Hilltop Artists in Residence
 A student, Lucas Lowery, and instructor, Greg Piercy, in the glass studio. |
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Photo:
Geff Hinds
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In creating Hilltop Artists in Residence, Kaperick saw in glassblowing an art form that might attract young people who are used to living on the edge. Working with hot glass generates excitement, requires immediate attention, and represents a specific challenge. It is intense to the degree that full attention is required 100 percent of the time‹something familiar to young people accustomed to "watching their backs." Besides giving students skills in a breathtakingly beautiful art form, glassblowing also teaches participants teamwork, discipline, and the importance of strict adherence to rules. It allows them to feel trusted as they work with the often dangerous equipment and delicate substances.
Funded in part by the city of Tacoma, Hilltop Artists in Residence operates in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools, conducting instruction after school and during the summers on school grounds and recently as an official alternative school. Hilltop requires school enrollment (or re-enrollment) for participation and class credit. Other alliances afford paid summer internships and peer tutoring. The next partnership on Hilltop's horizon is even more far-reaching: a joint venture with the Taos Pueblo New Mexico to create a full-scale glassblowing and academic facility that will operate in conjunction with Tacoma Hilltop.
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Artists in Residence PO Box 6829 Tacoma, WA 98407 Phone: 253-396-1455 Fax: 253-396-1457 Focus: Hot Glass Instruction Number Participating: 400 Ages: 8-20 Annual Budget: $509,575 "Before I got into glassblowing, the next day never really meant anything because, with what I knew, I wasn't promised another day. Now we are opening a school at Taos Pueblo where I will be an instructor." James Kinnard Student Hilltop Artists in Residence |