Penland Glass Workshops

Workshops are open to serious students of all levels unless specified in course description; beginners welcome.

Kenny Pieper, Satin Blue Goblet Study #2, blown

glass, wood, 46 x 34 x 6 in.

This class will focus on traditional and not-so-traditional techniques for making goblets, filigrana, and whatever else comes up. There will be daily demonstrations. Discussions will cover form, color, and technical issues. Intermediate/advanced level: students should have a solid base in the practice of off-hand blowing. Code 02GA

Studio artist; former Penland studio coordinator; teaching: Espace Verre (Montreal), Corning Studio (NY), Cleveland Institute of Art; exhibitions: Kuivato Gallery (AZ), Redsky Gallery (NC), Glass Symphony (OR), Habatat Gallery (FL), Green Hill Center (NC); collections: Corning Museum (NY), Asheville Museum (NC), New Orleans Museum, New Bedford Museum of Glass (MA).

Cynthia Fisher, Spawing Salmon, stained, vitreous,

and mirrored glass, unglazed porcelain, 40 x 54 in.

Contemporary mosaic artists still base their work on an understanding of Roman laying patterns. This class will cover that information along with several methods of mosaic assembly, with a focus on the indirect method. We will cover materials, tools, substrates, color, and how tile shape creates visual texture. Students will make one large or several small works. We can delve into any and all mosaic topics depending on student interest. All levels. Code 02GB

Studio artist; teaching: Snow Farm (MA), Peters Valley (NJ), Worcester Art Museum (MA); 2011 Orsoni Prize honorable mention (Venice, Italy), Best in Show award at Art of Mosaic, 2009 (MA); commissions: Christa McAuliffe Planetarium (NH), University of Maine, Laconia District Court (NH), Children’s Hospital (Boston), Maine Arts Commission, Shrewsbury Public Library (MA), St. Vincent Carmel Hospital (IN), Memorial Medical Center (MA), Rogers School (AR).

2nd Session also includes Crafting Memory, Dreaming History: Writing from Experience, a special writing workshop with Sharona Muir.

Masahiro Asaka, Surge 1, cast glass, cold worked,

17 x 17 x 21 in.

This class will introduce students to innovative glass casting techniques, including the use of clay and Styrofoam to make positives, refractory mold-making techniques, and firing and annealing schedules for both simple and complex forms. Then we will move to the cold shop where students will learn cutting, carving, and surface treatment techniques, including reductive sculpting approaches using hand-held tools and horizontal and vertical grinding machines. We will challenge traditional ideas about casting and coldwork, with innovative approaches facilitating creative expression. All levels. Code 03GA

Studio artist; teaching: Australian National University, Jam Factory (Australia); Ranamok Glass Prize (Australia/New Zealand); exhibitions: Lesley Kehoe Galleries (Australia), Canberra Glassworks (Australia), Jame Factory (Australia), Traver Gallery (WA), SOFA Chicago; collections: National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, Palm Springs Art Museum (CA).

Jeremy Lepisto, Simple Structure, kiln-formed glass,

4 x 34-1/2 x 3-1/2 in.

This class is a structured approach to the process of constructing kiln-formed projects. Along with rough sketches and small models, students will produce material samples to explore the possible ways to construct and best represent their desired intent with kilnformed glass. Fusing, tack firing, slumping and cold fabrication processes will be covered and accompanied by lectures, presentations and demonstrations. Beginning/intermediate level. Code 03GB

Studio artist; co-founder of Studio Ramp, LLC, a custom kiln-forming fabrication studio that translates the designs of artists and architects into glass; teacher of workshops in U.S. and internationally; worked in production, research, and education at Bullseye Glass (Seattle).

3rd Session also includes Sound and Light for Things, a special sound and lighting workshop with Shawn Decker.

Stephen Dee Edwards, Orange Wedge, cast glass,

steel, 12 x 36 x 4 in.

Please join me in an aqueous journey with hot glass. This class will focus on using hot glass to make objects from the sea. We will blow glass, bend glass, and poke glass until it feels and looks just right. I will teach you everything you need to have a cool time with hot glass this summer at Penland. All levels. Code 04GA

Professor emeritus from Alfred University; exhibitions: Telfair Museum (GA), National Liberty Museum (Philadelphia), Gregg Museum of Art and Design (NC); collections: Renwick Gallery (DC), Corning Museum (NY), Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art (Japan), Tittot Museum (Taiwan), Min Museums (NC), Musée des Arts Decoratifs (Switzerland), Glasmuseet Ebeltoft (Denmark).

Eunsuh Choi, Aspiration,

flameworked borosilicate

glass, 28 x 3-1/2 x 130 in.

