Hello, Lightning Tamers!
I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you all for your support and nominations for the Black Artist Empowerment Grant. Your encouragement means the world to me, and I’m incredibly grateful to have received this opportunity.
I plan to use this grant not just for my art but also to dive into additional research over the summer—work that will continue to push forward our understanding and expansion of plasma and neon in glass.
New Responsibilities & Exciting Developments at PGC
It’s been about a month since stepping into new responsibilities at Pittsburgh Glass Center, and I’ve been keeping busy! As a Seasonal Part-Time Instructor, I’ve been teaching not only Hot Glass classes and public glass experiences but also our first-ever 8-week Neon 101 course and Glass Soldering (Lightning in ANY Bottle). These classes mark a big step in integrating new neon and plasma programming at PGC, and it’s been amazing to see the enthusiasm from students.
Beyond teaching, I’m knee-deep in getting our bombarder up and running in PGC’s new Neon and Plasma Shop, as well as testing and outfitting new torches—some purchased and others generously donated by the neon community. This is a huge leap forward in establishing a dedicated space for neon and plasma education, and I can’t wait to see what we build together.
Podcast Hiatus & What’s Ahead
With all these exciting (but time-consuming) responsibilities, I want to thank you for your patience as Taming Lightning takes a brief hiatus. New podcast episodes will be on hold until the end of May, though if I find the time, I may drop one or two episodes during this period. I’m truly enjoying the stability that comes with these teaching opportunities and am looking forward to finding more balance as the Neon Studio becomes fully operational.
Thank you all for your continued support—it keeps me motivated to push forward in both my personal work and community efforts. Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, keep exploring the light!
Best,
Percy Echols II
