PGC Artists & Instructors

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PGC will be closed for the holidays

Nov. 24 - 28
Dec. 23 - Jan. 2, 2012

Hours

CLOSED Monday

Tuesday thru Thursday
10 am – 7 pm

Friday thru Sunday
10 am – 4 pm

The studios at PGC are open throughout the year for instruction and rental. We have attracted some very talented young artists to teach and work at Pittsburgh Glass Center.

If you are interested in becoming an instructor at PGC, contact PGC at 412-365-2145 ext.206

Meet the PGC Artists & Instructors

Jessica Amarnek

Jessica Amarnek was born on March 16, 1988 in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania. In high school she focused her artistic practice on ceramic arts until she attended Tyler School of Art, Temple University in 2006. Her focus quickly switched from ceramics to glassblowing. While studying at Tyler School of Art, Jessica worked in many other glass studios as an assistant to artists such as, Will Dexter, Bernard Katz and John Choi. Jessica studied various forms of glass making such as blowing, flame working, casting and cold working. She also studied under Kathleen Vissar, a scagliola caster, where she created high end marbled scagliola restorations. Jessica won multiple awards during her time of study at Tyler, including the Steve Stormer Memorial Award, and was also the treasurer of the Tyler Glass Guild which raised thousands of dollars each year in order to fund a healthy visiting artist program. After receiving her BFA with a concentration in glass from Tyler School of Art in 2010, Jessica went on to work at The Pittsburgh Glass Center as a tech apprentice. For current information on Jessica Amarnek you can visit her blog at

Visit Her Blog

Jason Bauer

Jason Urban Robert Bauer was born in 1986 in Sidney, Ohio. Jason graduated from Bowling Green State University with a concentration in glass. After graduation Jason worked on staff at Pilchuck glass school, as well as for professional artists such as; Erwin Redl, Laura Donefer, Ross Richmond, Keke Cribbs, John Miller, Scott Darlington, Nadine Saylor, and more.

Visit Jason's Website

David Born

David Born has studied glass making since 1998. With no formal art education, he began as a self taught flame worker, working from a basement studio. His flame working education came largely by trial and error. This hands on experimental approach to self-education gave him a good, basic working knowledge of this medium. Upon the Pittsburgh Glass Center's opening in 2000, he began studying glassblowing. Completely enamored with this medium, he has taken countless classes and intensive workshops over the past ten years. David has also assisted and worked for a variety of renown professional glass artists. He has exhibited in group shows in Pittsburgh, and Louisville, KY, and has had solo exhibitions in Pittsburgh. For the past eight years David has been an instructor at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, teaching primarily high school and college level students. David uses the glass's property of fluidity to create contemporary sculptural work with flowing lines and curves.

Melissa Fitzgerald

Melissa graduated from Keystone College with a studio arts degree and traveled west, drawing inspiration from the vastly different surroundings. Years later, she found herself behind a torch and was thrilled. She began attending classes and events to broaden her skills and techniques.

This past summer, she learned a number of new techniques, of which networking or webbing appeals the most. Working with larger proportions and relieving the constriction of her maneuvers made for a moderately liberating experience.

Although glass art was absent from her youth, her passion for it now compels Melissa to share and expose her cumulative knowledge of the craft. She is currently on staff as an instructor at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

Jason Forck

Learn about his 2012 summer intensive class at PGC

Jason Forck uses glass as a sculptural medium creating pieces that reflect his interest in nature and society. He was raised on a small Kansas farm where he learned the values of respecting the land, working hard and using one’s hands to accomplish tasks. Jason first discovered glass as an undergraduate at Emporia State University and after completing his Bachelor of Fine Arts moved to Pittsburgh, PA to work at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. He has exhibited in group shows in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Emporia, KS and has had solo exhibitions in Kansas City and Pittsburgh. Jason currently works as the Youth Education Coordinator at the Pittsburgh Glass Center and teaches various classes in the hot glass studio.<br />

Visit Jason's Website

Billy Guilford

Billy Guilford was born in 1987, and was raised in Rocky River, Ohio. Before discovering glass, Billy was first interested in functional ceramics. He became very passionate for ceramics in High School, and decided to attend an Alfred University to further his studies in ceramics. Billy had the opportunity to take a glass course in 2007, and he soon forgot about ceramics; spending all his time and energy on glass. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Alfred University in 2010, and shortly after moved to Pittsburgh to join the Pittsburgh Glass Center as a Technician. Today Billy continues to push the boundaries of traditional glass that incorporates modern designs.

