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Sam

@imbackbo.glass

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Made in Pittsburgh

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Jellies for days! Shoutout to Sam for the excellent social media work and the assist! #jellyfishart #jellyfish

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Special thanks to the techs @pghglasscenter for taking such care of my work… she survived the fall in the annealer.

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What do you think??!! Let me know your favorite in the comments!!!

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what last night felt like🥸
First time emptying a furnace!! Excited to learn more about the furnace repairs and upkeep in the next few weeks:)) We’re also currently building a new reheating chamber!! Big things are happening at @pghglasscenter !!

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Made some new work in the studio today!!! Thanks to Sam for all the help..if only we really worked that fast!! Keep an eye out for a future post to show the finished product!

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this past week at the glass center I learned how to make soft glass beads (and so much more) in the flameshop, from the notorious / incredible / visionary @amylemairestudio.

this galaxy strand is made primarily of black glass, with streaks of reactive double helix as well as dark ivory embedded with silver. many of these were also coated with silver foil, which fumed and balled up into starlike effects.

many thanks to amy and our shop tech for the week, @imbackbo.glass! honorable mention to @samuelwhitney, who taught me to flamework in preparation for the intensive.

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The Hot Wheels crew is fired up at the @culturaltrust Three Rivers Arts Festival for free live to glassblowing demonstrations today and Sunday from 12 to 6pm. #traf26 #pgcHotWheels

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Shoutout to the tattoo convention in town 🔥
It’s bringing some awesome people through the shop—like @stonethapiercer and his homies who stopped by today, grabbed some vintage pieces, and had to try the $20 gumball machine…
And they didn’t hit lighters this time 👀

Instead—
💎 A custom pendant by local artist @imbackbo.glass &
❤️‍🔥 An arrow-through-the-heart “vase” by Pulsar

Two completely different prizes… both 🔥
#thingstodoinpittsburgh #pittsburgh #pittsburghpa #hiddengem #tattooconvention

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Fresh Forms. Bright Blooms.
Longer days, golden light, and the first blooms of the season—spring is here!

Celebrate the shift with fresh color and playful forms. From optic bud vases that dance with light to joyful glass flowers that will never wilt, each piece brings a sense of renewal to your space.

Birds, berries, budding flowers and more; this collection captures the energy of the season—bright, hopeful, and full of life. 🐦🍓🌷

SHOP THESE ITEMS AND MORE IN STORE NOW
1. Bird’s Nest earrings by Fire Fairy°, $42
2. Sculpted glass flowers by Beyvan Schantz*, $37.50
3. Engraved glass “Thumbler” by Rachael Strittmatter*,
4. Pear cotton napkin set by Elizabeth Grubaugh, $39.50
5. Bud vase by Byron T Gaylord*, $45 Learn more about the artist below
6. Glass strawberries by Stacking Stones Studio, $45–50
7. Flower Glass-to-Go mosaic kit $35
8. Cinch II Short Cup, Penn/Fairmount *($38)
9. Glass bunny by Jen Saitz* & Sam Campbell*, $45 Learn more about the artist below

*Pittsburgh area artist / °Friend of PGC

Find these items and more when you celebrate spring with a trip to The Shop at Pittsburgh Glass Center!

FEATURED SHOP ARTISTS

Byron T Gaylord
Byron has since spent 18 years immersed in the art of glass. His work is rooted in creating functional, celebratory glassware—pieces that people can use and cherish in their everyday lives.

Byron was honored as Best Artist of West Virginia by West Virginia Living Magazine in 2023. Supported by Crafting the Future, he became a resident artist at Penland School of Craft in 2023 and participated in a Mentor/Mentee residency at Wheaton School of Arts in 2024. He recently relocated his studio, Byron T. Glass, to Pittsburgh and teaches classes at PGC.

Jennifer Saitz
After a career as a marine biologist, Pittsburgh native Jennifer Saitz began taking night classes at PGC while still working as a teacher. She decided to focus on glassblowing and took a position at PGC. For the last four years, she has taken classes and assisted the public in making their own glass art. She uses her marine biology background to create something beautiful.

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#uraniumglass

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