I attended the Hot glass, cold beer event in April. Highlights - If you buy a VIP ticket, you get an assigned seat. If you buy the regular ticket, it's standing room only, and can become fatiguing after 3 hours. - Free beer; they had a Kolsch and an IPA on top. Plus wine. - Food is available; catered by Tato restaurant. - The action is great. Very fun to see the process of making a deluxe glass vase read more

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I did a private lesson here in November with Momo. She was easy to understand made the directions really clear, was there to help but not not looking over your shoulder you way. I really appreciate that because sometimes you take art classes and the instructor covers in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable. This was not the case at all, she was there to help with any questions I had, and support me and whatever I wanted to make. It was so much fun and I think I may be addicted to making glass now. I start a group class in a week and I'm looking really really forward to. read more

This place is AWESOME! If you're looking for an educational yet thrilling time, come make colorful glass objects here! Our instructor was Maria who is GREAT. She's super patient, encouraging, and will answer even your most absurd questions. We made pumpkin paperweights which required using hot, long metal rods and manipulating hot glass on an end of the rod. it can definitely be dangerous, but if you pay attention, the instructors do a great job at calling out all the points to be extra careful in their demo. It's a hot studio (they have tons of super hot ovens) so dress accordingly and they do give you water. remember to wear closed toe shoes! after you make your product, the glass has to cool super slowly so don't expect to walk away with your finished product read more

Public Glass - Art Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great for team-building off-sites! The beginner class is making paperweights. They also do more demo-based events on the weekends sometimes where you can see professionals work on bongs and vases and goblets. It's a fun experience but very pricey. read more

Public Glass - Art Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place was amazing. My team was here for a team-building off-site and Public Glass graciously held a class for a good half of the day for us. They put us in teams of 4-5 to work together in making paperweights. At first, I thought, bleh paperweights, they're like the gift you pass off but it was the process that was truly valuable to engage in, and you appreciate glass art so much more after doing it yourself. Our instructor, Gabe, had the patience of a saint and was clear and helpful through the whole process and getting us through a paperweight each! (even with some team members being less than cooperative or engaged). Afterwards, all of us got to see a live demonstration of a beautiful glass bowl being blown in less than an hour by 3 of the artisans -- it is amazing teamwork and truly skilled craftsmanship. The facility is exactly what it is -- a public glass studio. This is not a bougie instagrammy workshop studio that holds overpriced events. It's not in the greatest area so I would not leave valuables in your car, even though there's parking right outside. I saw their price list for their other classes / events and found it highly reasonable -- looking into a class for my husband at some point since he was super jelly that I got to do this on work time :P If you are looking for a unique DIY experience that you definitely can't just get from pinterest or someone's blog, this is worth checking out. read more

A coworker who has been making fused glass art at Public Glass for several years mentioned the Hot Glass, Cold Beer event, and I was instantly intrigued. Ever since I met Dale Chihuly and was able to see him and his team work up close and personal, I've had a little bit of a crush on glassblowers in general. For those of you who've never seen glass being blown in person--it's damn sexy. So when S. mentioned that for $25 I could choose my very own unique drinking glass created at the studio, have it filled with beer or wine, snack on goodies, listen to live music, and watch two sexy Scandinavian glass blowers, I was sooooo in. The guest artists were total rock stars. Picture hot, edgy, Euro artistes, with guns big enough to wield the weighty molten glass, wearing tight T-shirts, and orchestrating a team of assistants along to some solid tunes in a smoking hot warehouse and you'll understand why they weren't the only ones sweating. Of course it helped that I was able to snag a front row seat for the second demo. My cheeks felt like they were on fire from the furnace even though I was at least 20 feet away. Earlier on I'd been able to stand near the glory hole (second furnace--mind out of the gutter!), which they used to reheat the glass. But be careful. You need to pay attention to the glassblowers at all times, because they move between furnaces quickly, and you do not want to be in their way! In addition to the glassblowing, there was a fused glass demo and many of the students and artists were selling their artwork. The quality of the pieces was very professional, and it was a great opportunity to purchase unique glass pieces like those you see in museum gift shops, but for a lot less. Hot Glass, Cold Beer was a truly invigorating way to spend a Saturday night. It made me realize how much I miss being part of the art world, and that it may be time to take up a new hobby ... fortunately, Public Glass offers beginning glass-blowing classes, too. read more

