How hot is the melting furnace? Why do you use newspaper in your demos? We’re gathering our glassmakers to answer all of your burning questions on March 6 for #AskAMaker. Send your questions to us on Twitter by tagging @corningmuseum and #AskAMakerDay. We’ll be accepting your questions from now until March 4, so make sure to send your questions soon!
Meet the glassmakers who will be answering your questions:
Caitlin Hyde, Flameworker
Caitlin Hyde lives in Corning, N.Y., and has been making flameworked glass beads and small sculpture since 1996. She teaches workshops at The Corning Museum of Glass and across the country. Hyde’s background in illustration, textile design, and love of high contrast, rhythmic pattern are evident in her pictorial beads and assembled figurative work. “The desire to create and tell stories binds us together across time and space and culture,” says Hyde. “So I make beads about stories; not always overt in their meaning, but with the implication of narrative.”
Eric Goldschmidt, Properties of Glass Programs Supervisor
Eric Goldschmidt has been working with flameworked glass since 1996, when his roommate introduced him to the torch. Since then, he has studied with and assisted many of the world’s most talented glass artists. Previous to his current position, Goldschmidt was the resident flameworker at The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass and a flameworker for Arribas Brothers Company at Disney World.
William Gudenrath, Resident Advisor at The Studio
William Gudenrath is a glassblower, scholar, lecturer, teacher, and expert on historical hot glassworking techniques from ancient Egypt through the Renaissance. Resident advisor for The Studio, Gudenrath ensures excellence in the facility and its programs, and regularly teaches introductory and advanced courses in Venetian techniques. Gudenrath authored the Museum’s first-ever scholarly electronic resource, The Techniques of Renaissance Venetian Glassworking, launched in 2016.
Jeff Mack, Hot Glass Programs Supervisor
Jeff Mack joined the Hot Glass Team in December 2015 as the new hot glass programs supervisor after 17 years spent working in a museum setting, most recently managing the Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art, and as a glassblower and instructor at Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village prior to that. Mack’s work references traditional techniques and is held in both public and private collections worldwide.
Eric Meek, Hot Glass Programs Manager
Eric Meek has been a gaffer at the Museum since 2002, and now manages the Museum’s hot glass programs. After graduating from Bowling Green State University, Meek worked at the production studio at the Henry Ford Museum. He went on to receive his MFA from Kent State University and taught at the Glasfachschule Kramsach in Austria for six years. When working with glass, Meek likes to draw upon tradition and fine craftsmanship to realize modern, elegant forms.
Jessi Moore, Special Projects Team Leader at The Studio
Jessi Moore works as the Special Projects Team Leader at The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass. Moore earned her MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and served as student representative on the Glass Art Society board of directors in 2011-2012. In her personal work, Moore strives to investigate the fallibility and distortion of human memory.