Creative Foundations: Glassblowing

Name: Creative Foundations: Glassblowing
Start: 2025-03-15T10:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-03-15T15:30:00-04:00
Location: Peabody Essex Museum

Schedule

Sat Mar 15 2025 at 10:30 am to 03:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Peabody Essex Museum | Salem, MA

Saturday, March 15, 2025 from 10:30 am—3:30 pm
In-person event
Location: PEM’s Studio Glass gallery and the North Shore Glass Studio (16 Proctor Street, Salem, MA)
Members $49; nonmembers $59
Materials $40
Advance registration required; space is limited. Registration closes on Wednesday, March 12.
Register Here: pem.org/events/creative-foundations-immersion-into-glassblowing
Ages 18 and up admitted.
All supplies are provided. Groups of four collaborate on one piece together; not every person takes something home.
No previous experience with glassblowing is required. Beginners are welcome!
Participants are expected to drive between the glass studio and the museum. Carpooling is encouraged, and free parking is available at the studio.
There will be a break for participants to eat lunch.
In celebration of the Peabody Essex Museum's stunning Studio Glass collection, join us for a special immersive glassblowing workshop that blends art history and hands-on creativity.
A gallery talk led by Sarah Chasse, Curator-at-Large, will offer some background on the significance and artistry of PEM’s Studio Glass collection. Featuring works by more than 40 influential glass artists from the 20th century to today, the collection is renowned for its variety in form, scale and technique, offering a breathtaking display of contemporary glass art. For the second part of the workshop, participants will drive to North Shore Glass School for a hands-on glassblowing experience.
Under expert guidance, participants will form groups of four and take turns working on blown-glass paperweights. Each group will produce one paperweight. You’ll also enjoy a captivating glassblowing demonstration of some of the techniques showcased in the Studio Glass gallery.
This workshop will be split into two cohorts: one that starts at the museum for the Studio Glass tour, then proceeds to North Shore Glass School, and one that starts at the glass school for glassblowing, then proceeds to the museum. Both cohorts will have time for lunch (not provided). Participants will be assigned to a group and emailed with more information the week before the workshop.
PEM’s Creative Foundations classes are designed for both beginners and advanced practitioners seeking new challenges. These workshops blend access to our rich and diverse art collection with personal instruction from experienced educators and professional artists, making each session an immersive and enriching experience.
Meet the Instructors:
Sarah Chasse
As Curator-at-Large at the Peabody Essex Museum, Sarah Chasse specializes in American art and decorative arts. She has worked with the museum's American collections since 2003. Chasse co-curated On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America, PEM's groundbreaking installation of works from the Native American and American collections, and curated the Studio Glass gallery. Her areas of focus are American and European decorative arts and design, early 20th-century American art and the history of collecting, museums and interiors.
Matthew Cronin
Matthew Cronin is glass artist, sculptor and teacher with over 20 years of experience teaching and working in the medium of glass. A native of Marblehead, Massachusetts, Cronin was first entranced by glass art while studying visual arts at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, where he graduated with a B.A. in painting and sculpture. He has since taught classes for Massachusetts College of Art, Boston University and Salem State University. For seven years prior to opening North Shore Glass School, Cronin was the studio manager and senior instructor at Diablo Glass School in Boston. His work has been on display at museums, galleries and private collections throughout the country. He and his wife live in Marblehead with their young children.
North Shore Glass School
Located in Salem, MA, North Shore Glass School is home to a vibrant community of glass artists and teachers. Their expert instructors guide participants through the fascinating world of glassblowing, demonstrating how heat, tools and artistic vision come together to shape molten glass into beautiful works of art.