Public Glass - Hot glass, indeed! At the February 2011 Hot Glass, Cold Beer event. - Art Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love public glass. I'm so happy to have this wonderful resource so near to San Francisco! Some recent events I not only attended in the last year, but extremely benefited from: ~ the "Good Things Come In Small Packages" exhibit of small glasswork done by artists throughout the world. I made my support more tangible and bought two! (and am happy I did--I'm now starting a collection ) ~ an all day glass blowing and flameworking demo and auction. I unfortunately decided to make my support a little too tangible this time ; ) Anybody want to buy a really nice vase? ~ and of course, the highlight of 2006 for me was the two workshops I participated in with Lucio Bubacco and Vittorio Constantini. These are two of the worlds masters at torch based glass work and we were so lucky to have them come teach right here in the Bay Area. I attended both 2 day workshops. The most fabulous flameworking to be done on the face of this planet. (http://www.luciobubacco.com/gallery.html) thanks Public Glass! (esp. Janice Peacock for making these small glass events come together) Hmm. It's time to check out what's happening there this month. read more

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I'm a glass lover so my review is biased. What I love at this place is how its so intimate--classes are small, the instructors are nice, and there are SO many various classes at different times so that even for the busiest people there is a class that will work for you. Took the glass fusion class--I would say for this class, make sure you go in with an agenda in terms of what you want to make so you don't start working, look at your watch and realize that the class is over! Either way though, loved it, going back, and definitely going to try to make it to the Hot Glass, Cold Beer event. read more

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Public Glass has been great for the intermediate classes I've taken so far. I previously took a mirroring class with MC, and I am currently taking a fusing and slumping class. It really has been wonderful how flexible they have been around scheduling. The classes I have signed up for have been underenrolled, but they have run them anyways and not charged any extra. I ended up in one on one classes with talented instructors, which has been a great learning experience. If anyone is looking to take classes, beginner or advanced, I would take them at Public Glass. read more

Public Glass - Product of the mirror class - Art Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Maria is the most patient and best instructor out there hands down! I definitely recommend any classes from her and the company as a whole! The atmosphere is so down to earth and relatable! Best of the best ;) read more

Public Glass - Art Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The glass pumpkin walk-in workshop was so much fun! In 30 minutes we successfully created pumpkins that were surprisingly lovely. Our instructor Brynn patiently guided us through the entire process, and we had no prior experience. I was expecting them to turn out a little lopsided or ugly, but was very pleased when we picked them up the next day. They offer lengthier classes where you learn more about the technique if half an hour isn't enough time for you. Such a fun activity- percent for a date or even with friends. read more

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This review is not for the classes - just the the "hot glass, cold beer" event. Here is the bottom line: You should go. Top 10 Reasons to Visit Public Glass for "Hot glass, Cold Beer" 10. You can talk to the artisans and buy some cool stuff, should you desire to do so. 9. You will find an interesting crowd to mingle and chat with. 8. There are snacks, in case you get the munchies. 7. You can bring your kids, if you REALLY want to (not sure why people do this to be honest) 6. There is live music throughout 7. You get to watch some really cool glass sculptures being made. 6. The bathrooms are spacious and pretty darn clean 5. It's cheap, $25 all inclusive 4. There is free street parking all around the area, or you can take the T-line in 3. You get to pick out your very own handmade glass to fill with your beer or wine on the way in 2. If you get there early enough, you will get the COOLEST glassware to bring home with you 1. Do you really have anything better to do? read more