Visit His Website

Christopher Hofmann

I started blowing glass when I was just 17. I fell in love with the material instantly and dropped everything that I thought I wanted my life to be to pursue glass. I went on to Columbus College of Art and Design where I earned my BFA in Fine Art where I spent 5 years. I focused mainly on glass but delved into other disciplines such as metal, wood, stone, plastic, rubber, and ceramics as well. I then took on the position of the schools part time sculpture technician, which is only one year long. I took care of the studio and supervised employees and students. I then applied for a similar job: the tech apprenticeship at the Pittsburgh Glass Center (also only a year long). After applying twice, here I am. I love the glass center and Pittsburgh.

Adam Kenney

Adam Kenney has studied glass making since 1998. His creative education began at Centre College under renowned artist, Stephen Powell. After graduating, he worked in a number of production glassblowing studios where the continuous studio access gave him a keen understanding of the material’s properties. During this time, he attended intensive workshops across the country taught by a wide variety of glass artists ranging from Boyd Sugiki to Pino Signoretto to Harumi Yukutake. Adam then enhanced his artistic skill set at the Appalachian Center for Craft. By working closely with sculptor and glassblower Curtiss Brock, he developed a sensibility for multiple materials and a decidedly minimal aesthetic. Adam is currently developing AKA Glass, a line of accessible and dynamic vessels that blur the boundaries between functional and sculptural. His work has been exhibited in galleries across the country.

Visit Adam's Website

Michael "Fig" Mangiafico

Michael Mangiafico is a glass artist and teacher working in Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated with a BFA in glass art from Carnegie Mellon University in 1985, and has continued his education by attending as well as teaching glass art seminars across the U.S. In 1996 Michael built a glass studio FiG Studios – Forms in Glass. He designs, creates sculptures and craft items from glass by blowing, casting, torchworking, and coldworking. Michael’s forte is in making glass insects such as spiders, wasps, ants, scorpions and many others. FiG Studios has work in fine art galleries around the country.

View Mike's Web Site

Ashley McFarland

Ashley McFarland graduated from Bowling Green State University with her MA in psychology and a diverse knowledge of glassworking techniques. All through her undergrad career she studied glassworking and exhibited a senior show in August of 2007. Her love of science and detail can be seen in many of her past and current projects. Ashley has worked in glass studios in California, Ohio, and started at the Pittsburgh Glass Center as a tech apprentice. She is now teaching classes at the PGC in coldworking, casting, and flameworking.

Gillian Preston

Gillian Preston has been working with glass since 2005, concentrating on the inclusion of imagery and glass. Her process focuses on blown, fused, and cast glass. She earned a BFA with an emphasis in glass from The Cleveland Institute of Art. Her work has been publisized In New Glass Review 29 and 31 and awarded with multiple grants. She has been exhibited nationwide including CA, PA, NY, and OH. She is currently represented by Riley Galleries.

She has taught and assisted with workshops at facilities including The Pittsburgh Glass Center and Cleveland Institute of Art. She has taken workshops nationwide including at Penland School of Crafts, Corning, and Pittsburgh Glass Center. She currently lives and works in Pittsburgh, PA.

Visit Gillian's Website

Travis Rohrbaugh

Travis Rohrbaugh is from Baltimore, Maryland. He was encouraged by his parents to draw at an early age and went to middle and high schools with magnet programs in the visual arts. Uncertain of becoming a painter, Rohrbaugh attended Rhode Island School of Design where he was introduced to glass. After receiving a BFA in glass he moved to Pittsburgh in hopes of becoming a tech apprentice at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Having accomplished this goal, he continues to live in Pittsburgh and assist in the teaching of glass classes and workshops.

Becky Smith

Learn about her 2012 summer intensive class at PGC

Rebecca Smith is a graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor of arts in Jewelry, Metals and Enameling. She has been an employee of the Pittsburgh Glass Center since 2008. She exploits the science and chemistry that is inherent when working with glass as a medium.

Cass Zielinski

Cass was born at the end of the last month of summer, it was also the last year of the 70's. While he has no formal arts education or business education, Cass does however have a lot of religious education. He's been on both sides of the art world, both as an arts professional and as an artist. He likes both sides equally and doesn't mind the title of "Fence Rider." His technical background to blowing glass has come entirely from the Pittsburgh Glass Center and from the artists and instructors that they have brought here from around the world. Cass has been blowing glass for over 10 years and teaching for 8 of them. He's assisted internationally known artists and has become very fond of the deeper brother and sisterhood that the glass community is made of.