About the Co-Founders of the Glass Academy

How we began

The Glass Academy, located in a vintage tool-and-die area in Dearborn, Michigan, is the creative brainchild of artists Michelle Plucinsky and Chris Nordin. Established in Detroit, the Glass Academy relocated to its current  location in 2004. This 14,000-square-foot facility functions as a private art studio for the founding partners, where large-scale commissioned projects (for hospitals, hotels, private patrons, and businesses) are fabricated in glass, metal, and mixed media. This is also where all glass is produced for BATCH Gallery and the studio's livestreamed show, "The Gathering Point."

An educational facility showcasing glass experiences, hands-on classes, and seasonal events, the Glass Academy aims to expand consumer awareness of how handcrafted glass can be utilized as both functional and decorative elements in modern applications.

As Glass Academy’s founders, Chris and Michelle share an extensive background in the glass arts, and both have impressive resumes in craft and business. In perfecting their glass skills, the creative duo has attended workshops from Maine (Haystack) to Seattle (Pilchuck), in addition to teaching at the professional level (Corning), traveling to work abroad in Italy, and running a production studio within Dearborn’s Henry Ford Museum.

Experiencing Glass Academy

BATCH Gallery is open to the public Thursday and Friday 4-7pm, and Saturday and Sunday 11am-4pm. During the day, visitors can observe from a distance, various art glass projects happening from private sculptures and awards to corporate fundraising projects and items for the studio gallery.  Evenings are reserved for the hands-on classes.  Closed to the public Mondays thru Thursday, the staff will utilize the full studio for various glassmaking projects while Sundays are reserved for private exploration of new techniques, prototyping new products, and research.

Class Experiences

Glass Academy offers a range of class experiences all designed to give you a unique intro into the glassmaker’s world.  Try different techniques in each original class or for a more hands off approach, BYOB and play designer to your own unique glassware that we craft for you during our Happy Hour experience.  All of our studio classes are geared toward creating an awareness of the many facets of handcrafted glass while sharing the love of the glassmaking process in a fun atmosphere. All classes are held at our Dearborn studio, at 25331 Trowbridge Street in Dearborn, Michigan.

Events

Several times a year, Glass Academy hosts seasonal themed events including our Glass Eggstravaganza, Pumpkin Fest and Holidays in Glass. Seasonal events feature live narrated educational demonstrations, free parking, and a gallery filled with themed glass products available for purchase. These family friendly events attract thousands of spectators and customers to the Dearborn studio to purchase glass products place custom orders and observe the studio in action.

Products

The Glass Academy craftsmen create an amazing array of handcrafted glass objects, all designed and styled by the founding artists, Michelle Plucinsky and Chris Nordin, giving the work a familiar design style with plenty of originality.  From functional beer mugs and wine glasses, to wearable pendants, seasonal decorative items, and creative glass for your home garden. You can see all of the items available for purchase on our SHOP page.