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One person at the bench turns while the other blows into the end of the blowpipe, creating the perfectly balanced, molten bubble. One hand cuts, one hand turns, one holds the torch, and another holds out a silver, fire-proof mit to carefully carry away the stunning, final piece of glass.

 

The Artsquest Glass Studio in the Banana Factory Arts and Education Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is a haven for creativity and collaboration. Community members can come watch hot glass demonstrations, and they have the opportunity to take classes where they can experience the process from start to finish.

 

William Woodruff, of Hellertown, discovered a passion for glassblowing when he visited the Banana Factory for a First Friday open-house event in 2011. 

 

Watching the way that the glassblowers effortlessly collaborated to create a piece inspired him to sign up for a class.

 

“The thing that appealed to me most was the way people were working together as a team,” Woodruff said, “It's a process that's tough to do on your own, you really need many hands to make things work.”

 

He was captivated by the techniques and colors that he saw at the studio, and by the glassblowers that he met and learned to work with.

 

“People are there at different times, each with their own personality, and it's fun to get to know them and how best to work together,” Woodruff said.

 

For the last decade, Woodruff has been taking classes and renting time in the studio, trying to master what he said initially struck him as a unique artform.

 

“I've dabbled around a little bit in the arts, but this was something completely different,” Woodruff said, “It's a sort of a scientific approach to the blending of heat and gravity, and the impact both have on a piece.”

 

Glass’s molecular structure gives it a distinctive set of properties, making it difficult to master without practice. It needs to be kept at the perfect temperature in order to be viscous enough to manipulate, and it must always be level and turning.

 

As Woodruff has gotten to know glass, he has familiarized himself with his classmates and instructors, and their individual styles, in order to work with them cohesively. He found over the years that working with glass takes patience and constant communication between people in the studio. 

 

“These pieces, sometimes they take a lot of different activities, three or four people may be working on a single piece, and everything really is in the timing,” Woodruff said, “having the support when you need it, having somebody working with you that understands what you're trying to do.”

 

The team element of glassblowing creates a distinct atmosphere of camaraderie in the ArtsQuest studio. This contributes to the success of the artists as individuals and fosters lasting friendships between them. 

 

Furnace working instructor Brain Toseland, of Allentown, has been involved with the ArtsQuest studio since it was built in 2006, and has watched the studio grow and the relationships within it blossom.  “ I have a lot of good friends now, and we started out with students," Toseland said.

 

In order to create a functional vessel or sculpture, one must be constantly aware of their surroundings, the people assisting them, and the state of the glass.

 

Studio manager, Dennis Gardner, of Bethlehem, said, “The more knowledgeable hands you have in the process, the easier that becomes.”

 

Gardner said that working on a large-scale project requires a lot of skill and coordination. Glassblowers need to be ready to react and move fluidly in order to shape the glass before it cools.

 

“We teach in our intro workshop, a two person minimum system, so everybody learns at least with one other partner, '' Gardner said, “Some advanced courses, like a sculpture workshop, we’ll teach in a three person team format.”

 

The ArtsQuest studio offers four-week introduction to furnace courses, hot glass skill-building classes, and concentrations that all aim to help community members get acquainted with, and excited about glass.

 

Fusing Instructor Rebecca Shoemaker, Bethlehem resident, teaches beginner classes every third Saturday of the month and Thursday night intermediate and experienced classes. 

 

Shoemaker walks her students through every step of designing, fusing, and firing, and keeps her returning students engaged by frequently switching up her class curriculum.                                                

 

“I try and teach something new every year, and I have classes every month,” Shoemaker said, “It is rewarding for me, and it's rewarding for my students too, because they get tired of the same old, same old.”

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The Artsquest studio is a creative asset to the community that allows Bethlehem residents to experience the unique glass-making process and lets them witness the connections that form in the studio.  

 

 “People get to come in and try their hand at making glass, doing something they wouldn't have a chance to do otherwise," Toseland said.

 

The Artsquest studio is a place where people can try new things, meet new people, and get more involved in the arts.  Community members have the opportunity to learn from Gardner, Toseland, Shoemaker and other great artists, and they get to witness all of the hot shop workers communicating and working together as a team.

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