Fun with
Hot Glass
1-day Beginner Glassblowing Workshops

Every Saturday at the Industrial Arts Center
10 am - 4 pm

Students will learn to make a paperweight and a vessel. Introductory class stresses teamwork.

Instructor
Jackie Ballard

It's about passing the torch ...
says founding board member Jackie Ballard, who is also the center's glassblowing instructor. "It's important that we pass on our talent to the next generation."

the studio arts movement

Starting in the 1960's, a major shift occurred within the industrial arts, providing unprecedented access to beginners and hobbyists. What was once the exclusive realm of established artisans and their apprentices, is now open to interested individuals of all skill levels. Today instruction, education and the sharing of techniques and skills are widely available to all at studios around the United States.

Surprisingly, even with a population in excess of one million, until now Pinellas County did not have a facility that provides glass blowing, metal sculpture or other industrial arts. When the Industrial Arts Center opens its doors in Gulfport, Florida in the fall of 2007, it will have all the furnaces, ovens, torches and specialized tools required to teach these popular arts.Until then, the center's glassblowing classes are being held in Ballard's Gulfport studio.