North Shore Glass School to Hold Halloween Glassblowing Events in October

The North Shore Glass School (NSGS) in Salem will offer a lineup of seasonal glassblowing experiences in October. These activities will include 15-minute slots that will allow participants to blow their own pumpkins, create fused Halloween jewelry, make flameworking ghosts, and fashion fused glass autumn scenes.

Additionally, NSGS will bring vendors to the school's Proctor Street parking lot on Oct. 25 and 26 for its annual Pumpkin Patch event. Opportunities to blow your own pumpkin at the hot shop will take place on both days.

NSGS), established in 2018 by Michael Hall and Matthew Cronin in Salem, offers comprehensive glassblowing and related art classes for all ages. Its hot shop features a furnace heated to around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Within this superheated space, students and professionals create exquisite artwork, such as blown-glass pumpkins, bowls, and custom pieces, which are then cooled gradually in an annealer over a 24-hour period.

Both passionate educators and North Shore residents, Hall and Cronin hold various classes, from private lessons to group workshops, as well as teach specialized courses in fused glass, stained glass, sandblasting, and flameworking. NSGS also hosts members of the community for special events such as birthday parties and seasonal Halloween classes. There, participants can craft themed items such as pumpkins, ghosts, and jewelry.

Hall and Cronin relish opportunities to teach children and teens the art of glassblowing. 

“People who like to work with their hands, which was like me and probably Matt growing up, would have loved to go to a place like this where they can be among their friends who also like to do crafts,” explained Hall in a story about NSGS published by North Shore Magazine.

“The kids pick up the techniques way quicker. . . . Their brains are wired to learn,” Cronin added.

This past spring, NSGS expanded into a joint studio and gallery at Artist's Row in Salem, displaying and selling various hand-blown glass artworks, including seasonal pieces. This space also offers opportunities for people to work with non-heated techniques like fused glass, stained glass, and sandblasting.

In addition to a full schedule of classes offered, this location has drop-in studio time with instruction. The hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. on the weekends.

Learn more on the North Shore Glass School's website.