Sally Prasch
P.O. Box 428
Montague, MA 01351 Email Sally
Sally Prasch is perhaps the perfect blend of advanced technical skill and intuitive creativity. Her background is in both scientific glassblowing and fine art. She began her career at the age of 13, with Lloyd Moore working as a part-time apprentice at the University of Nebraska and later as a Glassblowing Instructor for the City of Lincoln Recreation Department. She took workshops from some of the best glassblowers of the time, including William Bernstein, Ray Schultz, and Lino Tagliapietra.
Sally attended the University of Kansas from 1977 to 1980 and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art in Glass (Furnace glassblowing) and Ceramics. After college Sally worked in a hot shop and started her glass art business that is still active today. Sally started attending the Glass Art Society Conferences in 1978 and continues to participate by giving demonstrations and by serving on the Glass Art Society Advisory Board. In 1985, Prasch received her Certificate in Scientific Glass Technology from Salem College in New Jersey. Soon afterwards, she obtained a position with AT&T doing large quartz work for the semiconductor industry.
Sally continued her studies and, in 1986, received a degree in Applied Science from Salem College. Later that year she got a job as a Scientific Glassblower and Glass Instructor at the University of Massachusetts where she taught scientific glassblowing and the properties of glass to graduate students in Chemistry and Physics. She has been a member of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society and has participated in seminars on such subjects like Vacuum Technology, Quartz technology, and Glass Sealing.
She soon began to receive recognition for her artistic work and was selected for the Corning New Glass Review in 1993.
Sally Prasch's current work is characterized by the combination of her technical skills and a strong art esthetic. She places other-worldly figures in glowing globes filled with rare gasses and constructs portraits of friends from broken shards picked out of the glass trash barrels. One item she is well known for are goblets made with coiled stems so that they bounce when handled. Her latest work incorporates cast bronze with glass.
Perhaps Prasch’s greatest fulfillment comes from teaching. She has taught flameworking workshops at Urban Glass in New York City, at the famous Niijima Glass School in Japan; Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA; Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA; Grove Gas & Light Co, University of CA, San Diego, CA; Ingalena Klenell’s Studio, Sweden and many more.
Work History
2016-2025 Scientific Glassblower and Instructor; University of MA/Amherst, Amherst, MA
2020-2023 Scientific Glassblower and Glass Instructor, University of VT, Burlington, VT
1977-2025 Owner of Prasch Glass
2005-2019 Scientific Glassblower and Instructor (CHE 533); Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
1986-95 Scientific Glassblower and Glass Instructor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
1985-86 Scientific Glassblower, AT&T, Lee’s Sumit, MO
1982-84 Independent Glassblower, Worcester, MA
1981-82 Glassblower, Cureil Glass Studio, Omaha, NE Assistant Scientific Glassblower for Lloyd Moore, University of Nebraska
1970-77 Apprentice Scientific Glassblower and Teaching Assistant for Lloyd Moore, University of Nebraska Lincoln NE
Education
2006-11 Graduate sculpture classes with Mary Giehl, Syracuse Universiy, Syracuse, NY
1997: Workshop in Advanced Flameworking with Cesae Toffolo Rossit, The Studio, Corning, NY
1996: Computer Training Courses for Small Businesses, Amherst, MA
1985-2020: Seminars through the American Scientific Glassblowers Society: Small Business, Vacuum Technology, Fire & Explosion Hazards, Quartz Technology, Glass Sealing
1994: Workshop in Copper Wheel Engraving with Harold Gross, Studio Access, Corning, NY
1993: Workshop in Advanced Flameworking with Cesae Toffolo Rossit, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA
1986: Associate Degree in Applied Science, Salem College, Carney’s Point, NJ
1985: Certificate in Scientific Glass Technology, Salem College, Carney’s Point, NJ
1982: Workshop in Glass with Finn Lingaard and Carl Powel, Pilchuck, Seattle, WA
1980: Bachelor of Fine Arts, (Glass and Ceramics), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
1979: Workshop with Lino Tagliapietra, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA
1977: Courses in glass with Ray Schultz, Kearney State College, Kearney, NE
1976: Workshop in glass with William Bernstein, Naple Mills School, Naples, NY
1970-76: Part-time Apprentice, Lloyd Moore, University of Nebraska
Awards
2022: Award of Excellence - For Extraordinary Contributions in Scientific and Artistic Glass
2019: Appriciatioin of Dedicated Service as Symposium Co-Chair
Full Scholarship to attend The Studio, Corning, NY
2002:Helmut E. Drechsel Achievemnt Award
1993: Full Scholarship to attend Pilchuck Glass School, Pilchuck, WA
1992: Corning for New Glass Review
1988: Corning International Glass Music for Outstanding Performance
Kimble Award for Excellence in Glassblowing
Teaching and Lectures
1991 - 2025 - Glass Instructor - University of Massachusetts/Amherst
