Young glassblowers from Hilltop Artists are working live inside the Museum of Glass Hot Shop this week, crafting centerpiece sculptures that the public can watch take shape through Saturday, Aug. 15.

The annual residency, running Aug. 12–16 at 1801 Dock Street, pairs Hilltop Artists students and alumni with Museum of Glass artists from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, according to Hilltop Artists. Together they're creating pieces for the nonprofit's annual fundraising luncheon.

The week wraps Sunday, Aug. 16, with a public talk by executive director Dr. Kimberly Keith, who will discuss the creative process and share program updates. A specific time for the talk has not been announced; check hilltopartists.org for details.

Hilltop Artists, founded in 1994 by glass artist Dale Chihuly and gallerist Kathy Kaperick, provides tuition-free glass arts education to more than 700 youth ages 12 to 26. The program runs two hot shop classrooms at Hilltop Heritage Middle School and Dr. Delores Silas High School.

Eight current staff members came up through the program as students before returning as teachers.

"It is pretty incredible," Keith told the Weekly Volcano in November 2025. "We have a couple of staff members who've been with us as staff for twenty years, and they were students in the program before that. Seeing them now as artists and teachers is really exciting."

That alumni-to-artist pipeline is on full display during the residency, where former students collaborate alongside current ones in the Hot Shop.

In a spring 2026 fundraising appeal, Keith wrote that the most important thing the program offers its students is a sense of belonging.

The residency is supported in part by Tacoma Creates. Museum of Glass admission applies; check museumofglass.org for current pricing.