Glass Fusing Workshop

Glass pendants our group made.  

I found out about Young Audiences from an artist giving a workshop at a library.  I was intrigued to discover that they bring over 200 fine and performing artists into classrooms.  I thought this sounded like an amazing resource for homeschoolers, and decided to give it a try.  Our homeschool group split the cost of a one hour workshop with glass artist Lisa Wilke.  We requested use of a community room at a Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue station.  They make the community rooms available free of charge to nonprofit organizations.  I found reserving a room on a weekday to be simple, and they were very friendly to deal with.  (Other potential spaces include community rooms at libraries, community centers, churches and other houses of faith.)

Lisa shows us a glass sponge skeleton.

Cutting glass

Lisa Wilke was amazing.  She began the workshop by telling the kids all about glass.  She showed them each of  the components that you need to make glass, and had examples of glass made by nature to show them, including obsidian (made by volcanoes), fulgurites (made by lightning strikes), and even the silica skeleton of the glass sponge!  Next she explained exactly how glass was first made and shaped by people, with examples to show us.  There were three activities for the kids to do in turns.  They had examples of fused glass to explore, to notice its transparency and opacity, and to judge how much heat it had been exposed to in fusing.  They had a chance to use a professional glass cutter, which was surprisingly fun.  And they got to assemble glass pieces into pendants, which Lisa brought home and fused.  She was very well organized, and the kids loved her.  

Young Audiences deserves more attention from homeschoolers.  They help create the kind of learning opportunities that many homeschoolers really want for their kids.  And  I would hate for them to remain such a well kept secret.   Check them out!  http://www.ya-or.org/