Summer Intensives

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Hours

Fri., Sat. & Sun.
10 am – 4 pm

Tues., Wed. & Thurs.
10 am – 7 pm

CLOSED Monday

Summer classes at PGC are the best value around. The small class size gives you an abundance of one-on-one time with world-class instructors, plus you get over 12 hours per day of time to work in state-of-the-art studios! We guarantee that you will be challenged and exhausted by the end of the week!

View photos on flickr of 2009 Summer Classes

DOWNLOAD THE SUMMER CATALOG HERE.

Hot Shop

Plasti-city

Einar and Jamex de la Torre

Einar and Jamex de la Torre’s work is based on their Mexican-American cultural experience using glass, found objects and mixed media. In this course, we will explore the use of hot glass as a sculptural medium.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
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Form and Pattern

Paul Cunningham & Darin Denison

A class focused on vessel making, with an emphasis on encalmo, cane work and murinne.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
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A Foundation for the Future

Boyd Sugiki & Lisa Zerkowitz

Refine your hot skills by focusing on basic forms such as the tumbler, cylinder, bottle and bowl.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
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Object, Design

Jay Macdonell

A skills-driven course that will explore the object/gaffer relationship and the love of glassblowing.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
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Back to the Basics and Beyond

Ed Schmid

Ed Schmid is the author of “Beginning Glassblowing” and “Advanced Glassworking Techniques,” the world’s best selling books on how to blow glass. In this course we’ll throw the book at you; teaching you the fundamentals (with an emphasis on the word “fun”) of working with molten glass.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
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Cane is the Game

Nick Mount

A week of fun with stripy bits. We will pull ‘em and twist ‘em and then blow ‘em up.
Level: Advanced
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Get Your Feet Wet

Jason Forck

Great beginning glassblowing class!
Level: Beginner
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Releasing the Form: Sculpting Through Hot and Cold Techniques

Eoin Breadon

Learn to view the cold shop and hot shop as cohesive environments and less as separate entities. Much as a stone carver will “release the subject” from a block of marble we will explore how the blown and sculpted form can serve as canvas or template to be manipulated later.
Level: Intermediate
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Color and Contour

Michael Schunke

Simple color overlays to advanced techniques like encalmo and cane pickups will be demonstrated in this class with Michael Schunke.
Level: Advanced
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Contemporary Design Aesthetics: Challenging the Basics

Joe Cariati & Adam Holtzinger

Designed to accelerate your skill level into the “I didn’t know I could do that!” realm. The combined teaching method will push you to focus and actively problem-solve your technique and deal with simple design problems in an intensive, easy to understand environment.
Level: Intermediate
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Goblet Exploration

Jeff Mack

Explore the world of goblets, from the simple cup to the most opulent glasses.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
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Flame Shop

Imagery in Torchwork

Aaron "Slinger" Golbert

Focus on mixing two-dimensional images and graphic design with flameworked borosilicate solid and hollow forms.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
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Concepts in Solid and Hollow Flameworking

Jason Morrissey & Scott Rosinski

Start with a collaborative assembly followed by a discussion about design, techniques and solutions involving scale, color, and texture.
Level: Intermediate
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All You Can Eat Bead Week

Corina Tettinger

This course covers all major beadmaking techniques, including shaping, dot decoration, stringer control, encasing, florals, frogs and lizards.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
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Intro to Boro

James Minson

Start with the basics and progressively add new techniques and processes showing how to build from small, simple forms, up to larger scale sculpture.
Level: Beginner
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Power Powders: Getting the Most from your Color Enamel Powders & Frits

Cleo Dunsmore

Frustrated with unpredictable, unsightly colors and sludgy reduction colors? Bored with the 104 palette? Let Cleo Dunsmore re-introduce you to COLOR through use of mixes created with enamel powders.
Level: All Levels
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Stringer Control & Modular Design

Holly Cooper

An intermediate class focusing on stringer control and design. Holly will show you her techniques to create intricate detailed patterns on a small glass surface.
Level: Intermediate
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Flame in Your Face

Melissa Fitzgerald

Enter the alluring world of Borosilicate glass in this introductory class.
Level: Beginner
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Vessels, Connections and Sculpture in Borosilicate

Janis Miltenberger

This week together will include: Blowing freehand and using molds, combining solid and blown forms, surface texture, glass and non-glass colorants and problem solving.
Level: All Levels
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Flower Power

Dolly Ahles

Explore lampworking techniques involving floral surface design, encasing and temperature control.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
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Making Art with Invisible Glass: Networking & Beyond

Robert Mickelsen

This class will be devoted to the process of constructing large-scale sculptures using clear glass rod and tubing.
Level: All levels
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The Flower Marble

John Kobuki

Explore the “compression” technique used to make flowers and other deeply encased designs utilizing solid rods of borosilicate.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
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Warm Shop

Sculpting with the Kiln

Jason Minami

This course is an in-depth survey into the kiln casting process. Learn the whole process of casting from concept to finishing.
Level: All levels
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Lines and Layers

Jeremy Lepisto

Get a better understanding of the basic fundamentals and advanced techniques of glass fusing and how to use them to create intricate imagery and complex fused forms.
Level: Advanced
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Painting in the Space of Glass

Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend

Any mark or image placed on glass becomes suspended in space, creating a visual conversation between the front, back, and in-between space of glass. Use vitreous enamels to apply images onto clear glass with an emphasis on expanding space by using multiple layers.
Level: All levels
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Textures in Kiln-Glass