I took the Glassblowing 1-day 6 hour workshop and learned the following about glassblowing: It's HOT AS HELL It's A LOT of work It's rewarding If you enjoy putting in the efforts to create something from scratch and find the fruits of your labor satisfying and rewarding, then glassblowing could be your new hobby. I think I lost 5 pounds of sweat during this workshop, and felt kinda fainty at one point, but boy oh boy this was fun. The instructor was very thorough and I ended up making 3 great pieces. I had to take a long nap when I got back home, but totally felt like I put in a good days work. I LOVE that feeling. Apart from possibly being a new hobby for me, this makes an excellent workout. I just wish it wasn't so darn expensive. read more

If you want to take an intro class full of safety hazards with an unenthused instructor making glass like it's still the 19th century, then this is the place to be. Took the one day 6-hour long intro to glassblowing workshop. The class was not organized and consistent. Different teacher took over in the middle of the workshop who was way grumpier and did not seem like he wanted to be there. He grumbled over how the previous teacher was supposed to show us proper techniques when he didn't, which I agree and would've prevented close calls for getting burned. Also, they left a random box of sharp tools out at a table where we were taking our breaks and I nearly got a nasty gash on my arm after grazing by it. Not to sound like a germaphobe but they do not clean the mouth pieces of blowing pipes between uses AT ALL. Wouldn't kill to have some antiseptic wipes around for us. Never know if someone with cold sores on their mouths have been using a pipe :/ What made the class even less enjoyable was one of the students in the group who clearly thought she was way more advanced than the rest of us after taking a glass blowing lesson once a long time ago and kept cutting into the instructor as he was teaching us and just making it hard to learn in general. I would've told her to stfu, but would have been nice if the instructor told her to do so since he was clearly getting annoyed with her. After this experience I don't think I'd ever take a glass class again. Making glass is way less practical than say wood working. Do yourself a favor and take classes at the Crucible instead. At least they seem to have their shit together. read more

The venue is awesome, but the classes are hit or miss, depending on the day or the instructor. I've taken 2 classes here. One was a FLAME110, think flameworking with a table torch to make pendants, marbles, little glass animals. Our teacher Robin was amazing, and encouraged us to try funky creative designs. We were kind of bumbling, and a guy nearly singed an eyebrow, and she just calmly helped everyone through it. The other class was HOT190 - glass ornaments. Maybe it's the rush of the holiday season, but they didn't have a teacher for us... We waited 15min while the staff cobbled together 3 different teachers for the 2hr 45min class (also we started late). There wasn't a great transition between teachers. And the next day when we picked up the finished ornaments, half of them were cracked. Lastly - picking up the glass is a slight headache. CALL AHEAD before you try to pick up your cooled-down glass pieces. read more

Is it okay to write a review for something that you are completely in love with? I mean, to be honest, this review will be akin to writing a review about chocolate. I friend introduced me to Hot Glass Cold Beer about a year ago. I was immediately hooked. $25. Very cool glass for the keeping. It's bottomless for the night. Live music - hell yes. And glass blowing demonstrations - hell-fire yes! I've been to five of these events now and it's been great every time. Here are some of things I love about it: Live music. (I am musician - live music gets me every time...) Wonderful artwork. (These people are really talented! Check out www.demetraglass.com) Nice people. After five times I've gotten to know a couple people there and they are super nice. Not snobby artists at all. They truly want people to learn and know everything they can about glass working. Good Beer. Trumor Pils! Yes! The big furnace where they keep the molten glass resembles Mount Doom on the inside. How cool is that? Err... hot actually... Total bargain!!! $25? Bottomless glass for four hours? Really? Live music and live artwork? Really??? Very cool vibe. You hang out. You compare glasses with others. You start comparing people's choice of glass with their personalities. (This takes place after several refills...) You also get a very diverse crowd, and you get along with everybody. Clean bathrooms. Did I mention live music? read more

