Glass Class

Glass-blowing is one of the hottest, most popular activities at MIT. Not only have 100 students signed up for a 12-spot class, but the intense heat and roar of the three glass furnaces in the MIT Glass Lab do nothing to diminish the students’ enthusiasm. Freshman Helen Lee contends, “The heat is part of what makes glass-blowing exciting and different.”

Invented by the Syrians in the 1st century B.C., freehand glass-blowing has changed little over the centuries. Students says it’s the incongruity of learning this ancient manual trade at a high-tech place like MIT that makes the classes so appealing. “I can already sense how much harder this is than it looks, but it’s such a different kind of challenge from what I usually face at MIT,” says freshman Lillian Kiang.

Freshmen cite the hands-on nature of glass-blowing as another attractive feature. “There’s no math involved,” says freshman Katy Riley, who views glass-blowing as a creative outlet. “I like the idea that I can make something myself and take it with me,” she says.

The students also appreciate what a rare opportunity it is to study this esoteric art form. “I thought this might be my last chance to learn glass-blowing,” says Jagesh Shah, who will graduate with his PhD this June. “I wish I had taken a class sooner, but there’s always been a long waiting list.”

The MIT Glass Lab, located in the basement of Building 4, offers year-round instruction in glass-blowing to all members of the MIT community, under the supervision of Prof. Michael Cima, of materials science and engineering, and Page Hazlegrove, a local glass artist. Cima says the glass lab offers students a unique opportunity to practice an ancient artistic technique while learning about the behavior of materials at the same time. “The students start off thinking of it strictly as a creative outlet,” he says. “But then they want to make a particular shape–a beer mug–and they can’t get it to work. And so they start asking questions. Although their objective is still to make a creative thing, they start applying scientific principles to the problem.”

Hazlegrove agrees that glass-blowing is a novel way of learning about materials, but recognizes something more in the total fascination many MIT students have developed for this art form. “You can study glass-blowing from a technical level,” she says, “but there’s so much mystery and magic to it. The process is very much like a dance. You’re working in a team, carrying around this molten blob on the end of a metal rod and trying to avoid hitting other people. It requires a great deal of concentration.”

“The process is very engrossing–while you’re working, you have no time to worry about other things,” says Jessica Forbess, a senior in electrical engineering who has been studying glass-blowing with Hazlegrove for a year. “Because you only have 10-15 seconds to manipulate the glass before having to reheat it, you’re always thinking, “How hot is the glass? What can I do with it right now?’”

There are other lessons to be learned at the glass lab, Cima says. Teamwork is one. Students must work in pairs, with one person maneuvering a rod with molten glass on the end and the other person assisting him or her by fetching tools, holding wooden heat shields, and blowing into the rod. Another valuable lesson is learning not to become too emotionally attached to any one project. “Sometimes it’s difficult for the students because they get so frustrated and discouraged when pieces fall on the floor and crack, and it happens so often,” explains Hazlegrove. “Eventually they learn to think more about the process rather than the product.”

Since 1972

Glass-blowing has been a popular activity at MIT since 1972, when Pam Vandiver brought over a surplus glass furnace from the Massachusetts College of Art and began teaching classes. The activity evolved into one of the most popular freshman seminar courses in the late 1970s, attracting 40-60 students each term. The spirit of hands-on learning was always a priority in the glass lab. “By making, breaking, blowing, and analyzing glass, students enjoyed a very tactical introduction to materials processing techniques,” says Vandiver.

Cima notes that the glass-blowing classes remain very popular, largely due to student word-of-mouth and the curiosity of casual onlookers. “Passersby often stop in to find out what’s going on in the lab–they’re captivated by what they see,” he says, adding it’s like a glimpse back to 14th-century Venice. In the mid-1980s, when the School of Engineering funded a major renovation of the Lab, Gerry Wilson, then dean of engineering, recommended that the frosted windows between the Lab and corridor be replaced by clear glass to allow outsiders to observe. Although Cima says he didn’t understand the reasoning at the time, he now claims the clear windows are the best advertising for the classes.

“I passed the glass lab many times and was intrigued,” says Katya Delak, a senior in chemistry who has studied glass-blowing with Hazlegrove for two years. “One day I just went in and asked if I could take a class.”

Wilson recalls his idea. “Yeah,” he admits, “I still enjoy peeking in those windows every time I walk by.”

by Eve Downing

On Topic: arts, students