Board Member
Become A BAGI Board Member to create real impact
by making arts accessible to the community
BAGI is a public-access glass studio with four separate spaces, each serving a unique glass discipline: hotshop, flameshop, kilnshop, and coldshop.
Mission: The Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI) provides accessible, hands-on glass experiences that educate and inspire current and future generations of students, artists, patrons, and our community.
Vision: BAGI is committed to serving our local community by offering accessible, educational, hands-on experiences with the widest range of instruction, events, and rentals in furnace glass, flameworking, fusing, casting, and cold working.
BAGI funds its operations, maintains its facility, and reinvests in programs that give people access to glass art education, such as the Scholarship Fund, Mobile Fuse Program, Mobile Trailer, and Visiting Artist Series. Revenue sources include classes and events, City of San Jose grant funding, and annual donations from patrons.
Why Join BAGI?
Serving on the BAGI Board offers the opportunity to:
- Help steward one of the Bay Area’s most distinctive community arts institutions
- Support artists, students, and public access to glass art
- Apply professional skills to meaningful community impact
- Join a collaborative, working board with tangible outcomes and visible resume
Role Summary
BAGI seeks engaged, mission-driven Board Members to help steward the organization through its next phase of growth. Board members serve as strategic partners to the Executive Director and staff, providing governance, financial oversight, fundraising support, and community connection.
Board members help shape BAGI’s long-term vision, ensure organizational sustainability, and actively contribute skills, relationships, and leadership to advance BAGI’s mission.
Key Responsibilities
Governance & Strategy
- Partner with fellow board members and the Executive Director to set strategic direction, priorities, and long-term goals.
- Ensure BAGI operates in alignment with its mission, values, and nonprofit best practices.
- Participate in annual planning and periodic strategy sessions.
Financial Oversight
- Review and understand financial statements, budgets, and cash-flow projections.
- Support fiscal responsibility, sustainability, and capital planning.
- Work closely with the Treasurer and Finance Committee, as appropriate.
Fundraising & Resource Development
- Make a personally meaningful annual contribution and help BAGI meet its “give or get” expectation.
- Actively support fundraising through donor introductions, sponsorship outreach, events, and grant support.
- Serve as an ambassador to expand BAGI’s donor and partner base.
Organizational Support & Advocacy
- Champion BAGI within professional, civic, arts, and community networks.
- Support major programs and events, including the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch and Visiting Artist Program.
- Provide guidance and expertise in areas such as finance, real estate, construction, nonprofit governance, fundraising, marketing, HR, legal, or local arts ecosystems.
Committee Participation
- Serve on at least one board committee (e.g., Finance, Facilities, Fundraising, Marketing, Outreach).
- Contribute approximately 5 hours per month, including meetings and committee work.
Desired Backgrounds & Skills
BAGI is particularly interested in board members with experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Finance
- Working with the in San Jose Community, especially groups who are under represented in the Arts
- Local Arts Experience
- Real Estate / Construction
- Nonprofit Board Experience
- Fundraising
Board Terms & Expectations
- Term: 3 years
- Meetings: Approximately 6 board meetings per year, including one longer strategy session
- Attendance: Minimum 50%; no more than two consecutive meetings missed
- Financial Commitment: $5,000 annual give or get (flexible combination of personal giving, fundraising, or in-kind support)
- Engagement: Active in person participation in committees, events, and strategic initiatives - thus requiring person located in the Bay Area
Timeline
Applications are Due May 15th, 2026
Applications will be reviewed by June 1st, 2026
You can expect to hear back from us by July 1st, 2026
History
The Bay Area Glass Institute, affectionately known as BAGI, was founded by four San Jose State University (SJSU) students in 1996: Mike Binnard, Bobby Bowes, Mariko Takada, and Jonathan Tepperman. No longer students at SJSU, the founders of BAGI needed a hot shop to work in. The first BAGI hot shop was located in Bobby Bowes’ backyard/garage. It was the founders’ collective idea to create a glassblowing studio that they could rent out as well as to serve as a gathering place for fellow glass artists.
Why create a glass art institute? In addition to being an affordable work space for local glass blowers, fusers, and torch workers, it’s also a public education facility. The goal is to provide a way for the public to become familiar with fine art glass and the processes used to make it. In addition, BAGI supports established local artists as well as beginning level students in their efforts to further their glass-working careers and/or journeys.
Values
Principles that describe how we approach our mission
- Accessible: Provides programs for anyone who wants to participate, regardless of skill level or resource level.
- Diverse & Inclusive: Building a culture at BAGI where we proactively ensure all people are welcome.
- Fiscally Responsible: Financially stable to support the people, programs, and facilities we need to continue our mission.
- Environmentally Sustainable: Conscious and attentive to minimizing our carbon footprint and impact as a glass studio.
Impact
The Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI) is a San Jose–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported in part by the City of San Jose’s Office of Cultural Affairs. BAGI serves as vital cultural infrastructure for the city by promoting equitable access to quality arts education, supporting working artists, and engaging diverse communities through public programs focused on art glass. BAGI educates the public through a variety of affordable glassworking classes, free public demonstrations, and lectures by internationally and locally recognized artists. Additionally, BAGI co-sponsors the annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch, and other free, family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors and expands access to the arts for the larger San Jose community.
In 2025, BAGI delivered over 10,000 hands-on educational experiences through classes, youth programs, summer camps, and corporate team-building workshops. The organization supported more than 201 working artists, students, and hobbyists by offering affordable studio rentals, providing access to specialized facilities that are otherwise expensive, and bolstering the local creative economy. With a staff of 23 employees, including five administrative staff members, BAGI generated $1.9 million in both earned and contributed revenue, demonstrating strong organizational capacity and fiscal responsibility.