This class will focus on building a foundation for making large-scale, flameworked glass sculpture. The class will cover structural and design analysis and introduce students to the networking technique. We will work with thin solid rods, and most of the time will be spent developing designs and working on your own projects. With a focus on concept and technical skills, we will push ideas from the sketchbook onto the torch. Intermediate level: basic flameworking skills required. Code 04GB

Studio artist; teaching: Pittsburgh Glass Center, Hongik University (Korea), Studio 34 (NY); residencies: Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pilchuck (WA); collections: Corning Museum (NY), Cafesjian Foundation (Armenia); publications: Sculpture, NICHE, 500 Rings (Lark Books).

Jason Chakravarty, Tobacconaut, blown,

sculpted, and etched glass, neon, wood

This class will focus on illuminating nontraditional neon pieces including sculpted forms created in the hot shop, commercial vessels, and found vessels. Students will gain an understanding of noble gases such as neon, argon, and krypton. Demonstrations will include effects created by different forms, gas pressure, and gas usage. Students will leave with gas-filled glass forms that can be illuminated. Intermediate level: basic hot glass skills required. We will not be covering gathering or other beginning glass techniques. Code 05GA

Studio artist; worked for four years in a traditional neon sign shop before beginning illuminate hot-shop forms in 2002; workshop teaching: Pittsburgh Glass Center, UrbanGlass (NYC), and many universities; representation: Riley Gallery (Cleveland), Pismo Contemporary Art Glass (Denver), Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery (Pittsburgh), K. Allen Gallery (WI).

Marc VandenBerg, Wildebeest Spirit Vessel, blown,

lampworked and hot sculpted glass, 18 x 6 x 6 in.

This class will focus on sculpting solid forms from soft glass, including, but not limited to, figures, animals, and insects. We will address important issues in working with soft glass, including heat control, bit size, thermal shock, creating objects through preplanned steps, and using the annealer as a garage. We will address objects that can be completed in one sitting versus annealing and working off cold “leads.” The format will be open to student suggestions and collaborations. All levels. Code 05GB

Production glassblower, shop manager, and designer at The Henry Ford Museum (MI); teaching: Michigan Glass Project, Toledo Museum; exhibitions: Kittrell Riffkind Gallery (TX), Saginaw Art Museum (MI), The Works (Philadelphia), SOFA Chicago.

Peter Ivy, Picnic Drink Set, glass,

copper, bamboo

Younobi–a sense of appreciation, order, or reason derived from interaction with a necessary object. How does it feel when it’s put to your lips? How does it clothe its contents or punctuate the table? Does it invite use? Does it reference its own making? Is it too much? Or is it just enough? This class will focus on the overlap of function and the inherent beauty of the blowing process. We will cover many shapes, from simple stemware to lids and plates, with an emphasis on getting the shapes to look clean. We will work to develop pace, rhythm, and a methodical, disciplined process. All levels, but basic hot glass skills are recommended. Code 06GA

Studio artist focused on designing and crafting tableware; teaching: Massachusetts College of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Aichi University (Japan), Pilchuck (WA), Haystack (ME), Niijima Glass School (Japan). NOTE: Instructor Peter Ivy speaks fluent Japanese and welcomes Japanese students.

Jennifer Umphress,

Conspicuous,

flameworked glass,

23 x 8 x 3 in.

This class will concentrate on the fundamentals of solid borosilicate sculpture with a focus on sealife imagery. Students will learn basic sculpting skills to build a strong foundation for their work. They will then work with these foundation elements to create complex forms from simple components. We will also discuss solutions for finishing and displaying the work. Finally, we will move beyond the technical to help students find their personal voice within the framework of their art. All levels. Code 06GB

Studio artist; teaching: Glass Corner (Netherlands), Pittsburgh Glass Center, demonstrations throughout Japan; Pilchuck (WA) residency; NICHE award, Glasscraft emerging artist award; exhibitions: Hodgell Gallery (FL), Morgan Gallery (PA), Vetri Gallery (WA), Kobe Lampwork Museum (Japan), Morgan Contemporary Glass (Pittsburgh), Pilchuck glass auctions (Seattle), Kitrell/Riffkind Art Glass (Dallas).

Jeff Mack, Dinosaurs, glass

This class will focus on building skills at the furnace. It is for students who wish to gain a foundation in traditional vessel-forming technique, nurturing their craft practice with an eye toward enhancing the sophistication and complexity or refining the simplicity of their designs and concepts for glass. Techniques will include basic and complex vessel forming, bit application, goblet making, and selective color application including cane work. Intermediate level: basic hot glass skills required. Code 07GA

Head of the glass studio at Toledo Museum of Art; teaching: College for Creative Studies (Detroit), Michigan Hot Glass Workshop (Detroit); Ox-Bow (MI); collections: Corning Museum (NY), Detroit Institute of the Arts, Toledo Museum, Henry Ford Museum (MI).

Joe Peters, Octopus Coral Reef,

flameworked glass, 13 x 24 in.

