Intro to Hollow Tubing with River Valadez

Discover the fundamentals of working with borosilicate tubing in this beginner-friendly lampworking workshop. Through a series of simple sculptural exercises, students will learn essential techniques for joining, bending, and inflating hollow glass. 

This class focuses on developing control, understanding how tubing behaves in the flame, and building the foundational skills needed for more advanced hollow-form work. Experience working with borosilicate glass is recommended, however no prior experience with hollow glass is required.

What to expect:  Flameworking with borosilicate glass requires a little practice at heat control with the torch to create successful sculptures. After demonstrations, students will have time on the torch to hone their skills. 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. 

While flameworking, participants primarily engage in seated activities such as working with glass rods and torches. The environment can be bright and loud at times. Handling glass and tools may require a certain level of dexterity. To learn more about accessibility the Accessibility page on our website.

Eligibility: Some experience recommended but open to all levels. 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.