to access design not in our heads, but in our hands. 

We will focus on making 2-dimensional work, multiples of mostly 4” x 4”, by trying different techniques with sheet, frits, powders, and stringers while considering all the things we love about working with glass. Then we will fire, rework, and refire. We will apply some simple practices of addition and reduction such as exercising control or inviting randomness, cutting some samples up to reconfigure them, impacting, and fine tuning the forming ideas to make them better.  

In the process you’ll collect a series of samples, building a stock of work to edit or group to be featured in several finished pieces. You'll make at least one triptych or diptych using a framing format shaped with thick fiber paper. One sample will serve as a lid for a small box we will also make. And you'll take the remaining samples with you to further explore at home. 

Solid glass cutting skills are required.  

Students in grades 6–12 take over Pittsburgh Glass Center in this intensive class. This one-week summer program introduces the science and art of glass to teens. It gives students the rare hands-on experience of learning the many facets of glass in one of the top facilities in the country. Sessions will include glassblowing, flameworking, kilnforming, and coldworking.

Scholarship Application Deadline: June 1.  APPLY ONLINE