OWNER & HEAD ARTIST

Read more about Jake’s story here.

GAFFER / PRODUCTION SPECIALIST / GALLERY ASSISTANT

Saturn Bird is a glassblower based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Saturn has no formal college education in the arts, but is self-taught in oil and acrylic painting, ceramics, and drawing. They began working in soft glass in May of 2024, when their internship at Hot Glass Alley began. Under the tutelage of Jacob Pfeifer, Saturn has experienced rapid growth and development in the glass arts. Saturn hopes to expand their knowledge into other glass art forms, such as stained glass and flameworking, and find the intersection between glass and their previous mediums. Much of their work focuses on female identity, perception, and auto-biographical storytelling. 

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In the heart of Charlotte, NC, Latino artist Cristian Maldonado immerses himself in the transformative world of glass. Since 2021, Cristian, with no formal university background, has thrived in a production glass setting, his creativity fueled by diverse influences - music, mixed media, and fellow artists alike. “Glassblowing is one of the most difficult crafts I have every learned, but the chance to challenge myself in a new artistic way has opened my eyes to a plethora of possibilities.” Committed to representation, Cristian proudly echoes his Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage through glass, championing inclusivity. In his words, “Glass treats everyone the same,” a testament to the universal beauty found in the hands of a passionate artist.

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Greg Vriethoff has been a glassblower at Hot Glass Alley for a year and a half. He experienced glass blowing for the first time as an undergraduate sculpture major in 1998. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, he spent four years in Seattle working as an assistant for several glass artists in the area. He continued to hone his skills in glass making attending classes and workshops at various schools such as Pratt Fine Arts Center and Pilchuck Glass School. In 2003, he moved to southern California to pursue graduate studies at the University of California Fullerton with an emphasis in glass art. Prior to relocating to Charlotte in 2014, he worked for numerous artists’ studios, as well as the commercial glass manufacturing industry in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon. Greg specializes in blowing, hot sculpting, casting, kiln forming, and cold working. His work often references the body, and anatomical structures.

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Paige is a glassblower and class instructor here are HGA. Her passion for glassblowing developed from a neighbor who also worked as a glassblower. She further pursued her love for this art form at by earning a certificate in Glassblowing from Tennessee Tech. After graduating, Paige worked at a studio in Chattanooga, Tennessee for 2 years before joining the Hot Glass Alley family. Her work focuses on functional art such as jewelry, drinkware, and unique bowls and vases.

GALLERY MANAGER

Big personality, just like his dad!

A one-eyed menace