This is such a San Francisco institution. Public Glass is the place to go if you want to learn anything about working with glass at any level. Learn glass blowing, glass slumping, glass casting, and glass sculpture. If you already know how to work with glass, this is where you can rent studio time to create your art. This is also the place to go if you want to find a fine glass artisan for your special commercial or residential project like custom light fixtures or architectural glass. Public Glass also holds public events, some of them are demonstrations or master classes, others may include a demonstration but are more social in nature. Hot Glass and Cold Beer is a periodic social event that usually includes awesome live glass blowing, live music, finger foods, beer or wine, and some unique small glass piece for you to keep. There aren't that many public glass facilities in the country. It is a non-profit that is always struggling to make ends meet and needs your support. read more

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We went here last night for a "Hot Glass & Cold Beer" event. Pay $25 for a one-of-a-kind handblown glass, endless supply of beer/wine, and some snacks. They have a band playing and do some demonstrations. Something new to do on a Saturday night, but kinda a hike from downtown. We had a good time, but I'm not sure we'll be regulars. read more

Went to a super gathering here this afternoon. Murano glass Master Afro Celotto, with assistants Luca Vidal and Carlo Tagliapietra spent six hours creating 4 beautiful pieces of glass. (You can see the stuff he does at http://www.afrocelotto.com/). Public Glass has been around since 1997, and is a non-profit organization providing all sorts of glass blowing facilities and classes. They told me they're going to try to do more of these glass-art related events in the future. read more

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I took my girlfriend here for her birthday to experience some glasswork. We took the "Play with Fire" intro course, which found us making colored paperweights with bubbles. It was quite a thrill and the instructors were friendly, professional, and filled with interesting facts about glassblowing. We were both a little nervous about the dangers therein, but the class was very controlled and felt safe. The instructors led us through every step of the way. We're thinking of going back for a more advanced course as well. read more

I can only talk about Hot Glass, Cold Beer. A friend invited me, and in the interest of exposing myself to more art(in a good way), we went. $25 got me a really nice glass, and they just kept filling it with beer or wine. Sat and watched the glass blowers working on a piece while we were there. It would have been more interesting to have them talk it through a bit, let the audience know what they were doing, why they were using certain tools, etc. etc. I know they were working hard, in the creative zone, but a little interaction with the audience would have been appreciated. Will I go back? Sure. It was fun, a nice way to spend a Saturday evening. read more

We recently held a team building at Public Glass. The staff were so accommodating and engaging. Everyone enjoyed making a glass and learning about the process and the art of glass making. Very cool! read more

Public Glass - Art Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is the greatest thing ever! I have always wanted to take a glassblowing class and was able to do a holiday ornaments class (3hrs) with my girlfriend. The class size was small (just us two and another couple) and the instructor and assisting TA were SOOOO friendly, helpful, attentive, informative, and all around awesome. We had a blast taking this class, and can't wait to take more and attend their beer/glass events in the future. It's amazing how much you can learn within 3 hours and, even with zero prior experience, emerge with some beautiful products. The class is intense (in heat) but you'll learn fast and the instructors are there to help every step of the way. You are given quite a bit of autonomy in deciding how to make your items, so you really feel like you contributed to the whole process. Parking is easy here. Definitely bring a water bottle. I wish they had explicitly noted that you won't be able to leave with your products - you have to wait 24 hours for them to cool. Luckily, I could easily get back another day, but it does add a little extra hassle. Despite this, the experience was so positive, I can't bring myself to lower any stars for this place. read more

No words: just action. Go to the website: www.publicglass.org - and find out when the next "Hot Glass, Cold Beer" event is. Then, attend. Pay $25.00 to get in, select a hand-made glass from the table, and let the artists of Public Glass keep it filled with beer while you witness art glass being born. read more

