Playing with fire is not something your parents would allow you to do. But day in and day out, Glass Axis makes playing with fire accessible to all.
Watching an artist blow glass is mesmerizing. Getting to blow glass as a participant is thrilling.
Located in Franklinton, Glass Axis serves the needs of the artist community through 24/7 access to their kilns and workshops to turn their creative ideas for new works into reality.
Glass Axis also serves as a venue for parties, demonstrations, classes, public programs, school-based learning, exhibitions, and shopping. They teach more than 130 glass blowing classes a year. That’s a lot of fire.
The Columbus Dispatch recently reported on a program where students at five elementary schools, including our client United Schools Network’s UPrep, dreamed up imaginary creatures and stories. The submissions were judged, and artists at Glass Axis brought 17 of those designs to life while the students watched.
These “fantastical creatures” are on display in the Glass Axis gallery through June. After the exhibition, the kids get to keep their creations, thanks to support from PNC Arts Alive.
There are several reasons why this program is extraordinary:
- How often are children given free rein in the classroom to just dream?
- How often do they see their ideas turned into something physical that they can admire and cherish for years to come?
- How often is that creation done in real time with the artist, and in blown glass?
- And, how often does one lesson bring writing, art, and science together?
It’s an incredible learning experience, all because a creative executive director, a visionary board, and a responsive corporate funder came together to make it happen.
We can’t wait to see what Glass Axis dreams up next as we embark on a strategic visioning process with their leadership. We’re quite sure fire will be involved.
Article by: Kerri Laubenthal Mollard, Founder & CEO
