PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Lectures and Artist Talks

Maestro Narcissus Quagliata Lectures 

APR - JUL 2026

Structured lectures developed by Narcissus Quagliata, exploring essential ideas in glass art alongside broader themes of visual language and artistic development. These sessions offer deeper insight into the principles, references, and ways of thinking that inform strong artistic practice across a range of subjects.

Distraction and the Creative Process | May 25th 

Exploring the connections between meditation, light, and creativity, sharing personal experiences and artistic expressions. He discussed the evolution of art and creativity, emphasizing the role of meditation in accessing the subconscious and embracing unpredictability in creative processes.

The Visable and the Invisable | June 29th

Scientific and philosophical support for unseen influences on perception and art. The brain may tune into broader reality rather than generate consciousness solely by computation. He described clinical anecdotes about altered perception after stroke and his own experience of creative crisis and recovery via risky studio work 

Gesture, Stroke Practice, Tools, and Course Planning | July 27th

In this session, Narcissus Quagliata focuses on the idea of “finding your own stroke” as the essence of artistic expression. He emphasizes that the value of art lies not just in the final image, but in the intention, presence, and energy behind each gesture. Using examples from nature, art history, and his own practice, he encourages artists to develop awareness of their strokes, experiment with tools, and stay fully present while working. 

Guest Artist Talks

APR- JUL 2026
 

Presentations by invited artists sharing their work, process, and experience. These talks introduce members to a wide range of practices and perspectives, offering direct access to artists shaping the field of glass art today.

Guest | Helen Whittaker | May 12th 

Helen is a renowned artist and designer, highly regarded for her new stained glass windows and architectural sculpture in glass and copper. She aims to engage the viewer through good design and craftsmanship, creating energy and movement intertwining contemporary and traditional elements.

Guest | Jack Storms and Mark Bolick | May 14th

A live dialogue exploring cast glass as sculpture, memory, light, and transformation. This session looks at how casting becomes not only a process, but a powerful artistic language.

Guest | Priska Jacobs and Josh Hersman | May 29th

Two distinct approaches to glass casting: one rooted in optics, image, and perception; the other in ice, landscape, and flow. In this session hosted by Narcissus Quagliata, artists explore process, material, and personal artistic language.

Guest | De La Torre Brothers | June 22th 

The de la Torre Brothers build wild, layered worlds where blown glass, lenticular images, religious icons, border culture, and Mexican visual language collide. Their work is baroque, funny, critical, and unapologetically excessive — a powerful conversation on identity, migration, contradiction, and contemporary culture.

Guest | Katherine Gray | June 26th

Katherine Gray is an artist, educator, and leading voice in contemporary glass, known for work that bridges material exploration, conceptual clarity, and deep engagement with the glass field. As a longtime professor and Resident Evaluator on Netflix’s Blown Away, she brings a rare perspective on making, teaching, critique, and the evolving language of glass.

Guest | Judith Schaecter | July 2nd 

Judith Schaechter pushes stained glass into a world of intense image, emotion, and narrative power. Through extraordinary technical command, her work transforms light into story — where beauty, darkness, and the human condition meet in glass.

Guest | Suzanne Head | July 6th 

Suzanne Head brings the language of drawing and painting into glass, building luminous images from sifted colored glass powder fired onto sheet glass. Through multiple firings, her work turns surface into atmosphere — where illustration, color, and kilnformed glass meet in a quietly powerful way.

Guest | Te Rongo Kirkwood | July 8th 

Te Rongo Kirkwood (Māori, b. 1973) is a New Zealand-based artist, known for her vibrant and evocative works that often explore themes of her Māori, English, and Scottish heritage and identity. She is the recipient of the 38th Rakow Commission. 

Guest | Preston Singletary | July 23th

Preston Singletary transforms glass into a vessel for Tlingit story, mythology, music, and cultural memory. His work bridges ancestral knowledge and contemporary form, creating a powerful language where tradition, material, and identity meet.

Conversations with Narcissus

APR - JUL 2026
A monthly conversation led by Narcissus Quagliata with an invited guest artist, centered on a specific theme, idea, or area of practice. These sessions go beyond process alone, opening space for reflection on artistic development, creative philosophy, and the broader field of glass.

Guest | Kathy Jordan, Amber Droste and John Reyntien| April 24th

An in-depth presentation on The Dome of Light—NQ’s landmark masterpiece—exploring its conceptual origins, artistic vision, and technical execution, as well as its lasting impact on Taiwan’s cultural identity, public art landscape, and international tourism.

Guest | Clifford Rainey, David Ruth and Silvia Levenson | May 15th 

A live dialogue on cast glass as sculpture, memory, light, and transformation. This session explores how casting becomes more than a technique — a powerful artistic language shaped by material, time, personal history, and meaning.

Guest | Layo Bright | June 17th 

Through glass, Layo Bright gives form to memory, migration, identity, and resilience. Her work moves between personal history and cultural presence, transforming material into powerful sculptural language that is both intimate and deeply contemporary.

Guest | David Judson | July 14th 

Join us for a conversation with David Judson, fifth-generation president of Judson Studios, the oldest family-run stained glass studio in America, founded in 1897. As the first talk in a new series on major glass studios around the world, David will share the story of Judson Studios from its historic roots to its present-day evolution, exploring legacy, innovation, artist collaboration, and the future of architectural glass in conversation with Narcissus Quagliata.

Mentor Sessions

Guided sessions led by experienced artists and mentors, designed to support the development of your work through feedback, discussion, and practical insight. Mentor Sessions currently focus on four core areas: Fused Glass, Stained Glass and Casting with more areas to be added as the community grows.

Inspiration and Creativity | APR-JUL 2026
Sessions focused on developing your artistic voice, expanding ideas, and opening new creative directions. These conversations support concept, inspiration, experimentation, and personal expression.

Process and Project Planning  | APR-JUL 2026
Practical sessions dedicated to processes, materials, and methods. Designed to strengthen technical skill and deepen understanding of each medium.

Production and Technique | APR-JUL 2026
Sessions that support the development of projects from concept to execution, including composition, structure, workflow, and decision-making along the way.

Feedback and Critique / Fused Glass | APR-JUL 2026
A space to share work and receive thoughtful, constructive feedback. These sessions are built around dialogue, helping artists refine their work, gain perspective, and grow through exchange with mentors and peers.

Enamel Painting | APR-JUL 2026
Sessions centered on enamel painting on glass, with a focus on image-making and visual expression.