If you ever had the pleasure of watching the art of glass blowing, you know how mesmerizing it can be! The Glass Academy in Dearborn has been bringing this art form to our community since 2003, and they are not letting the quarantine stop them. Michelle Plucinsky, the co-founder of Glass Academy, joined Tati Amare over Skype to tell us more about how you can still enjoy the magic of glass blowing while social distancing.
Plucinsky’s family decided to come together in mid-March to film videos of their craft. As an example, Jake, one of the glassblowers, made a cute glass slug live on the show (see video above for all the details). He starts with hot glass on the end of a rod, adds blue color to it, and then heats it up again to begin shaping it. Videos like this one are what they are sharing over Facebook Live, gaining them a global audience.
For those with kids at home, the academy did several Facebook lives talking about the science behind glass blowing, as part of STEM education.
Before quarantine, the Glass Academy held classes and special events at their space in Dearborn, as well as selling many of the pieces they made. They plan to open back up for retail after the stay-at-home order expires. For more information visit click here.