So cool! We did the 'Play with Fire' introductory class this past weekend. It was so much fun! Our instructor, James, was phenomenal! Definitely try to get a class with him. He was so knowledgeable, welcoming, and just plain awesome. If you have any interest in glass blowing, start here! Bring a bottle or two of water. Wear jeans and sneakers. I wore long sleeves and was glad I did. The protection from the kiln was good. read more

I signed up for the hot 100 class, intro to glassblowing, and it was by far one of the coolest things I've ever done. My teacher, tyler, was the chillest guy, was super welcoming and knowledgeable. The class was originally booked for three people, but due to a medical emergency the other two cancelled. Instead of canceling the class, Public gave me a private lesson. Because they're awesome like that. Over the course of an hour and a half I made two paperweights and a cup with absolutely no pervious experience. The paperweights were sick (one of them was all twisty) and the cup is also awesome. They look professionally made, because Tyler was an incredibly effective teacher. I may or may not have burned my hands a little, but it was sooo worth it! read more

I came here back in May with the person I was newly dating. He suggested this activity and found a Groupon. (This is such a fun place for a date by the way :) ) Whether you're newly dating or in an LTR, this place is fuuun. What better way to get to know your partner than to do something creative together? Anyway, our instructor... (I believe her name was Alison but please Public Glass correct me if I'm wrong, it's been about 5 months and I can't remember :X) was super patient. I'm a lefty, and really petite, so I was semi nervous about holding the long iron pole and twirling it around in hot fire. However, she explained everything patiently and I felt very safe. Steps: 1. Draw out the kind of glass you want to create. I wanted to create a glass vase, my boyfriend wanted to create a goblet looking beer cup. haha. 2. Pick the colored glasses you'd like to incorporate into your glass item. They have quite a lot of colors to choose from, however they did not have lilac. (my favorite color. but it's okay, having lilac would be a bit ridiculous. I opted for a teal/blue, while my bf chose neon green. (I know, neon green isn't a fashionable color but it's okay he's the best :) )) 3. Start the process. Let Public Glass explain the rest of these steps. It includes blowing into a tube and twirling the iron rod. I assure you, you'll have fun!! And now the bf and I are making handmade soy candles and putting the wax into these glass cups. read more

Super unorganized for sure fire hazard. Long lines - don't pre buy, tix at the door gets you in faster. So.... Long line to get in, longer lines for drinks, have to pay for cheap food, glass guys dancing through crowds with hot balls of glass - uh, yikes! So many better things to do in the city. Pass!!! read more

Best $35 I ever spent! Talent, all you can drink, fun people and even better art. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I lived even close to SF would be there on the weekly gettin my glass on. read more

Public Glass is amazing! I had some time this summer so I took some flameworking classes for fun. The first two classes I took were beginning flameworking and glass animals, both 6-hour classes taught by Robin. For both classes, Robin demonstrated how to make one object and then let us make it while watching and guiding us; then we ate lunch and had another demo+DIY. In the first class, we got to make a marble with a twisted spiral pattern and a pendant using implosion/compression. The second class I signed up for was torchblowing, which had two 6-hr classes taught by Jeff. Although the class was advertised as torchblowing, we learned a whole lot more than that! Jeff would give some quick demonstrations on various techniques - torchblowing, compression, flowers, poking air bubbles, etc. - and then just let us experiment with pretty much whatever we wanted. He also brought in gold and silver flakes and fumed them onto our pieces after we poked air bubbles into the glass, so that the fumes would be trapped inside the glass and create really cool patterns! I came out of Robin's classes a little disappointed that I wasn't able to make more objects but feeling like I learned a lot about working with glass and building a good foundation. In Jeff's classes, I was able to make a lot of small trinkets and get more practice with various techniques (while listening to him tell awesome stories, too!) Overall, I enjoyed these classes a lot and have some awesome keepsakes to show off! I'll definitely be continuing to improve my flameworking experience and I have Public Glass to thank for getting me hooked! =) (Also, amber-purple is the prettiest.) read more

