A new spark of creativity is lighting up the art rooms at Shadow Ridge with the addition of a new glass kiln to the ceramics and art classes. The kiln was recently donated through connections made at a glasswork and bead expo, and is opening new doors to the art being made in SRHS classrooms. The kiln is already making an impact, expanding opportunities for students to push creative boundaries and experience a professional-level art process at school.

Ceramics and Art 101 teacher, Andrea Brackney stated, “This  kiln will allow me to incorporate glass elements to our Advanced Ceramics projects and Mrs. MJ will be able to do glass projects with her Advanced Studies.”

Mrs. MJ is also introducing glass to the students in Advanced Art Studies. With the kiln now in use, students across multiple art courses are getting hands on experience with glass, learning both the creative and technical sides of the process. Student projects have already shown how quickly they have been adapting to the new challenge.

“Right now we are still in the experimental stage of what we can really do, but I am mostly impressed with my ART 101 students who embraced this new art form in our glass unit.” Brackney continued, “They made beautiful night lights and dishes.  Next year I want to try doing stained glass, but we are still learning.”

Art 101 has grown and learned with the addition of a glass kiln to the program. Brackney explains that working with glass is a learning process, and  how much students have learned from working with it. The kiln proposes a whole new world of art to students, and a whole new process to learn.

“First you design what you want to make, then cut the glass pieces and use clear glue to make sure they stay in place. We put them in the kiln and we do a fusing fire that bonds and melts all the glass together permanently,” she explains.

Working with glass has come with its own set of learning curves and challenges, but art students have taken on the challenge and have picked up new skills along the way.

Brackney states, “I think any time we are able to offer new projects to our programs it is a positive.  I think it is a good opportunity for students to try new things they haven’t done before and see what is out there in the creative world.”

In addition to expanding creative options, the kiln has also encouraged collaboration and curiosity among students. Many have taken an interest in how glass reacts to heat, color, and placement, turning each project into an experiment. As the program continues to grow, Mrs. Brackney and Mrs. MJ hope to further expand glasswork opportunities in future classes at Shadow Ridge!