Photo by clare jensen
GLASS HART. At 19 years old, Samantha Scalise is a seven year glassblowing veteran with Hilltop Artists and Residence Tacoma. This summer she is continuing work with the non-profit, school based program that aims to get at-risk youth involved with something positive. Above, Scalise helps finish a hand-blown centerpiece for the HART fundraising breakfast in October.
School is out but the glass production team at Wilson High School is still hard at work.
As part of the Hilltop Artists in Residence Tacoma (HART) programming, more than 70 students are off the streets and in the studio, creating glass art.
As a continuation of the more than a decade-long after-school program, HART remains open during summer, offering programming in glassblowing, fusion and bead making for more than 60 students at Jason Lee Middle School, and professional production work for 18 12 to 20-year-olds at Wilson High School.
The production teams work twice a week creating various commissioned artistic goods. They get paid for their time, giving them professional experience, and are held to high academic standards.
HART’s main goal is to align students who may be on the verge of making bad life choices with a healthy, expressive hobby and program: glassblowing.
Students get to join the production team by exemplifying artistic skill or because of their high-risk status.
“I think we’re doing a good job of keeping kids off the streets – we’re serving a lot of kids,” Production Manager Jess Hogan said. “And we’re providing a cool experience, rather than sitting at home playing video games during the summer.”
The task this summer is to create the stylish hand-blown centerpieces for HART’s annual fundraising breakfast held in October.
Nineteen-year-old David Price started blowing glass at Wilson two-and-a-half years ago before joining the production team. After graduating in 2009, Price is still engaged in glassblowing twice a week at HART. “It’s a good way to keep money in your pocket – but I’d do this for free,” he said. “Blowing glass is a good way to spend my time rather than doing other stuff.”
Samantha Scalise has been blowing glass for seven years and has been on production since age 13. Now she is pursuing her associates degree with plans to go into teaching glass art.
“If it wasn’t for glassblowing I would have no idea what I want to do right now,” she said.
Scalise started blowing glass on a whim at Jason Lee when she was 12. She has seen first hand the impact of HART on many of her peers.
“I know a lot of kids that if it wasn’t for HART they would still be on the streets,” she said. “And I’d rather be at the hot shop blowing glass than sitting at home doing nothing.”
Tony Sorgenfrei is another product of the HART program. He began blowing glass at 14 and, 11 years later, is running the after-school program and leading the production team.
“I went through the whole program – just like all these kids are doing now,” he said. Sorgenfrei and his brother were both in an alternative high school program before getting involved in HART and ultimately graduating from Wilson. Sorgenfrei’s nephew is also a HART alumnus.
“Blowing glass kept us out of trouble,” he said. “And the lure doesn’t stop in the summer – summer gives kids more time to get in trouble. That’s why we keep this going. HART doesn’t stop in the summer – if you close the doors it’s just not right.”
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