About
Mission
Glass Axis is a vibrant non-profit glass center dedicated to making and learning.
Glass Axis is a vibrant non-profit glass center dedicated to making and learning.
VisionGlass Axis is a 10,000 sq. ft. nonprofit art center providing artists, students, and community members the tools necessary to passionately create innovative works in glass while learning, sharing, and teaching. Member artists have access to affordable glass blowing, glass fusing, torch working, cold working, stained glass and neon facilities, plus studio, exhibition, education, outreach, and income-producing opportunities all under one roof. By linking artists to the thousands of patrons that visit the art center each year for courses, demonstrations, exhibitions, and special events, Glass Axis becomes a vibrant civic hub of art production and community participation, bolstering sustainable cultural equity throughout Ohio and beyond.
HistoryIn 1987, twelve students and graduates of The Ohio State University Glass Program came together under the name Glass Axis. The group built a portable glass blowing studio and traveled all over Central Ohio teaching glass art, with a focus on the Greater Columbus Arts Council's Artist in Schools Program. Five years later, the expanded 20 members established a more rooted glassmaking studio in what is now Columbus’ Arena District. Since then, Glass Axis has grown to over 120 members and is home to many amateur and professional artists. In the summer of 2001, Glass Axis made yet another move to a larger space in the Grandview area of Columbus. This new space is now a comprehensive glass making facility encompassing molten glass, casting, fusing, neon, stained glass, cold working, and torch working. The space offers first class facilities to Ohio artists in all stages of development, hundreds of classes and public programs each year, exhibition and retail space, plus high school and college internship programs, and a work credit program to help keep artists in the studio. Glass Axis has become a civic hub for art creation and learning, a place of cultural equity that continues to adapt and grow.
Community Engagement and Cultural EquityThe Glass Axis community begins with artists that work in glass, whether professional, emerging, hobbyist, student or first-timer, and extends out into the Ohio community in general with a special focus on people with disabilities, low-income youth, and recent or soon-to-be graduates. These communities intersect and interact though public classes (over 130 annually), special events including Pumpkin Patch, preview parties, exhibitions, college and high school internships, outreach programs including the Columbus Arts Festival, partnerships with Columbus City Schools, Goodwill, and Race for the Cure, and an extensive volunteer program. These interactions create a vibrant community hub where all ages and classes can interact with a shared interest in art, leading to greater cultural equity. Imagine a group of seven lawyers, one of which is on our Board of Directors, attending a private glass blowing demonstration in the hotshop; while eight adults with disabilities are working together to create a stained glass sculpture, and six four-year olds are learning about glass beads; two professional artists are working with teams of assistants (two of which serve on our Board of Directors) to create fine art; at our front end is a couple looking at glass jewelry for a gift and a group of women that work for a domestic violence counseling center discussing custom commission options; meanwhile our Executive Director is working with a Columbus College of Art and Design intern on marketing, while our Shop Tech is building marvers with an out-of-work metal worker with over 20 years experience. This is our vibrant community!
Organization InfrastructureOver the life of our organization our leadership and administrative infrastructure has changed, but has consistently been driven by a relationship between artist and community. In 2008 the Board of Directors began working to hire a visionary and competent Executive Director with a strong history of art making as well as leadership. Prior to this, Glass Axis operated instead with a Studio Director, always someone with an exemplary art practice, but with limited leadership experience. This new position was filled in April 2010.
Currently our Executive Director works closely with the Board of Directors to plan, step-by-step, the actions necessary to fulfill yearlong and long-term initiatives outlined on the Board approved strategic plan. Each month the Board meets to discuss and vote on actions and expenditures within budgeted constraints. These approved actions are then distributed to appropriate committee or staff to supervise and complete, often with the help of volunteers and always with the support of the Executive Director. Committees include, Governance, Renovation, Fiscal, Education, Facilities, Public Events, and Communications. Each month committees report progress and take recommendations from the Board. The Board is historically comprised of mostly glass artists whether emerging, professional, or hobbyist, while over the past few years Glass Axis has diversified its board to include educators, non-profit administrators, and pre-development professionals, and is currently re-structuring governance to formally and institutionally address this diversification. Member artist are always invited to attend board meetings and/or meet with one of two designated ombudsman.