2002 -2025: Flameworking Instructor, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA
1992-2023: Lampwork Instructor, Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY
2022 - Lecture and Demonstrate - Featured Artist - International Flameworking Conference, Salem Community College, Penns Grove, NJ
2012: Co-Chair for the International Scientific Glassblowers Exhibition, Corning, NY
2011: Glass Instructor, Demo, Kobe and Tokyo, Japan
1991-2022: Glass Instructor, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC
1991: Exhibits Chair for the Thirty - sixth Symposium and Exhibition on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing
2001-2017: National Bottle Museum, Ballston Spa, NY
1999-2022: Flameworking Instructor, Salem Community College, Carney’s Point, NJ
1995-2022: Flameworking and Neon Instructor, Penland School of Crafts, NC
1997-2010: Flameworking Instructor, Worcester Craft Center, Worcester, MA
2005: Flameworking Instructor; Ingalena Klenell's Studio; Sweden
2004: Workshop Chair, Forty-ninth Annual Symposium on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing
2008: Glass Art Society Portland Conference, demo
2001-2002: Flameworking Instructor Horizons to Go Program, Tuscany, Italy and Ireland
2000: Post Conference Workshop, Urban Glass, NY
1999: Exhibits Chair, The Forty-fourth Annual Symposium on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing
1999-2002: Flameworking Instructor, Grove Gas & Light Co at the University of California, San Diego, CA Glass Instructor
1998-2002: Flameworking Instructor, Public Glass, San Francisco, CA
1995-2001: Flameworking Instructor, University of Michigan, Dearborn
1998-2002: Demonstrate for the Society of Glass Beadmakers, Corning, NY & Alexandra, VA Pre Conference Workshop, Hands on Glass Studio, Corning, NY
1992-2001: Flameworking Instructor, Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY
1998: Flameworking Instructor, Peacock Rose Glass Studio, San Francisco, CA
1998: Glass Art Society, demonstrate during conference and post conference workshop, Seto, Japan
1996-1997: Resident Flamework, Instructor, The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
1996: Flameworking Chair of the Glass Art Society Conference, Set up 10 Workshops, and 30 Demonstrations
1995: Flameworking Instructor, Niijima Glass Center, Japan
1994: Technical Poster "Pilchuck Glass/Venetian Stemware" The Thirty-ninth Symposium on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing
1973-1982: Flameworking Instructor, City of Lincoln Recreation Department, Lincoln, NE
Selected Bibliography
My Fathers Face My Face
My Fathers Face My Face
Dunham, Bandhu Scott. Contemporary Lampworking Volume II Fourth Edition : a Practical Guide to Shaping Glass in the Flame. 2024, . Prescott, AS : B. S. Dunham,
Toffolo Cesare "Lampworking the 20th Century to the Present" Grafiche - Venezia 2019
The Penland Book of Glass. 2009
New England Home. Master of Art and Science. page 64, April 2010
Glass Knocking at the Door of Art. Korean Craft Promotion Foundation, 2010
Oldknow, Tina. 25 Years of New Glass Review. The Corning Museum of Glass, 2006.
Kieffer Susan. 500 Glass Objects / A Celebration of Functional and Sculptural Glass. Lark Books, 2006
Shrader, Valerie Van Arsdale. "1000 Glass Beads / Innovation and Imagination in Contemporary Glass Beadmakinig." Lark Books 2004
McLaughlin, Jean W. The Nature of Craft and the Penland Experience. Lark books, 2004
Kohler, Lucartha. Women Working in Glass Atglen, PA : Schiffer Pub.Ltd 2003.
Yelle, Richard Wilfred, International Glass Art / by Richard Wilfred Yelle. Atglen, PA : schiffer Pub., 2003.
Crook, Morgan and Fishman, Jacob. The Neon Engineers Notebook. Northbrook, IL : Lightwriters Neon, 2002. 189p. Limited to 1000 copies,
Dunham, Bandhu, Formed of Fire Selections in Contemporary Lampworked Glass.
Dunham, Bandhu Scott. Contemporary Lampworking : a Practical Guide to Shaping Glass in the Flame. 1993 pre-publication ed, . Prescott, AS : B. S. Dunham, 1193. 1v. (various pagings) also 1995 ed., 1997, 2002 and 2003.
Strattman, Wayne. "Neon Techniques: Handbook of Neon Sign and Cold Cathode Lighting." / edited by Wayne Strattman. 4th ed. Cincinnati : ST Publications, Inc., 1997.
Yelle, Richard Wilfred.. "Glass Art from Urban Glass." Atglen, PA : Schiffer 2000.
"In Context : Sally Prasch," Glass, no. 62, sprng 1996, pp. 42-45
"The Corning Connection" Proceedings - The Forty - first Symposium and Exhibition on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing, June, 1996, pp. 5, Library of Congress #58-3756, The American Scientific Glassblowers Society
"Pilchuck and the Similarities of Scientific and Artistic Glass" - The Fortieth Symposium and Exhibbition on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing, June 26, 1995, Library of Congress #58-3756, The American Scientific Glassblowers Society
Exhibitions
2025: Curator: Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh PA - "Glass Lifeforms 2025"
2024: Curator: Leverett Art Center, Leverett, MA - " Oh Beautiful Glass"
2024: Southern Vermont Arts Center "Sand to Splendor"
2023: Fire Arts Vermont, Brattleboro Vermont, Vermont Glass Guild Member Exhibit
2023: Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro VT - "Glasstastic"
2021: Curator - Hampton Gallery, University of MA/Amherst, "Formed with Silica"