Wednesday, June 02, 2021

The Arlington Public Library's 'Art is for Everyone’ series continues with featured artist, Jean Fernandes. In June, Fernandes will be teaching the community all about glass with virtual and in-person classes. Classes will be held at the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. Social distancing will be enforced, and masks encouraged. Virtual classes will be held via Zoom or available through our social media platforms.  

Fernandes is an international artist; born in India, raised in Dubai and California. She earned her BA in Graphic Design at San Jose State University, CA (2010) and her MFA in Glass at the University of Texas at Arlington, TX (2014). 
 
She has exhibited her art in juried shows nationally and internationally. Her most notable achievements include being selected as a 2014 Bullseye Glass Emerge finalist, being published in the 2014 Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology, and winning a 2015 Niche Award. She currently teaches beginning, advanced kiln-forming, and beginning glassblowing at the University of Texas at Arlington, and is the kiln studio manager and visiting artist coordinator at SiNaCa Studios in Fort Worth. 

Make sure to check out Fernandes’ work in the CREATE room located on the second floor of the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. Art classes will be free and all materials will be provided. These classes are intended for ages 14 and up. Registration is required. Classes are first-come, first served. Due to social distancing, we are restricted to limited capacity at this time. One seat per participant, no extra guests in the class.

Every month a different local artist will exhibit their work and offer free classes to the public. Don’t miss the array of disciplines and techniques on display. This class is part of the 'Art is for Everyone' series, a project supported in part by the Texas State Library And Archives Commission: TSLAC. 

Class Schedule 

Low relief design in glass – Create a glass suncatcher 

Wednesday, June 2, noon - 2 p.m. 

Learn how to create a low relief design in fused glass. Using xacto blades and scissors, participants will cut out designs from fiber paper (a high-temperature refractory material) that will then be placed under pre-cut transparent sheet glass to create relief in the glass. The glass will be taken to an off-site studio to be fused into its final shape. Participants will be able to pick up their finished pieces 7 days after the workshop. 

Imagery on glass – Create a 6” square glass platter 

Saturday, June 12, noon - 2 p.m. 

Sgraffito is traditionally a pottery technique in which layers of color are scratched away to reveal the color underneath. Participants in this workshop will scratch through pre-coated tiles of glass to create imagery on their glass. The finished glass pieces will then be taken to an off-site studio to be fused into the final platter shape. Participants will be able to pick up their finished pieces 7 days after the workshop. 

Studio visit – Learn about glass as an art medium 

Wednesday, June 16, 6 - 7 p.m. 

Join us virtually for an informational session about glass as an artistic medium. We will cover information about glass and its properties, different ways of working with the material, and do a glass studio tour. 

Etching on found and recycled glass objects – Create a frosted design on glass 

Wednesday, June 23, noon - 2 p.m. 

Reuse and repurpose, instead of throwing old glass objects into your recycling bin! Participants will learn how to upcycle found glass objects like bottles and cups. We will use materials that can be bought at craft and hardware stores to give all participants different ideas on how to upcycle glass at home. We will practice techniques on glass objects that will be provided during this workshop, but the techniques explored during class will be able to be applied to other glass objects at home as well.