Heating Up : Glass Blowing for the Advanced Beginner with Diego Brindis

This course is designed to help the beginner glass blower continue to work on their skills in the hot shop. The ideal participant should have taken a multi-week intro level course and feel comfortable gathering glass, marvering, and working on a team. While the course will explore new techniques such as bit work and color application, the primary focus will be to train hand skills, drill fundamentals, and develop good hot shop etiquette. By the end of the course, the goal is for students to navigate the space and create work with little assistance from the instruction staff. 

Please keep in mind that this class will prioritize quality over quantity. There may be a class where we don’t box any work at all! But we’ll always have a good time! 

If you have questions about the course, please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected].  

About the instructor:  My name is Diego. I’m a technician here at Urban Glass and glass blower who’s worked in studios across NYC for the past 4 years. While I primarily work on smaller table and stemware, I spent years working in lighting and have a background in large glass production and mold blown glass. My teaching style is drill heavy with emphasis on developing strong fundamentals and building muscle memory. 

What to Expect: Students will work together and learn to manipulate molten glass (2000 degrees). Safety and tools will all be covered in a fun and exciting environment. The hot shop is a loud studio, and can get quite warm. Glassblowing involves a variety of activities including sitting, standing, and working with hot glass. The environment can be very hot and loud at times. Handling glass and tools may require a certain level of dexterity and ability to lift 5-10 lbs approximately. Clean-up time is included in the duration of class, and usually the last 20 minutes of class are dedicated to cleaning your workstation.Read more about how to prepare for class on our Registration Info page.  To learn more about accessibility the Accessibility page on our website.

Eligibility: This is an “advanced beginner” class, if you’ve taken a 6 week intro to glassblowing, or another beginner course, and are ready to advance your skills this class is for you! Open to ages 14 and up.

Pick-up: The glass needs to cool down overnight, so the students will have to return to UrbanGlass once notified to pick up their work. 

We recommend registering for classes early to reserve your spot! We base materials, and teacher needs off of student enrollment. Early registration not only guarantees your spot in class, but also helps to ensure the class will run. Classes with low enrollment may be cancelled within two weeks of the start date of class. Contact our Registrar of Education, Ari Eshoo, at [email protected] if you have questions about the class or would like to arrange a payment plan.

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