Bring your imagination to life through flameworked glass. We will make human forms, animals, plants, and aquatic life. Using borosilicate glass, we will explore sculptural techniques, the use of color, and both solid and hollow forms. Students will begin with small-scale projects and then progress to assembling larger sculptures. If you choose to bring a design with you, I’ll guide you through the processes needed to get a finished product.

Studio artist; teaching: Snow Farm (MA); 2011 and 2012 NICHE awards; representation: Corning Museum Gallery (NY), Monterey Bay Aquarium (CA), Pismo Gallery (CO), Hodgell Gallery (FL), Dane Gallery (MA).

7th Session also includes Business Time, a special business practice workshop with Phil Sanders.

Matthew Szosz, untitled(inflatable)

no.39, fused and inflated window

glass, 12 x 9 x 7-1/2 inches

This workshop is for students interested in combining the skills and work ethic of the craft tradition with an open-minded and innovative approach to the act of making. We’ll invent, experiment, learn, and experiment again to arrive at a destination not visible from the starting point. Students will use the hot shop, cold shop, kilns, and moldmaking facilities. Glass will be our primary material, but we’ll define “material” as broadly as possible. Sheet and tube glass, found objects, and manufactured multiples are all fair game, and students may choose to focus on intangible themes, such as optics, light, or fragility. All levels. Code F00GA

Studio artist; residencies in U.S., Australia, Japan, Denmark; Jutta Cuny-Franz and Tiffany Foundation awards; 40 under 40 exhibition at Renwick Gallery (DC); founder of Hyperopia Projects for the promotion of experimental and cross-genre work.

Rachel Rader, Her Majesty’s Necklace,

flameworked glass, polymer clay, coral,

Austrian crystal, pearls, wool,

2-1/2 x 9 x 13 inches

We’ll explore the strengths and weaknesses of glass as a material for adornment. Working in the flameworking studio, we’ll create wearable forms in borosilicate glass. We’ll also make structures such as glass chain and beads that can be used as elements in larger pieces and can be combined with materials other than glass. My biggest inspiration is the bounty of nature, so we’ll walk the campus to sketch, take pictures, and collect samples. We’ll put our work together with cold connections and ingenuity. The workshop will be an adventure in crossing boundaries and questioning the perceptions of glass. All levels. Code F01GB

Studio artist; teaching: Pratt Fine Arts Center (WA), Schack Art Center (WA); Artist Trust Fellowship (WA); exhibitions: Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Hodgell Gallery (FL); solo show: Pratt Fine Arts Center (WA).

David Licata, Red Glass

Ladyslipper (detail),

flameworked borosilicate glass

Working from the forms of nature, students in this workshop will learn to break down intricate shapes into understandable visual components. Using borosilicate glass, we’ll cover assemblage and sculpting at the torch. We’ll also cover finishing and coldworking techniques and the use of found objects. This workshop is for anyone who wants to spend a week being inspired by nature and the beauty of Penland and translate that inspiration into glass objects. All levels. Code F03GB

Studio artist; teaching: Peters Valley (NJ), Brookfield Craft Center (CT), Wayne Community College (Detroit); exhibitions: SOFA Chicago and New York, Snyderman Gallery (PA), “Talente 09” (Munich), Blue Door Gallery (NY).

Amy Rueffert, Apple (Patchwork

Variety), blown and fused glass,

decals, found glass,

11-1/2 x 5 x 5 inches

Hungry? This workshop will be a smorgasbord of traditional and alternative glass techniques beginning with blowing, cutting, grinding, gluing, smashing, building, and fusing. Through experimentation, exploration, and teamwork mixed with practice, patience, and hard work, we’ll find personal connections to the visual and physical properties of glass as we realize our ideas. The balance of skill and concept will be a theme throughout, with demonstration and discussions of my process and those of visiting artists. In the words of Auntie Mame, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” Let’s eat! All levels, but some hot glass experience will be helpful. Code S00GA

Studio artist; teaching: The Studio at Corning (NY), Pilchuck (WA), The Glass Lab at MIT (MA), Haystack (ME), San Jose State University (CA); collections: Corning Museum (NY), Tacoma Museum of Glass (WA), Glasmuseet Ebeltoft (Denmark).

Sally Prasch, Blown Away, glass,

20 x 10 inches

This workshop will combine artistic and scientific flameworking techniques to create functional and sculptural glass pieces. Through demonstrations and lots of individual instruction, students will find personal expression through ideas, form, and color. We’ll also use the mighty Penland glass lathe to make shapes that can become part of larger pieces. Bring ideas and plan to work hard and have fun. All levels. Code S02GB

Studio artist and scientific glassblower; teaching: Pilchuck (WA), Niijima Glass Center (Japan), Urban Glass (NYC), Worcester Center for Crafts (MA); exhibitions: More Fire Glass Studio (NY), Brattleboro Museum (MA), Exhibit A (NY), Mint Museum of Craft + Design (NC).