Jason McDonald: "I'll Make You A Punty You Can't Refuse"
Visiting Artist Jason McDonald brings Venetian-style fundamentals to students in his class "I'll Bring You A Punty You Can't Refuse", November 3rd through 6th, 2025, at the Bay Area Glass Institute. This four-day course covers the necessary skills to make a thin-footed vessel in the vessel, including making and receiving blown feet, creating bulletproof necklines, and best practices for successful punties. The class will be a “skills and drills” type course with a combination of demos and time to practice. Be ready to build good working habits that you can apply to your practice, and leave room to surprise yourself.
On Friday, November 7th at 7:00 pm, BAGI is hosting a Community Night where Jason will share his artistic journey with a brief talk followed by a live glassblowing demonstration in the BAGI hotshop where the whole community can appreciate and learn from Jason's expertise with Venetian techniques.
"Jason McDonald is a glass artist with a particular passion for Venetian furnace techniques. He uses these techniques to speak about barriers BIPOC people face in accessing creative spaces, as well as the wild joy of chasing technical pursuits. He began his glass career at the age of 14 at the hilltop artist program, Tacoma Washington. He is a Windgate Fellowship recipient, was a contestant on ‘Blown away’ season 2, and has been awarded residencies at Pittsburgh glass center and Pilchuck Glass school. He has taught at Penland school of craft, Pittsburgh glass center, Pilchuck Glass School, Pratt Fine arts, The Studio at Corning Museum of Glass, Urban Glass, and elsewhere. He received his BFA with honors at California college of art and was awarded the presidential fellowship at Tyler School of Art and Architecture where he earned his MFA."
