HOT GLASS IS HOT

Glass program faculty and students showed their stuff in opening days of the Chrysler Museum’s new studio.

Billed among opening week exhibitions – which featured world art-glass master Lino Tagliapietra – an excited TCC team gave a knock-out glass blowing demonstration at the brand new Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio. Three faculty members led teams of student assistants in the creation of a “Glass Mascot” on Nov. 2. Watch the video to witness their hard work and skill that ended with a heartbreaking finale – all too clearly showing the reality of making glass art. Sometimes it breaks (video).

Program head Ed Francis worked with instructors Ryan Gothrup and Chad Clark during a two-hour exhibition of hot-glass skill and creativity. They tapped the enthusiasm of 20 students to build three “parts” and join them at the end in a final spectacular event. TCC's Visual Arts Center, which boasts a rare hot glass studio on its top floor, has 90 students in the glass program.