Pollack Glass Studio and Gallery
We finally have our building permits! We only had to jump through a few hoops and now we can begin construction on the existing property. There is still a lot to do before we can put a glass studio in there. It's definitely a small part of this much larger project.
The existing front and rear additions have already been removed, as has all of the siding and flooring. They have to reinforce the old chain wall and make it sturdy enough to support an entire second floor where we will have two additional rental units. This weekend they finished all of the forming of the earth for the foundation. Now they can put in steel reinforcement and pour a ton of concrete very soon.
We will predominately be offering classes in torch or flame-worked glass techniques. This means we will be sculpting and blowing glass rods and tubing with a torch. Starting with beads and solid glass sculpture, then moving into more advanced hollow techniques. This is different than the furnace blown glass, as you may have seen before in person or on TV. We will also host guest artists and teachers and have classes in other techniques, such as, cold-working and stained glass and enameling.
The nice part about working on a torch is that it is an efficient way to work with glass. Glass is not the most efficient material to work with to begin with. It requires a lot of heat and therefore energy to melt. With torch or flame-worked glass we can melt the glass as we go. If we used a furnace we would have to keep the glass continuously molten at 2300 degrees, 24/7. This is a hotter, more expensive, and less efficient way of working.
While we will offer a variety of one-day classes, we will also have a specific curriculum that will lead to a good foundation of habits, skills, and knowledge. The one day classes will be offered at a variety of skill levels but will include beads, buttons, pendants, marbles, animals, sculpture, kinetic sculpture, blowing things like ornaments, goblets, etc... We can also cater to groups for parties or team building exercises. Age range is going to depend on what the insurance company says.
In my next blog post I will give you an update on the construction progress and discuss what we will be doing for those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of glass over time. Andrew has been teaching art and glass for over 20 years and has a general curriculum that, if followed, will teach good habits and build a good foundation from the beginning and lead to success in glass over time. See you then!