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Spend six weeks learning to sculpt borosilicate glass with instructor Wesley Thurston in downtown Black Mountain. This safety-first course teaches torch control, color techniques, and multi-component sculpture for students 16 and up.
Spend six weeks learning to sculpt borosilicate glass with instructor Wesley Thurston in downtown Black Mountain. This safety-first course teaches torch control, color techniques, and multi-component sculpture for students 16 and up.
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Operated by North Carolina Glass Center · Black Mountain, North Carolina
Flame Shop 101: Intro to Boro in Black Mountain sits at 112 E State St in the small mountain town of Black Mountain, North Carolina. Over six weeks, this hands-on course transforms beginners into confident borosilicate glass artists, teaching flame control, tool use, and the safety practices that make studio work reliable and repeatable. Instructor Wesley Thurston leads students through progressive projects—starting with heat control and basic beads, then moving into seals, bridges, color application, and multi-component sculptures built from the ground up.
The classroom is a working flame shop where the torch is central: concentrated oxygen and fuel shape color rods into glass limbs, seams, and hollow forms. You'll learn to read heat, annealing schedules, and why borosilicate behaves differently than soft glass. Emphasis on safety and equipment care means you leave with practical knowledge—how to set up a torch station, what ventilation and protective gear to use, and how to work cleanly to avoid stress fractures in finished pieces. By the final week students assemble their own complex sculpture, combining tubing, sculpted elements, and color techniques.
What makes this course stand out is its mix of technical rigor and creative freedom. Wesley's approach balances step-by-step instruction with room for experimentation, so students both master repeatable methods and discover personal motifs. The pacing—four hours a week for six weeks—lets heatwork skills build without rushing, and the downtown Black Mountain location makes it easy to pair class days with gallery browsing or a walk along nearby streets and ridgelines.
The program suits beginners ages 16 and up who want to invest time in a craft rather than a single-day demo. Materials and tooling practices emphasized in class prepare students for independent studio sessions or continuing education. This class also serves artists looking to translate 2D design into 3D glass forms, or makers aiming to add durable borosilicate pieces to their portfolio.
Practical details: a non-refundable $100 deposit is required for multi-week bookings, with refunds available up to seven days before class start minus that deposit. The meeting point is Black Mountain, NC; the shop's street address is 112 E State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, USA. Whether you want to learn to sculpt elegant ornaments, technical joints, or multi-piece installations, Flame Shop 101 delivers an intensive, safety-first introduction to borosilicate flameworking that stays useful long after the torch cools.
Students praise the small-group feedback and critiques that accelerate skill acquisition; the shop's structure encourages learning and improvement. After class, take time to explore Black Mountain's artisan shops or enjoy local cafes near 112 E State St. Whether you leave with a polished sculpture or the foundations to build one, this class turns curiosity into a practical studio practice you can return to.
No—this course is designed for beginners ages 16 and up; instruction starts with fundamentals and builds to multi-component work.
The class meets four hours per week for six weeks (24 hours total) to allow steady skill progression.
The deposit is non-refundable; you can cancel up to seven days before start for a refund minus the deposit.
Materials policy varies; check booking notes or contact the provider. The course teaches material use and sourcing for future projects.
Students learn torch setup, ventilation, protective gear, annealing practices, and how to avoid thermal stress in borosilicate glass.
The meeting point is Black Mountain, NC. The shop's street address is 112 E State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, USA.
North Carolina Glass Center is a hands-on glass art studio based in Black Mountain, North Carolina, offering workshops and multi-week classes in both Black Mountain and Asheville. The center focuses on hot glassblowing, flameworking, and fused glass, providing experiences for beginners, hobbyists, and aspiring artists. Classes range from brief 30-minute make-your-own sessions to immersive eight-week courses and three-hour workshops. Instructors guide participants through safety, studio terminology, and step-by-step techniques to create paperweights, ornaments, cups, marbles, pendants, icicles, miniature sculptures, fused tiles, and small blown forms. The studio’s schedule includes short experiences such as 30- and 50-minute make-your-own sessions, 60-minute specialty projects like donut pendants, 3-hour introductory workshops, and structured 8-week courses including Hot Shop 101, Hot Shop 201, and Flame Shop 101: Intro to Boro. Wesley Thurston leads the flameworking boro course. Sessions emphasize safety, individualized instruction, and clear demonstrations so participants complete tangible keepsakes. Materials, tools, and kiln-firing or annealing when required are provided by the studio. The center caters to solo visitors, families, small groups, and students seeking technical progression from introductory classes to intermediate skill-building. Booking information, schedules, and specific class prerequisites are available through the studio’s listings. North Carolina Glass Center’s combination of brief hands-on options and longer technical courses makes it a practical destination for first-time makers and committed learners interested in glass art.
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