By Jenna French
Glass-making isn’t something students find at many universities as an elective, much less as a major – but at the University of Louisville, the glass program is already five semesters old.
Glass joins ceramics, fiber and sculpture as another major offered under studio art from the Allen Hite Art Institute.
The professor of the glass program is a “glass master,” Dr. Che Rhodes. Rhodes, formerly the head of Southern Illinois University’s glass department, is in his second semester at U of L.
The glass program at U of L has had a slow start, but Rhodes is optimistic about it. With all the support the community shows towards the arts, he said, there’s no way the program can go any direction but up.
There are two levels of glass classes offered at U of L. ARTS 390 is for glass-blowing beginners, and teaches students the basics of using hot glass and breath to create art. In addition, students learn how to make different shapes out of the glass and, of course, they learn the foundations of glass-blowing. The next level, 590, is for intermediate and advanced students. This semester, there are 21 students enrolled in the program, which meets at Glassworks on Ninth and Market Streets.
The university began the glass program to broaden its horizons, but Rhodes said there is also a great deal of support for the arts in the Louisville area.
Rhodes received his degree in glass from Centre College in Danville. He became a part of the program at U of L because he felt the program’s future was bright.
Jim Grubola, chair of Fine Arts at U of L, encouraged Rhodes’ optimism with his clear vision for the future of the glass program. Rhodes was also attracted to the program at U of L because it was located in a downtown space, which is a more interactive setting. He called Louisville a “nice community for the arts,” and said it’s a good place to get involved while still producing art.
Rhodes said the Fine Arts department conceived the glass program with thorough attention to detail and covered all the bases, and that prompted him to leave his position at Southern Illinois University. From there, he came to the University of Louisville in January and became the instructor for the glass blowing classes.
U of L is one of approximately 17 schools nation-wide that offer a major in glass-making. According to Rhodes, the glass program in Louisville is an “extremely visual one” compared to other schools’ because of the strong arts community centered in Louisville. Since the warehouse where the classes take place is located centrally, in the middle of the arts district, it is easy to get the community involved and let them interact, he said.
A big help in getting the program off the ground is the support of the community, he said, because many universities that offer this program don’t have the kind of support foundation that Louisville does. This makes artists feel more comfortable and supported.
Although the future looks bright for the glass program at the university, that’s not to say that it’s been an easy path to build.
Rhodes emphasized that the glass program doesn’t have its own facility, which is why the classes take place at Glassworks. A facility, however, would allow students and teachers to leave their equipment there. It would also “establish an independent presence” in Louisville and ensure that the glass program would be taken seriously and not just brushed aside as another art project.
For more information about the glass making classes visit, http://www.louisville.edu/a-s/finearts/glass.html.
The application deadline for the spring semester is Oct. 15, 2005 and for the fall semester is March 15, 2006.
The prerequisites for the glass class are the basic foundations of fine arts, including the lower-level art classes, and admittance into the program is required. Students must also fill out an application and turn it in before the deadline in order to be considered for admittance into the program.
To check out some of the work that Rhodes has done, you can visit his Web site at http://www.cherhodes.com.
