New Orleans School of Glass Works
One of New Orleans' best kept secrets

In the virtual tour below, you will see them performing the first step towards creating an intricate design, which you can see in the crisscross pattern in the platter you saw on the previous page.  

They begin by melting a ball of glass in the big furnace, then stretching it into a long tube until it cools and hardens.  It is then broken and will be used at a later stage.

Our guide sheds a little insight on the male-female roles when working in teams in the world of glass.  Forget the 21st century, girls.  Women are the gophers, no matter how good they are, and rarely achieve the master status, merely because they don't get the opportunity. 

The artists are focused on their work, but pause to answer any questions we have or offer details about the process.  With all that hot glass flowing, we don't want them distracted.

	Here, Terry  Walker is making Christmas ornaments.  She dips the molten glass into bowls of coarsely crushed colored glass.
	She then works with the glass until she achieves the shape and look she wants.

The Glass Works is the only glass place in the world that visitors can walk in off the street and watch famous artists at work - for FREE!  Not even Waterford invites such exposure!

And although watching is fascinating, there are other ways to get involved.   Every Friday is kids day when they may  try their hand at glass sculpture, blowing or casting.  On the wall, there are pictures of kids creating all kinds of creative projects.  There's even a picture of Nicolas Cage, with his son Wesley.

You can get your hand cast.  It's simple.  Lay your hand in a damp mixture of sand and clay, pour hot, molten glass in, let it cool - what a keepsake! 

Missing a piece in your own glassware collection?  Commission an artist to recreate a replacement!  You'll never know the difference.

Or take a class.  It may be the start of a new career!  The Glass Works is located at 727 Magazine Street and their number is 504.529.7277.

All this glass blowing has made us hungry.  

How about A Flying Burrito?

 Let's Go!