Workshop Dates

Monday, June 2, 2025 - Friday, August 8, 2025

(9:00am–4:00pm)

This extraordinary workshop is one-of-a-kind!

Young artists, ages 9–19, learn a wide array of innovative techniques and skills in:

• Glassblowing
• Metal Sculpture & Welding
• Mosaics
• Glass Torchworking/Flameworking
• Architectural Sculpture
• Ceramics
• Kiln Fired Glass

All students design and execute their own projects under the assistance of our faculty, of whom all are master-craftsmen in their respective fields.

TWO WEEK SESSION (June 1 - June 12)

(Ages 10–19)

In our first two-week long session, students spend quality time in Glassblowing on the hot shop floor learning the basic concepts of designing and executing projects in hot glass. The excitement continues in our additional studios, with Metal Sculpture & Welding, Glass Torchworking/Flameworking, Mosaics, Ceramics, and Architectural Sculpture. Students are always encouraged to create multimedia projects.

WEEKLY SESSIONS (June 15 - August 7)

(Ages 9–19)

Students can sign up for one, two, three, or more weeks, building their skills at their own pace. and no two weeks are the same. Each week they will increase their skill-level as they advance. We will offer the same studios as in the three-week session, excepting only Glassblowing which will be replaced with Kiln Fired Glass.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact our offices for an information packet.

Essential Information

Our 2026 Summer Technical Workshop dates posted below.

Ages

Young adults, ages 10–19 for Weeks 1–2; all remaining weeks ages 9–19.

Program Dates

Important Dates

Week 5 (June 29-July 2) is a prorated week due to the July 4th holiday and must be taken with a consecutive week, either before or after.

Hours

Monday through Friday, 9am–4pm.

Lunch

Students recess for lunch every day, 11am–12 noon. Students are required to bring lunch each day, or make arrangements as otherwise noted. For convenience, Glassworks makes available a refrigerator, toaster oven, and microwave.

Additionally, all students must bring a water bottle, labeled with his or her respective name. Cold, filtered water is made available free-of-charge for refilling bottles throughout the day.

Before & After Care

Before and after care are offered Monday through Friday in one-hour increments, namely 8am–9am, as well as 4pm–5pm (or 6pm). Before & Aftercare reservations MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE.

Studio Descriptions

Venetian Glassblowing & Sculpture

Available Three-Week Session only.

Available to young adults enrolled in our three-week session, students undertake fundamentals of European glassblowing, glass casting, and glass sculpture. This workshop is designed to enable students to incorporate glass designs into other forms of media, whether print, metal, kinetic sculpture, or other, culminating in multimedia final projects.

Glass Torchworking/Flameworking

Skills used in torchworking – also know as flameworking or lampworking – are commensurate with those employed in glassblowing, and scientific torchworking is a prerequisite for chemistry. Flameworking is the process by which colored glass rod (or "cane") is manipulated using heat from a single table-top torch, as seen frequently in chemistry labs. Students undergo a comprehensive introduction to beadmaking, learning basic methods for manipulating small sculptures on steel rods (called "mandrels"), advancing brilliant and complex color patterns. As students build their confidence and skills, they can begin to create pendants and figures.

Metal Sculpture & Welding

Students are immersed into the art of metal engineering and creative design through welding. Study includes fabrication of armatures and sculpted structures using welding, cutting, bending, and the finishing of metal—utilizing principles of kinetics and motion. Students are encouraged to combine creations executed in glass and print into respective metal sculpture projects. As skill levels increase, students develop projects in the vein of wall hangings, outdoor metal sculpture, creative light fixtures, and glass/metal end tables.

Ceramic Sculpture

Using red earthenware clay, students will learn hand-building techniques to form a wide variety of items, from vessels to whimsical sculptures. Contingent only on individual creativity and problem-solving, students conceive, execute, and fire their own works of art, which can be wall-mounted or placed in a home or garden.

Mosaics

Traditional grout-method mosaics, using glass and other found mediums. Students will be encouraged to create ceramics, metal and glass items to incorporate into their larger mosaic projects. Students who attend multiple weeks will have the opportunity to create a mosaic top for their metal table frame.

Architectural Sculpture & Float Building

Students learn basics for designing simple structures, and then how to build upon such knowledge by way of manipulating paper in pursuance of structural formations with paper mache. Three-dimensional forms will emerge as students work towards sculpting life-size forms, to be completed by the end of each student's session and available for taking home.

Kiln Fired Glass

Traditional fused and slumping technique. Students will have the opportunity to create 2- and 3-dimensional projects within the kilns. Discussion will include instruction on how to mix media within this contex.