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Mar 07, 2013 | Joy Hilley

St. Francis Art Department Launches Fused-Glass Class

St. Francis Glass
Fused-glass crosses crafted by St. Francis eighth graders

Eighth graders at St. Francis Episcopal Day School can really take the heat—in art class, that is. Starting last fall, the St. Francis Middle School art department introduced eighth-grade students to a relatively new art form called glass fusing, in which glass is melted in a kiln to create one-of-a-kind, dimensional art pieces. Unlike its cousin, stained glass, fused glass has no soldered lead lines, and pieces can be crafted without the pre-work of cutting and assembling a large number of glass pieces. According to Middle School Art Teacher Amy Chandler, all you need are a variety of types of glass, a kiln, and a load of creativity.

“I have always been fascinated by glass,” says Chandler. “I also thought it was a medium that most kids have never been exposed to.” So, when the school purchased a kiln for its art department in spring of 2012, Chandler saw an opportunity to add fused glass to her curriculum. The students’ first projects—crafting crosses and Christmas ornaments during the fall semester—left them clamoring for another fused-glass project this spring, Chandler says.

As a new staple in St. Francis’ fine arts course offering, the fused-glass medium presents students with an artistic outlet typically only available in the realm of non-scholastic studio lessons—further demonstrating the school’s commitment to remaining on the leading edge of visual arts education. Middle School students also work in the mediums of printmaking, collage, watercolor, clay, wire, metal, sculpture, drawing, and pottery, all with a focus on stimulating creative thinking, nurturing self-confidence, and enhancing leadership skills and academic performance.

Chandler will offer two weeklong fused-glass art camps this June to students in fifth through tenth grades during the St. Francis Summer on the Point summer camp program. Registration is now open.