[PA-NJ Glassblowers] Nice article about Glassroots in Newark NJ

Tony Patti tonyspatti at comcast.net
Sat Aug 13 21:01:55 EDT 2011


  GlassRoots Teaches Art, Life Skills to Newark Kids

http://southward.patch.com/articles/glassroots-teaches-art-life-skills-to-newark-kids

This article showed up in one of my Google Alerts 
<http://www.google.com/alerts> today.

Tony Patti
www.glassblower.info
gaffer at glassblower.info

In a cavernous room off Bleeker Street in Newark, residents can learn 
how to tame the heat from a white hot furnace and turn blistering orbs 
of glowing, molten glass into paper weights or delicate vases. In an 
adjoining space, teen students piece together mosaics bursting with 
color. In another, they fire up torches to melt and shape rods of glass 
into beads.

This is GlassRoots, an organization dedicated to teaching the art and 
skill of glass making to inner-city kids in Newark and beyond 
<http://www.glassroots.org/index.asp>.

"It's an opportunity for them," said *Katie Witzig*, GlassRoots' chief 
operating officer, calling it an alternative and fun learning environment.

The studio was started in January 2001 by Pat Kettenring, a Rutgers 
professor, who served as executive director until retiring last year, 
Witzig said. Current director is Wesley Simms.

According to its website, GlassRoots is the "only non-profit 'hot shop' 
for young people in the greater New York metropolitan area" and it 
"provides a nurturing environment in which otherwise underserved 
children can achieve self-esteem and creative expression." 
<http://www.glassroots.org/aboutus.asp>

"To entice young individuals to begin this transformation, we used the 
allure of fire," according to the "About Us" page of the website 
<http://www.glassroots.org/aboutus.asp>. "Fire is dangerous, exciting 
and fascinating. And when controlled, it can create beautiful things."

The studio holds classes for youth throughout the year, Witzig said. 
About 200 to 300 youth a year go through the studio's doors. Some are 
coming from area schools or local groups. In addition, they have about 
10 academic interns who come in a couple of times a week.

Not only do the kids learn how to blow glass, make beads, mosaics, and 
other projects, but they also learn life skills, she said. The studio 
offers business and entrepreneurs programs where students can form a 
business plan and learn about marketing among other topics.

"Some won't be glass artists but they will learn life skills," Witzig 
acknowledges. "How to balance a check book," she offered as an example.

The studio also offers classes for adults and rental of the space and 
equipment for glass artists, she said.

Alumni of the studio have gone on to college and listed their glass 
making experience on their applications, Witzig said. Some have forged 
their own glass making business.

Rolene Herod, a 16-year-old resident of the South Ward, is taking a 
six-week program at the studio. So far she has made three necklaces.

On a recent afternoon, she held up her newest creation, a necklace with 
elongated, clear beads that resemble icicles.

"It's good for my first time doing it but I want to be better at it," 
she said.

Dynayah Gray Vauters, a 17-year-old West Ward resident and an academic 
intern, loves the studio and the opportunity it gives her to be creative.

"Before I didn't think I was capable of being creative," she said while 
showing off a necklace decked out with black and white glass beads and a 
pink bow.

Tianee Gonzalez, 15, of the North Ward and also an academic intern, 
feels right at home in the studio, especially in the hot shop where they 
do glass blowing.

When she first came there, Gonzalez said she had no affinity for glass 
beading or the other classes in the studio - except for glass blowing. 
It was a little scary because it gets so hot in the studio, but she got 
the hang of it.

"I love glass blowing. I can concentrate and don't let anything throw me 
off my tasks," she said.


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