My wife and I came here to take their "Playing With Fire" 3-hour introductory class. Gina and Spencer were fantastic teachers, continually made us feel like glass sculpting rockstars despite the fact that our pieces were way off-center, and taught us a great deal about glass sculpting and glass blowing. I am definitely going back! A tip for those of you who go there thinking that you'll walk out the door with your glass art, you won't. You have to let the glass anneal (cool down) in a temperature controlled kiln, so you'll need to come back the next day. read more

My boyfriend and I received the class "HOT110" as a (well researched) Christmas Gift. We had the pleasure of Hilary as our instructor. She guided us through the 6 hour class with grace. She is clearly experienced, passionate and able to walk us newbies through a very intense process. The space feels cozy, and the people were friendly and courteous. We were in a group of 4, two couples. The group worked out great. There were enough people to assist the person doing the glass work while one person take photos. We were taught safety first, then went into making a paper weight. We all did pretty good on this one, but who knew that glass work was so intense! We moved on to making a drinking glass... this was not so straight forward... at least for our group, haha! We were both challenged and supported and got through the experience with some awesome pieces! We will definitely be coming back for more! read more

Their HotGlass Cold Beer event on Feb 12was great. Great live music, glass artists were rock stars and tons of people.

If you every want to learn how to blow glass, this is the place to do it! Very professional. In fact you can watch great artists blowing glass there all the time. Only downside: bit pricey. But it's very expensive for them to keep the furnace at 2100 degrees 24/7. read more

I blow glass there. It's a great place with a whole host of classes from beginning to more advanced in all the ways you can work with glass--not just glassblowing. Check out their website for classes on slumping, fusing, casting, kilncasting and glassblowing. Every 3 months or so there's a party themed "Hot Glass Cold Beer" where you can get in the door for $20 but you get a handblown glass to keep and all the beer you can drink in it. Glassblowing demos, firedancing and bands are usually at these events. Really good fun. read more

Went for their "Hot Glass Cold Beer" event Saturday night. Good date idea! Saw a great glass blowing demo as well as a warm glass (flame) demo. The artists were very nice and did a great job of telling us what they were doing and so on. There was even munchies there as well as the beer, wine or soda. You pay $25 for a glass (you pick any glass you want out of a big selection - students make the glasses so they are all "unique") and you can fill it as many times you like with either beer, wine or soda - they also have bottled water. We had a great time, stayed for about an hour and a half - could have stayed longer but we were going to dinner. Oh and they had live music too - very good! read more

If I could give zero stars I would. Completely disorganized class with disinterested teacher. On top of that there seems to be no interest in maintaining the safety of students in an environment that is inherently dangerous. Oh, and when I mentioned this to the executive director he acted like he was the God of glassblowing. read more

I took a 3 hour private class with my bf for his bday and it was pretty amazing. We've never done anything like that before. Our instructor Kat, was great. We made really cool stuff and I especially liked my flower :D. I would recommend this place, they will work with your schedule, have great instructors, are reasonably priced, and offer a fun environment. read more

My husband & I happened to come up Public Glass on Yelp. We walking into a welcoming and amazing environment!! We enjoyed looking at the beautiful pieces in the front gallery. Then Nate Watson greeted us and offered a tour of the back area where all the glass blowing magic happens. It was terrific. Two teens were learning how to blow glass at the hands to three teachers. It was so interesting. I would go back again, attend one of their events or even take a class...that would be neat! read more

I participated in the 3-hour intro class this past weekend, and had a blast! I was worried that it wouldn't be fun because our class didn't involve glassblowing, but most of the techniques for glassblowing are the same as for making a paperweight. Loved the grimey ambiance of this place; reminds me of other machine shops I've worked in. If you've got any interest in learning glass working I'd highly recommend this class! read more