2025/2026 Glass Art Guild of Utah Scholarship Application – Click HERE.
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR 2026
The Glass Art Guild Scholarship Committee is currently accepting applications for education scholarships of up to $1,000 to members and nonmembers to attend classes and events related to Art glass in 2026. The deadline for submission is Jan.15, 2026, and winners are expected to be notified by February. Anyone residing in the state of Utah is eligible to apply. We are encouraging any members of the Guild and members of our community to apply for these scholarships and are asking members to please spread the word that these scholarships are available,” said Kerry, “These scholarships are intended for any educational opportunity in the art glass community. It could be applied to taking a class online or in person or attending any of the art glass related conferences being held around the country. Many examples will be listed below.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
A Guild partnership with Bullseye Glass Company of Portland Oregon provides for two people annually to receive 50% off any Bullseye class taught by Bullseye staff and five people to receive one-year access to over 100 free videos in the Bullseye online training video library which are geared to beginning and intermediate skill levels.
In addition to these education opportunities there are glass conferences and classes across the nation including the Glass Craft and Bead Expo in Las Vegas April 15-19 where hundreds of classes are offered and the Glass Art Society Conference in Corning New York June 3-6, 2026 where more than 800 glass makers, curators, educators and suppliers gather from around the globe.
The Guild also partners annually with the Pilchuck School of Glass to provide for one person annually to receive 50 percent-off a one to three-week on-campus glass class including room and board. Because the 2026 class application deadline was Oct. 31 this scholarship has already been awarded. It went to Guild member Sheena Wolfe.
In addition, Guild member Jodie McRaney Russo, owner of Glass with a Past in SLC, has scheduled the following beginning glass class at her studio. Introduction to Fusing, Jan. 8-29, Thursday evenings, 6:30 – 9pm. The cost is $350 and those who might want to apply for a scholarship to take this class should send in their Scholarship Application and then contact Kerry as soon as possible for early consideration or reimbursement. She also offers an intermediate glass class starting in February. Register or learn moreabout Jodie’s classes at: http://GlassWithaPast.com/classes/.
There are also beginning fused glass classes taught by Glass Art Guild of Utah members at Red Butte Garden on the University of Utah campus. Please visit the classes guild web page on this site for more information
A partial list of local and national opportunities are listed below
LOCAL:
Glass With a Past.
Beginning and intermediate glass fusing classes GlassWithaPast.com/classes/.
Western Art Glass
Stained and fused glass classes westernartglass.net
Holdman Studios
Glass blowing, fusing and stained glass classes holdmanstudio.com
Red Flower Studios
Glass blowing classes redflowerstudios.com
Tara Frost
Fused and stained glass classes youngglasshopper.com
Reflective Arts Studios
Fused glass classes sarindajones.com
NATIONAL:
Bullseye Glass Company
Online or in person art glass classes covering many techniques of art glass sarindajones.com
NQ Teaching
An online educational program lead by glass master Narcissus Quagliata and co-taught with hand-picked teaching assistants nqteaching.com
Pilchuck Glass School
Premier on site glass school in Washington State offers a variety of art glass classes by world class artists. pilchuckglassschool.com
The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass
World class art glass museum and school in New York State offering a variety of art glass classes glassmaking.cmog.org/classes
Pittsburgh Glass Center
Premier glass education center offering a variety og (olde glass) glass making techniques. pittsburghglasscenter.org
Penland School of Craft
Onsite craft school in North Carolina offering many art glass making classes penland.org
CONFERENCES:
Glass Art Society (GAS)
National association of glass artist annual conference held in Corning New York June 3-6, 2026 glassart.org
Las Vegas Glass Craft and Bead Expo
Annual conference held in Las Vegas April 15-19. Hundreds of classes offered and well as the countries largest art glass trade show glasscraftexpo.com
Kerry Transtrum, Scholarship Committee Chair
“This groundbreaking scholarship program has had a tremendous response and is truly one of our greatest accomplishments. The best thing about it all is we are just getting started. As a testament to what our organization is about and what we do I would like to acknowledge the fact that each and every member of GAGU has contributed to this important program in one way or another. We would also like to give special thanks to Bullseye Glass Company for their help in sponsoring this program.”
GAGU SCHOLARSHIP NEWS, 2025 AWARDEES ANNOUNCED
The Glass Art Guild Scholarship Committee has announced that 17 scholarships have been awarded for 2025. The average scholarship amount was about $500. Of the 17 recipients ten scholarships went to members and seven went to nonmembers. Winners were notified in February.
This is a new project for the guild and the first year of funding. Scholarships will now be awarded annually and are limited to $1,000 dollars each. The scholarships help fund any educational opportunities in the glass arts and anyone residing in the state of Utah is eligible to apply, said Scholarship Committee Chair Kerry Transtrum.
