Art Careers / Glass Artist and Glassblower
What Does a Glass Artist Do? An Art Career for Kids
Curious about this job? Here is what the work looks like, a typical day, the tools, where people do it and how to get started, plus a small activity so you can try it yourself.
What a glass artist does
A glass artist shapes melted glass into vases, bowls, ornaments and sculptures. Glassblowers gather glowing hot glass on a long metal pipe and blow air into it to make bubbles and shapes.
Real-world examples: Dale Chihuly; The Corning Museum of Glass.
A day on the job
- Heat glass in a furnace that is hotter than a pizza oven
- Gather, blow and shape glass while turning it constantly
- Work as a team with an assistant passing tools and adding color
- Cool pieces slowly in a special oven, then grind and polish them
Tools of the job
- Furnace and glory hole (reheating oven)
- Blowpipe and punty rod
- Jacks, tweezers and wooden paddles
- Annealer (cooling oven)
- Colored glass rods and powders
- Safety glasses and heat protection
Where they work
- Hot shops (glass studios)
- Glass museums and art centers that give demos
- Craft fairs and galleries
The path in 4 steps
Start now
- Watch a glassblowing demo in person or on video
- Make suncatchers with tissue paper and contact paper to explore light and color
- Notice how glass bends light at home
In your teens
- Take a beginner glass class if an art center near you offers one for teens
- Take ceramics or sculpture classes
- Read about safety and heat in the studio
Training
Paths include college or art school programs in glass, intensive workshops at glass schools, certificate programs at glass studios, and apprenticing or interning with working glass artists.
Build a portfolio
Photos of finished glass pieces against a plain background, often with a short video of the process.
Skills that help
- Teamwork and timing
- Staying calm and safe around heat
- Hand control
- Thinking in 3D
- Patience
Try this job
A small taste of the real work, using things you already have.
Glass artists think a lot about light. Cut shapes from colored tissue paper and arrange them on a piece of clear contact paper or a plastic sheet. Overlap some colors to see what new colors appear. Tape it to a sunny window and watch how the light changes through the day. You are designing with light, just like a glass artist.
Related art careers
Learn more
For pay, job outlook and training details, read the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook page for this kind of work.
Which art career fits you?
Answer a few quick questions and see which art jobs match what you love to do.
Take the Which Art Career Fits You quizQuestions teachers and parents ask
What does a glass artist do?
A glass artist shapes melted glass into vases, bowls, ornaments and sculptures. Glassblowers gather glowing hot glass on a long metal pipe and blow air into it to make bubbles and shapes.
How do you become a glass artist?
Paths include college or art school programs in glass, intensive workshops at glass schools, certificate programs at glass studios, and apprenticing or interning with working glass artists.
What skills does a glass artist need?
Teamwork and timing, Staying calm and safe around heat, Hand control, Thinking in 3D and Patience.
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