| Peggy Baxter took her first stained glass class at CMU while earning her BS degree. She attended WMU and received a K-12 Art Education Certification. She has a studio (213) in the Park Trades Center and has been involved with the West Michigan Glass Art Center since it's beginning. She teaches a variety of classes involving glass and other mediums.
Sue Bombardt started creating stained glass in 1975. She brings a science background to her glass art. She added lampwork (boro and soft glass) and fused glass to her palette in the last 10 years and enjoys combining glass techniques to create unique glass pieces. Sue teaches bead making, lampworking, stained glass, and fused glass at WMGAC.
Sam Brown began as a scientific glassblower at Pharmacia Upjohn. He has been lampworking for 12 years and has attended workshops around the country from Emilio Santini, Tim Drier and Harald Eberhart. He has also been a furnace glassblower for the past 10 years. Sam has been instruction at WMGAC for 7 years and loves every minute of it.
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Laurie Donnette has been working as a full-time lamp bead artist for the past six happiest years of her life. Author of seven step-by-step bead making tutorials, she creates beads for international designers and collectors. Laurie teaches bead making at WMGAC. Check out Laurie’s art at www.everafterartistry.com.
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Michael Fortin has spent the last decade developing his skills in traditional off-hand glass blowing, glass casting, lampworking and large-scale sculpture. Michael teaches glass blowing and lampworking and sandcasting.
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Dan Foster has been working with hot glass for over 10 years, spending the last two as a full-time flameworker. Dan Foster specializes in blown stemware, vases, figurines, jewelry, and teaching classes at the West Michigan Glass Art Center.
Lori Gavan comes to WMGAC after many years of teaching art education in the public schools. Lori has a long career in oil painting as well. She actively shows her artwork in galleries and boutiques throughout Michigan. She teaches fused glass at WMGAC.
Rich Greene, a Navy Veteran, was born and raised in Kalamazoo. He received his BFA from the Schools of the Art Institute of Chicago. He started working with stained glass (mosaics) when he was a Special Education Art and Vocational Instructor in Chicago, IL. His art has been exhibited throughout the Chicago area.
Dan Kirk has been a bead artist for 20 years. After retiring from public schools he started blowing glass. He sells his jewelry and glass at shows throughout the Midwest. Dan teaches flamework classes and sandblasting at West Michigan Glass Art Center.
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Linda Kekic creates kiln fused glass art. She owns “House Jewelry” and enjoys combining glass pieces with other elements including silver, copper, stones and found objects. |
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Lee E. Klade took his first stained glass class in 1998 and has been expanding his experience ever since. He executes his original panel designs in both copper foil and lead came and also specializes in the construction and repair of lamp shades. He operates KladeWerks, specializing in exceptional handcrafted items in wood and glass.
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| Judith Konesni earned a BFA from the University of Toledo/Toledo Museum of Art. She is a professional glass artist and teacher with over 30 years experience and has exhibited regionally and nationally. Specializing in hand blown glass sea life, sculpture, and vessels, Ms. Konesni teaches a variety of glass blowing techniques and kiln casting. |
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Jacob Shaff has been flameworking glass since 1999 and has made a full-time job of it for 11 years. When not teaching at West Michigan Glass Art Center he creates marbles, jewelry, stemware and functional art.
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Sherry Trautman became hooked on fused glass when she unexpectedly discovered she could combine her passions for painting and sculputre into fused glass art. Sherry displays her glass artwork in galleries and shows throughout Michigan. She teaches kiln fusing.
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