Nathan Sandberg

Learn a multitude of ways that textures can be created and maintained in kiln-glass projects through a series of texturcises, using sand beds, ceramic-fiber molds, plaster silica, multiple firings and more.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
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Combining the Kiln and Cold Shop

Kirstie Rea

This kiln forming class using Bullseye Glass will draw on Kirstie’s extensive knowledge in both kiln formed and cold shop processes.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
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Flirting with Fusing

Becky Smith

Explore the vast possibilities of fusing in this beginners class.
Level: Beginner
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Castaway

Mielle Riggie

Enjoy a casting retreat! Amplify your ideas by creating and manipulating wax multiples!
Level: All levels
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Graphic Possibilities: Sandblasting & Vitreous Painting

Denise Stillwaggon Leone

This class offers a foundation in image making inspired by intaglio printmaking combining sandblasting and painting.
Level: Intermediate
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5 in 5

Susan Taylor Glasgow

Learn 5 different ways to apply text and imagery to glass in 5 days!
Level: All levels
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Bring Your Dream to Life in Stained Glass

Charmaine Geesey

Bring a pattern for a stained glass panel that you want to create or spend the first session designing a window up to 2’ x 2’ which will be constructed using the lead came technique.
Level: All levels
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High School

One special intense week just for high school students!

Teen Boot Camp

Various Instructors

Hands-on glass boot camp for teens to learn glassblowing, flameworking, fusing and cold working!
Level: Beginner
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SCHOLARSHIPS

Half tuition scholarships are available to everyone. Applications must be received by March 15 to be considered for a scholarship. Recipients will be notified before the early registration deadline of April 15.

To apply submit the following to Pittsburgh Glass Center, Attn: Summer Scholarship, 5472 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206:

Completed summer class registration form that indicates what class you would like to attend. Be sure to indicate second and third choices as well. Please indicate on the form that you are applying for a scholarship.
Five digital images of your work and a description sheet.
Short essay describing why you wish to take the class
$40 registration fee

INTENSIVE CLASS STRUCTURE

Classes run from 9am to 5pm Monday – Thursday. On Friday, studio wide clean-up begins at 3pm. Instructors are free to modify the format to fit their teaching needs.

All classes officially start with an orientation at 9 am on Monday. The Pittsburgh Glass Center studio is open until 10pm Monday – Thursday for students to practice. Classes end on Friday at 3pm. A studio wide clean-up follows. Studios are open on Saturday from 10am to 12pm for cold working and clean up only. A full schedule of events will be emailed to each student upon registration. Wednesday evenings are set aside for instructor and TA slide presentations at 6pm.

HOUSING

PGC has a variety of housing options for students. There are four accommodations that are within walking distance:

Friendship Suites 412.392.1935 (0.3 miles) - Suites which include television, fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities and air conditioning.

Inn on Negley 412.661.0631 (0.9 miles) - A beautifully restored bed and breakfast with eight guest rooms.

Courtyard Marriott Shadyside 412.683.3113 (0.9 miles) - A hotel that offers a complimentary shuttle to local neighborhoods, including Pittsburgh Glass Center. Marriott also offers special rates for PGC students. Mention PGC when you call.

Shadyside Inn 412.441.4444 (1.3 miles) - Suites for less than the cost of a hotel. Fully furnished apartment style suites that include digital cable, wireless internet, free parking, complimentary shuttle, and mountain bikes to borrow! Two blocks to 150 shops and great restaurants. Use code #7035PG for special discount.

Carnegie Mellon Guest Housing 412. 268.1125 ( 2.2 miles) - From May 20 through July 30, 2010 single or shared accommodations are available through CMU in an on-campus dormitory. Enter "Pittsburgh Glass"
in the Registration Comments section for eligibility.

Each location offers amenities to meet your needs, whether it’s comfort, cost or distance. We will help you obtain shared housing if you are interested in splitting the expense of accommodations. For shared housing, call 412.365.2145 x208.

LUNCH

Students can purchase a lunch plan for $50 a week. Our lunch plan is provided as a courtesy and convenience to those students who wish to participate. Each day Monday through Friday, lunch will be brought to PGC so students do not have to leave the studio to find lunch. Vegetarians or other special needs can be accommodated. Please call 412.365.2145 x208 for more information.

COST/CANCELLATIONS

All summer one-week intensives cost $650 if paid by April 15; early registration discounts cannot be combined with any other discount. After April 15, fees increase for one-week intensives to $700. Full class payment including registration fee is required to secure placement in any class. Classes are filled on a first come, first served basis until full. A comprehensive orientation packet including information about classes, studio life and the Pittsburgh area will be emailed (unless you request that we mail the information) with confirmation letters and receipts as soon as classes fill to capacity. All classes are subject to minimum and maximum enrollment. Register online or call 412.365.2145 x208.

Refunds and Cancellations
If minimum enrollment is not met, a class will be cancelled. Students will be notified in advance and a full refund will be issued. If a student needs to cancel a registration and cancellation is received 30 days prior to the class start date, you will receive a full refund less the registration fee. If cancellation is received less than 30 days but at least 7 days prior to the class start date, PGC will refund 50% of the class cost less the registration fee. There is no refund for cancellations received less than 7 days before the class start date.