Hello Lightning Tamers!
Exciting news for all glass enthusiasts—the 1-week workshops at the Corning Museum of Glass Studio are now open for registration! With a deadline of March 15, it’s time to start planning your summer learning adventures. These workshops offer an unparalleled opportunity to dive into the world of glassmaking, with some of the best facilities and instructors in the field.
Summer classes at Corning operate on a lottery system, ensuring a fair chance for everyone to attend. Once the registration period closes, you’ll be notified of your acceptance by March 30. To make your decision-making process easier, I’ve grouped all the workshop options together in this post—much like I did for UrbanGlass—so you can browse and pick the ones that inspire you most.
This year has been a significant one for me at Corning, as I completed my biggest residency there yet. I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaching alongside the incredibly talented Mark Ditzler again for summer 2025. If you’ve ever wanted to explore the creative possibilities of glass, this is the perfect chance to learn from an amazing community of artists.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity—get your registration in by March 15, and let the anticipation for summer begin!
Percy Echols II
Taming Lightning
Expanding Your Scope: New Methods & Materials for Making Lighted Plasma Art
with Wayne Strattman
Flameworking, Borosilicate (Hard Glass), Plasma
Date: June 9— June 14, 2025
Tuition: $1,075.oo
Learn to make illuminated plasma artwork in the flameshop. This class will feature a number of relatively new flameworking techniques as well as new processing techniques to light the pieces up. Explore flameworking on a larger scale by working on stationary glass using hand torches. Instruction will cover techniques to clean up tubes using chemical getters—an alternative to kiln processing to light the artwork. Discussion will include power supplies and wiring techniques for different forms of plasma art pieces.
ALL LEVELS; Some experience in flameworking would be helpful though not required.
The Art of Plasma (Book) by Wayne Strattman
$55.00
Exploring Plasma & Neon in Kiln-Formed Glass
with Mark Ditzler and Percy Echols II
kiln working, Plasma, Neon
Date: September 1 — September 6, 2025
Tuition: $1,075.00
Discover an area of plasma design and glass sculpture that is rarely explored: making flat plasma panels from fused glass. Students will learn basic principles of plasma and gain new skills and tools to explore flat panel design. Class time will be roughly divided between the Kiln Room and the Neon Shop. In the Kiln Room, design and assemble the glass envelope, using fiber models to shape the glass. These glass parts will then be sealed in the kiln. In the Neon Shop, learn to understand and operate the equipment, how to prepare and set up projects, and techniques for achieving a proper vacuum and bakeout. Instruction will include information about the effects of gas pressure, use of phosphors for color, choosing power supplies, and problem-solving. Discussion may also include interesting side projects such as the design of neon signs made inside solid glass tiles, or flat nixie tube panels.
Previous kiln working and/or neon experience is helpful, but not required. All skill levels are welcome.
