Parent Scoop: Glass Studio Creates Colorful Buzz

Just when you thought Cushing’s visual arts program couldn’t get any more amazing, a new studio opens up and it’s creating one incredible, colorful buzz.

“I always wanted a dedicated glass studio,” reflects Bob Johnson, Chair of Visual Arts, “But we never had the space or the funding to do so.” Thanks to the generosity of a group of parents and alumni who contributed toward the studio’s start-up, Cushing now boasts a most professional glass studio. “Very few individuals have a set-up like this,” says Johnson. “I certainly don’t know many high schools that offer what we do. Even colleges are just starting to pick up on it.”

With the relocation of the computer lab in the Emily Fisher Landau Center for Visual Arts, it was renovation time. The room received a new floor, a specially designed vented hood installed and electric hookups for kilns. By the end of the summer, equipment was purchased and rolled in, and with by start of the 2005 academic year, an entirely new program was in place.

Glass is open to any student provided there is space in the class. And while it’s offered just one period a day (and to afternoon portfolio students) already it’s become a popular option. “The kids who are in the class now don’t want to stop,” says Johnson. “They all begged me to let them continue for the rest of the year. It’s like how we started with silversmithing – once students start getting wind of that program, everyone wanted to do it. Glass is going in that direction.”

During the first two weeks of class, students eagerly worked with Johnson on sample projects to test the kilns. This trial-and-error process allowed the class to determine the exact temperature and times different types of glass required to fuse properly. “Our kilns are so advanced and air tight that we can’t use the information on time and temperatures that the books suggest. We had to work together as a class to figure that out and set the baselines,” remarks Johnson. “It was also important for the kids to go through this process to realize it’s not a science – it’s an art.”

While Cushing students have long worked with stained glass, today’s offerings are much broader in scope. For example, students now have the opportunity to do hot fused glass, slumping glass, glass bead making, and traditional glass painting. To date, students have already created Tiffany-style lamps, glass beads, sushi bowls, platters, plates, coasters, large bowls and window hangings. “I have the kids start with simple things we know they can do and then move on as their skills progress. Our hope is that they get into more complex designs that are therefore more beautiful and more valuable. It might take them an entire term to create one project, but it’s spectacular when it’s finished.”

Ever-dedicated to his students, Johnson even keeps them in mind when shopping his wholesale suppliers for glass. “I recently went up to New Hampshire to stock up on glass and just knew that this particular piece of cranberry iridescent glass would be perfect for one of my students.” After loading up the van and returning to campus, Johnson was met by the entire class at the door, willing to help unload and anxious to see the day’s finds. “They were like kids in a candy store,” laughs Johnson. “They all wanted me to open every box and to see every color. They were jumping up and down, they were so fired up. One student said it was like Christmas morning.”

Because different disciplines are suited to different students, Johnson and the rest of the art faculty are happy to offer another option to students wishing to pursue and artistic talent. If they don’t have skills for photography, or painting, or pottery, they just might find their niche in glass.

And clearly this is just the beginning. As the program grows and students continue to refine their art, there’s no telling where this craft will take them. “We’ve have barely scratched the surface in design,” remarks Johnson. “It’s mind-boggling.”