“We’re (the Scholarship Committee) proud to have been able to put this program in place and to help so many people to enhance their fused-glass skills. I think this (the scholarship program) is the greatest thing our Guild has ever done,” he said, adding that the glass arts have diminished across the country in recent years and the scholarship program will help generate renewed interest.
To help raise funds “we plan to have another auction at our annual barbecue in September and will continue to ask members to donate an art piece or a percentage of their profits at guild-sponsored art shows,” Kerry said, noting that the Scholarship Committee is also putting together a list of possible annual donors that would be interested in supporting the program. “We thank the previous donors for their support and are always open to any ideas on how to make this better,” he added.
GAGU members who received Guild Scholarships for 2025 are: Yvonne Applegate, Access to Bullseye Glass Video Library; Anthony Barbano, Casting Workshop with Kerry Transtrum Studio-de-Verre; Deborah Byrnes, Access to Bullseye Glass Video Library; Jose Ramon Castillo, Creating Dimensions Milkweed Arts (online class); Kerry Collett, Narcissus Quagliata Masterclass Session 6 (online class); Katie Jolma, Access to Bullseye Glass Video Library; Andrea Malouf, How the Work Gets Made with Ted Sawyer of Bullseye Glass; Lori Scharf, Advanced Pattern Making Class; Brian Scott, Paul Tarlow Session at Pilchuck Glass School; Kevin Scott, Cold Working and Dichroic Jewelry at the Las Vegas Glass Craft and Bead Expo.
Nonmember Scholarship Awardees are: Madison Jane Barnard, Casting Positive and Negative, Penland School of Crafts; Ric Blackerby, Access to Bullseye Glass Video Library; Hunter Gabel, Intro to Glass Fusing with Jodi McRaney Rusho; Sarinda Jones, How the Work Gets Done with Ted Sawyer of Bullseye Glass; Lori Krasny, Mastering the Edge at the Las Vegas Glass Craft and Bead Expo; Pollyanna Tullis, Access to Bullseye Glass Video Library; Talia Woodbury, Intro to Glass Fusing with Jodi McRaney Rusho.
After getting notice that she received a scholarship, Glass Guild member Andrea Malouf explained that when she discovered Ted Sawyer’s How the Glass Gets Made, “I was thrilled—until I saw the $750+ price tag. Between my son’s college tuition and his housing costs, I just couldn’t justify the expense. Then, the Glass Art Guild of Utah Scholarship changed everything, making it possible for me to take the five-week online Bullseye class. The very first line of the course had me hooked: How can you find inspiration consistently? And how can you then translate it into compelling, satisfying works of glass? This sparked something deep within me. As a full-time writing professor, I can’t produce glass in large quantities like many artists in the Glass Guild. But I’ve come to realize that quantity isn’t the point—I want my creativity to shine in my small studio. Thanks to this course and the GAGU Scholarship, I feel my artistic energy flowing again, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity!”
Katie Jolma joined the Glass Art Guild last summer and has been creating glass for two years. The new Guild Scholarship Program gave Katie funds to access the Bullseye Video Library. “I chose to apply for this funding because there is so much information (in the Bullseye Video Library) and I can now access it at my own pace. I feel very supported by the Guild and am thankful for the scholarship money,” she said.
Talia Woodbury just finished an introductory class in fused glass that was funded through the scholarship program and is planning to join the guild in the near future. She has been working in stained glass for two years and applied for the scholarship to expand her glass education. “I plan to combine stained glass with fused glass and refine both skills,” she said, adding she is grateful to the Guild for giving her the opportunity to work with Jodi McRaney Russo in her Glass with a Past studio.
Kerry got the idea to start the scholarship program after attending a National Glass Association meeting in 2023. The Utah Guild then formed the new committee which met as needed in 2024 to set up the scholarship guidelines and application process. Since that time several fundraisers have been held, and donations have come in through member donations and donations from various organizations. More than $13,000 was raised last year and $6,800 of that amount was awarded this year.
THE GLASS ART GUILD OF UTAH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Glass Art Guild of Utah will be awarding education scholarships to emerging and established glass artists residing in the state of Utah to attend classes and events related to kiln-formed and cast glass. The maximum award will not exceed $1000 per applicant. Members and non-members of the guild may apply.
Scholarship Committee Chair and founding guild member, Kerry Transtrum, got the idea to start the scholarship program after looking into what is currently in place at similar national glass associations. He then sent out a survey to judge guild interest in the project. Survey respondents overwhelmingly agreed that establishing a scholarship fund was a good idea for the guild and that the funds would be available to both members and nonmembers. Most respondents also said they would be willing to give a monetary gift, an art piece, or volunteer time to support the scholarship fund and committee. In addition, most respondents indicated that a small percentage of guild savings or a small percentage of guild dues could be used to help fund the program.
JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AT RED BUTTE GARDEN – TBA
