Best Glassblowing Schools in the US.
The Craft of Glass blowing is a skill that requires time, practice, and the necessary materials needed for learning. To get started, as a professional glass blower, you need to be enrolled in a glass-blowing school so as to Sharpen and develop further your glass-blowing skills.
For those interested in learning glass blowing, there are numerous program alternatives. Other non-degree alternatives include shorter-term community classes, certificate programs, and other non-degree options, in addition to the numerous associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs that various universities offer. Learning glassblowing entails studying how to be a skilled artist in addition to how to manipulate glass to produce visually appealing works. To do this, you must hone your networking abilities, advertise your glassware to potential customers, put together a strong portfolio, and many other things.
In this guide, we have listed the Best Glassblowing schools in the U.S
How Can I Learn Glassblowing?
Many ways exist as to how to learn glass-blowing, you can choose to enroll in a college that provides individual glass-blowing classes. The chemistry department in several universities also provides current students with scientific glassblowing seminars.
What Degree Programs Are Available?
For Glass blowing as a career, many degrees are available, such as associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. With the option to focus on or take classes in glass sculpture, an associate of fine arts degree programs typically last two years and include a comprehensive fine arts education in drawing, design, and art history. Such fundamental training is available as part of the 4-year bachelor’s degree alternatives.
What Will I Learn In A Degree Program?
Before moving on to advanced classes in glassblowing or glass sculpting, you will be introduced to a variety of media and techniques for creating and studying art objects. Topics for the course could include:
- Drawing
- Glass design
- Color theory
- Introduction to hot glass
- Optics
- Cold working glass
- Neon light sculpture
- Glass casting
- Holiday ornaments
- Glass jewelry
- Sculptural techniques
- Sculpture materials
Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
Below is a list of the 7 Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI) – Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
The Rhode Island School of Design was founded in 1877 and is the Country’s oldest art and design school.
RISD is one of the most renowned art school in the world, providing degree programs at both undergraduate and graduate level.
The school exposes it’s student studying glass courses to the more technical and artistic aspect of glassblowing.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Boston, MA) – Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
This Best Glassblowing schools in the US is one of the top institution in the state of Massachusetts and also holds the record as the first public institution for arts and design.
According to the recent ranking by Niche(2023), The Massachusetts college of art and design is the seventh-best art school in the state and comes 76th in the ranking for the Best art school in the nation. And the school offers two different degree programs in Glassblowing.
Temple University Tyler School of Art and Architecture (Philadelphia, PA)
The Tyler School of Art and Architecture is a highly recognized art school that is a part of Temple University, a sizable public research university in the center of Philadelphia. In terms of the availability of BFA programs, Temple University is ranked among the top 15% of colleges in the country by CollegeFactual.
The outstanding facilities at Tyler, which include a 10,000-square-foot hot room, 16 kilns, four flame-working stations, and even a one-ton crane for very big clay castings, are available to students in the school’s powerful glass program. Also, there are a number of art studios reserved for graduate and undergraduate major students.
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University of Washington (Seattle, WA) – Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
This Best Glassblowing schools in the US is noted for it’s innovation and creativity skills and is the official origin of vinyl, synthetic rubber, and bubble gum. Hence, it’s not debatable that the School provides excellent academic Programs in Art and Design.
The extensive art curriculum at the UW School of Art includes a number of courses for majors and non-majors, and glass is only one of the numerous artistic mediums it covers. There are four faculty members in the school’s glass department as a whole. One of these is glass artist Mark Zirpel, whose work is highly renowned and heavily influenced by science, producing a visionary, interdisciplinary impact.
Alfred University (Alfred, NY) – Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
This Best Glassblowing schools in the US runs several glass programs which ranges from more science-focused alternatives to creative degrees in arts. The Sculpture/Dimensional Studies Division at Alfred University offers a bachelor of fine arts curriculum with a number of glass courses if students are interested in studying glassblowing from an artistic perspective.
Although the BFA curriculum is intended to cover a wide range of three-dimensional mediums, the program offers students the opportunity to use state-of-the-art glassblowing facilities as they simultaneously explore various other art forms.
Alfred is home to renowned glass science and glass engineering departments, which are more on the scientific end of glass blowing. The National Casting Center’s hot glass studio is used by all of Alfred University’s glass programs.
Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) – Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
Virginia Commonwealth University is home to an outstanding selection of glassblowing offerings and is steadfastly committed to creating insightful research and promoting creativity in higher education. The artistic process is known to involve trial and error, and VCU Arts encourage students to experiment freely as they form their own sense of artistic identity.
The institution offers an MFA in fine arts at the graduate level, allowing students to focus on glassworking. Similar to other institutions, VCU Arts also allows BFA students in the fine arts to focus on glassworking.
Illinois State University (Normal, IL) – Best Glassblowing Schools in the US
This Best Glassblowing schools in the US is a public institution with about 18,000 undergraduate students currently enrolled. Illinois State University is home to Wonssok Kim School of Art, which is an excellent art school.
Wonsook Kim School of Art offers glassblowing as a major option for students in both BS and BA degree programs.
Undergraduate students at Wonsook are exposed to rigorous practical and workshop trainings on Glass blowing techniques.
