The Bloomington Creative Glass Center (BCGC), is a dedicated nonprofit organization that stands at the forefront of providing accessible and affordable high-quality education in the art of glass for people in and around southern Indiana. The center’s mission is to embrace individuals of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and experience levels. BCGC has become a welcoming haven for those with an interest in the world of hot glass.

The center offers a diverse range of creative experiences through its classes and workshops, available to both beginners and intermediate participants, from stained-glass sessions exploring copper foil techniques to advanced embellishments. As well as workshops for glass fusing, glass blowing, and molten glass creations. Each week the center offers take-home kits of different projects to order and work with at home.

BCGC actively invites community involvement through volunteer opportunities, accommodating a variety of preferences, from working with kids to clerical tasks or yard work. The center is preparing for its Holiday Fusing Fest on December 9, 2023, providing a chance for volunteers to contribute to the community’s artistic landscape.

For those interested in glass blowing, BCGC’s apprenticeship program offers hands-on learning from experienced glass blowers. Following a mandatory training session, apprentices commit to 24 hours of volunteer work over six months, contributing to the creation of over 900 blown glass pumpkins for the annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch. This program also provides participants with opportunities to earn reduced-cost glass classes.

The center features an art gallery, showcasing pieces by the gallery artists in blown, infused, and stained glass. The center allows visitors to either participate in the fused glass heart fundraiser to support the center or buy a fused heart-shaped glass piece of art for as low as $2. These purchases serve as both a donation to the center’s events and a means to keep its doors open.

Abby Gitlitz, founder of Bloomington’s Creative Glass Center, stumbled upon her artistic destiny the day before her college graduation. Fate interfered, diverting her from the expected path and leading her to the exciting world of glass. Today, Abby is the driving force behind the success of the center.