Glass Studio: So Hot, It's Cool

Free Demonstrations Daily

We present free daily demonstrations from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday through Sunday, what we call The Hot Lunch Special. There's something seductive about molten glass being transformed into beautiful, delicate art, so grab a sandwich and stop by. Seating is first-come, first-served.

If lunchtime doesn't work for your schedule, remember that we present two extra glass art demonstrations every Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m.

Visiting Artist Series

Eight internationally acclaimed artists will be visiting our Studio over the course of this year. They will be presenting free demonstrations and teaching classes, and you can get all the details here. As part of each visit, we'll be running a special exhibition of their work across the street in the Museum.

If you're new to the glass world, you may not have heard of the first three artists (Benjamin Moore, Dante Marioni or Janusz Pozniak), but make no mistake. In glass circles, they are rock stars. Just look at the beauty of their work. Their exhibition opens Jan. 27, and they'll be in town beginning Feb. 29.

What To Expect On Your First Visit

A hot, flaming, smoking thrill that you can read all about right here. We can also recommend a wonderful overview of the Glass Studio via Norfolk News Now that you can see on YouTube. Our feature starts at the 0:30 mark.

What You've Missed So Far

We've had some impressive demonstrations and performances since our grand opening last November. You can check out some photo highlights here and catch some YouTube videos here.

Classes and Workshops

We make it easy to learn the art of glass. From Wednesday night introductory classes to two-hour teasers to full-blown workshops, you can start playing with fire with no experience required. You can see the complete list of offerings here.

A visit from the maestro. To help break in our brand new facility, one of the true giants in glass art, Lino Tagliapietra, stopped by to create two stunning works live before a studio audience. Click the image to enlarge.

Click the image to enlarge. You can read about Tagliapietra's visit in this Virginian-Pilot article, and you can read about his entire career in Lino Tagliapietra: From Murano to Studio Glass. That's a coffee table book available in The Museum Shop.