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Glass Blowing Classes

Access to the Glass Lab is gained through beginning, intermediate, and advanced glass blowing classes, which are open to all members of the MIT community. These glass seminars are non-credit classes.

Students with little or no experience in glass blowing start with the BEGINNING seminar, which is taught three times each academic year: fall semester (about 6 weeks), IAP (4 weeks, and open to freshmen only), and spring semester (about 8 weeks). Entry to the beginning classes is by lottery. Dates and locations of upcoming lotteries are posted on this website. The Lab can accommodate 16 beginning students per semester. This group is divided into four classes of four students each. The time commitment for a beginner is two 2- hour classes per week: one instruction session and one practice session. Currently, students have a choice of one of the following time blocks for the Friday instruction session: 10:00am–12:00 noon; 12:00–2:00pm; 2:00–4:00; and 4:00–6:00pm. Practice session times are announced each semester and are generally from 4:00–6:00 and/or 6:00–8:00pm. Scheduling is done for each student at the lottery, immediately following admission into the class. There is a lab fee of $30 per week for all classes.

Beginning practice sessions are taught by qualified alumni of the beginner seminar and others invited into the program. Many of these monitors take the INTERMEDIATE glass blowing seminar, which is taught by experienced glass blowers working professionally in the field. Each semester there are a total of 24 students in four intermediate glass blowing classes, usually conducted once a week in the evening.

The ADVANCED class, also held once a week, is composed of six of the most experienced instructors in the Glass Lab, and is currently taught by a visiting artist.

To sign up for a beginning glass blowing seminar, you MUST be present at the lottery. Dates and locations of upcoming lotteries will be announced on this webpage. The Glass Lab maintains a mailing list, which we use to inform people about important upcoming events such as lectures and sales. If you wish to put yourself on this mailing list or contact us, please see our contact page.