Using A Crash Sponsorship: Glassblowing

As makers, we’ve all had that moment when you look at something and go “Oh, I want to make that too”. It might be looking at a Van Gogh in a museum, the newest Apple Keynote, or simply scrolling through Instagram reels.

For me, my moment of inspiration was reading Shatterglass by Tamora Pierce when I was an impressionable 10 years old. Set in a city of glassmakers, Pierce’s Circle of Magic series had a knack for cherishing the mundane in glassblowing, highlighting the magic of craftsmanship whether or not it actually included any mysticism. From the color changes in the furnace to the breath control required to transform a molten mass into a sparkling piece, I knew I too wanted to take the shapeless and give it my own definition. 

Unfortunately, the bad news for 10 year old me in 2003 was furnaces and glass supplies were actually quite expensive. The good news for the me of today is between Los Angeles maker spaces and Crash Space sponsorships, sometimes you do get to give your inner child the experience they always wanted.

The assignment at the LA Makery was simple, with the help of an instructor we created glassblown ornaments for the holidays, adding fritted glass in various colors to glaskolben (a type of hollow glass cylinder) heated over a blowtorch. As the frit melted from the temperature, we rotated the glaskolben to coat the inside before blowing into it to give it its final shape.

This type of glassblowing is more of a hobby, one that can be done at home with minimal supplies (and an acceptance of the fire hazard). To truly explore the full experience and science of glassblowing, I will be continuing my studies through The Glass Studio, moving on to a furnace and creating full-sized objects such as bowls and sculptural items.

If you are also interested in a Crash Space sponsorship, reach out to sponsorships-fund@crashspace.org with your dream class for one of the smoothest application processes I’ve ever been through. I am grateful to Crash Space for giving me the chance to explore a decades old aspiration and confirm I truly do want to learn more about the craft of glassblowing.