Glass workshop adds fall pumpkins to its DIY menu
Photo by Rachel Pressley
In the heart of the River Arts District, two garage doors at the North Carolina Glass Center are thrown open. A jewel-toned mural evokes the blue flame and orange molten glass visitors will find inside. The soft hums and hisses of torches and the furnace mix with laughter and conversation.
Inside, artists wield small torches in the flame shop, or use breath and the furnace to shape larger pieces in the hot shop. A gallery features more than 40 artists. And every day, from 10-6, visitors over age 11 can work with these artists to make their own pieces, either by appointment or by grabbing open slots. The Center, a nonprofit, employs an eclectic group of 20 glass artists to host these events, from those with a lifetime of experience to younger emerging artists.
Kathryn Adams, operations director, says these 30-minute make-your-own events are the most popular of the Center’s offerings — largely because they level the playing field. “If you’re a kid participating, and your parents are participating, no one’s ever done it before and everyone’s having a brand-new experience.” People often use these events to anchor a day in the RAD, she adds, stopping between galleries to make a piece, then heading for a meal or a beer afterwards.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
Attendees who are at least 11 can choose between making a pendant, icicle ornament, or marble in the flame shop, and those over 13 can decide between crafting a paperweight, drinking glass, or ornament in the hot shop. In addition to these objects, visitors this fall can opt to make a glass pumpkin. Aspiring glass artisans choose their colors and make design choices while learning general principles, and instructors insure that everyone has a piece to take home.
Adams says she loves to watch people’s reactions to their own work. (Items must be picked up the next day or mailed, since they have to cool down from 2,000 degrees.) It’s fascinating, she explains, to watch them touch the cooled pieces for the first time. Often, they see colors and patterns that weren’t there the day before.
And in her experience, people often take the most delight in objects they can use. “Some will literally make a cup, and when they pick it up the next day, they’ll go across the street to the Wedge and drink a beer out of it.”
Photo by Rachel Pressley
The North Carolina Glass Center is located at 140-C Roberts St., River Arts District, Asheville. The 30-minute sessions are $50. Pumpkins are $80. For more information, see ncglasscenter.org.