GLASSTASTIC 2025
They’re baaaaack! For the seventh time in 14 years, BMAC is teeming with fantastic creatures conjured up for the museum’s biennial GLASSTASTIC exhibition. Last fall, we asked kids in grades K-6 to submit drawings and descriptions of imaginary creatures, and the results were a joy to behold. We received over 1,000 submissions—from just down the street and as far away as Alaska.
A talented and generous group of 20 artists pored over all the drawings and descriptions, mesmerized and entertained. Each one faced the difficult task of selecting a single creature to transform into glass sculpture. The resulting exhibition celebrates the imagination of the kids who participated and the care and ingenuity of the artists who faithfully rendered each creature’s distinguishing features in glass.
To bring the gleaming assembly to life, the artists experimented with process, materials, and a variety of glass-working techniques. In some cases, molten glass was gathered on the end of a hollow pipe, rolled, stretched, and given form with the artist’s breath. In others, shapes were carefully cut from cold glass, then layered and placed in kilns, allowing the separate pieces to fuse together. For flame-worked sculptures, brightly colored rods of glass were heated with a torch and manipulated to create intricate details.
We welcome you to this gathering of colorful creatures and invite you to take time to peruse the drawings displayed on the walls and in the accompanying binders. As you read each description, you will find that many of these quirky characters possess charming habits and abilities. Quite a few love pizza and dancing. One enjoys rapping… and giving out jelly! We hope they all make you smile.
As always, we are grateful to the kids and artists listed below, who made this exhibition possible, and to the parents, teachers, and other grown-ups who helped along the way.
— Danny Lichtenfeld, Director
CREATURES & CREATORS
Click here to see the drawings and descriptions of the creatures listed below.
Anna Andriano, 11, Orangella – Robert DuGrenier
Layla Arnold, 11, Lisa – Dominique Caissie
Adeline Ayers, 7, Fefe – Genevieve Cole
Jordan Crance, 9, Owly – Claire Kelly
Iry Dupuis, 10, Sock Monster – Randi Solin
Joel Escobar, 9, Billy Bob – Robert Burch
Grant Giangregorio, Larry – Jocelyn Brown
Maddie Gruey, 11, Alfred & George – Bryan Randa
Simon Hamilton, 11, Alf – Jen Violette
Austen Helzer, 11, Walnut – Chris Sherwin
Israel Hicks, 11, Mr. Funny / Mr. Slap – Peter Muller
Maddie Kolb, 10, Tina – David Colton
Desiree Lake, 10, Catcus – Josh Bernbaum
Reagan Loucy, 8, Webs the Tarandrabat – Wesley Fleming
Clara Lumenello, 11, Smilie – Chris Sherwin
Gavin Oparowski, 10, Demon Slug – Andrew Weill
Ella Roscoe, 12, Alien-179 – Marta Bernbaum
June Thomson, 6, Red Cat – Jordana Korsen
Isaac Toll, 9, Lil Crab – Marie Formichelli
Calvin Westover, 9, Skeleton Pirate Man – Zak Grace
Elliott Williams-Quinn, 8, Dragi Cat – Sally Prasch
BMAC extends special thanks to the following people for the kind assistance with this exhibition: Jenny Beller, Kestral Bossard-Kruger, Jade Comellas, Hallie Driscoll, Ari Essunfeld, Paulina Essunger, Griffin Gooch-Breault, and Kat Gooch-Breault.
This year’s Glasstastic creatures are generously sponsored by
Kim Benzel and Bruce Campbell
Robert and Kathy DuGrenier
Susan Fiske and Douglas Massey
Kat and Mike Gooch-Breault
David and Susan Howell
Jon and Susan Joyce
Christine and Peter Yost
Although the following two creatures will not appear in the exhibition they will be transformed into glass by artists Chris Sherwin and Nick Kekic at a live demonstration on April 26 at the artists’ studios in Bellows Falls, Vermont.
Charli Berger, 11, Gerald
Jayden Bolduc, 11, Scooper Dooper The Third
SELECTED PRESS
Creating a Glass Monster — Brattleboro Reformer (2/14/25)
Flameworking Pioneer Sally Prasch — Talking Out Your Glass Podcast (Season 10 Episode 1)
Glassblowing and apple research — WAMC Northeast Public Radio (10/28/24)
RELATED EVENTS
March 22, Saturday, 5 p.m. — Opening of Six New Exhibits
April 26, Saturday, 1-4 p.m. — Breathing Life Into Imaginary Creatures: A Glasstastic Demonstration
RELATED RESOURCES
Installation views (coming soon)
Photo Album: Glasstastic 2011
Photo Album: Glasstastic 2013
Photo Album: Glasstastic 2017
Photo Album: Glasstastic 2019
Photo Album: Glasstastic 2021
Photo Album: Glasstastic 2023
Ask the Artist!
