Chicago — Trish Tolman-Ata, founder of Ignition Community Glass, doesn’t mind putting a 4,000-degree light bulb into the hands of teens who aren’t old enough to vote yet.
“They kind of hold back and say, ‘Wait, are you going to trust me with this?'” Tolman told Atha. “Just this alone, that someone really trusts you with molten glass 2,000 degrees. They see the possibility within themselves.”
Ignition Community Glass was founded nine years ago to help educate teens in underserved communities in Chicago about the art and science of glassmaking. Ben Tolman Atha’s son discovered the medium as a young man during what she describes as a dark time in his life.
“The teacher called and said, ‘I’m worried about your sweet boy and I think I can help,'” Tolman-Ata said. “That teacher was a glass blower.”
Thirteen years ago, Ben Tolman co-founded Ignite Glass Studios in Chicago’s West Loop, an artists’ space, gallery, and production facility for glasswork. Art lovers can purchase sculptures and pots in the studio gallery at the front of the building while torches, preserves, and a 2,000-degree furnace burn brightly in the back.
“We source custom orders and do a lot of work with local restaurants,” said Eleanor Harvey, artist and trainer at Ignite Glass Studios. “At the moment we are working on a large order for an essential oil company.”
Atha Trish Tolman said Ignition Community Glass was born out of Ignite Glass Studios as a way to drive positive change in her son.
“The light bulb went out and I said, ‘Whoa, let’s do youth programming,'” Tolman-Ata said. “I really felt like there were other guys besides Ben who were really struggling with their lives.”
Galen Bateman said he did a full 360-degree spin after participating in an after-school program at Ignition Studio Glass in high school. He now works at Ignite Glass Studios as an artist and trainer.
Speaking of the unpredictability of the medium, Bateman said, “Glass is terrifying at first”. “Sometimes we have those happy accidents and that’s just as beautiful as being a glass artist.”
Students who participate in ICG programs can learn about glassblowing and molten glass, and advanced learners study flame: the use of a flame and glass rods to create unique pieces. Tolman-Atha said thousands of students have participated in ICG and many notables have gone on to pursue fine art degrees to work as professional glass artists.
“The transformation that can happen; forged in heat, forged in challenges and tribulations, and then what can come of it,” said Tolman-Ata. “I am really excited about the future.”
For more information about Ignition Community Glass, visit icg-chicago.org.
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