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Meet Glassblowing Artist & Entrepreneur, Kim McKinnis
Kim McKinnis, cofounder of For All Handkind, educator, and one of the most talented glassblowing artists in Hampton Roads, invited me to Chrysler Museum’s Glass Studio for some behind-the-scenes glassblowing.
Did you know glass starts to move and melt at 1,000 degrees?! Kim reviewed shop safety with me but, turns out, my natural instinct is to keep a safe distance from molten glass.
“The first time I saw glassblowing, it was the closest thing to magic I’d ever seen.”
Glassblowing is a glass forming technique where you inflate molten glass into a bubble through a blowpipe. Pretty cool, right?
Pictured: Adding the color.
During my visit, Kim was busy testing custom holiday ornaments. From classic holiday balls to spooky bats, she can make literally anything! If you’re one of my clients, you have reason to be excited this holiday season…
“My favorite thing to make is glass bowls because they’re functional and very challenging. The slightest wrong move can ruin it and it’s hard to make the bowl elegant.”
Pictured: Adding the decorative shapes to the glass ornament.
Pictured: Reheating the glass.
Pictured: Reheating the glass.
Kim was working in the studio with an assistant and it was fascinating to see the two of them work and communicate speedily with non-verbal cues. Renting glass studios by the hour can be expensive, so learning to work efficiently is important.
“My favorite part of the glassblowing process is the transformation that happens and the collaborative aspect of working with other artists.”
Pictured: Shaping the ornament.
Pictured: Removing excess glass.
Pictured: Using a torch on the ornament.
“Some of the worst advice you could give an aspiring artist? Being told there’s nothing original or “that’s already been done” can be really harmful. There’s always ways to make something your own or do it differently. The same could be said for business too. The pandemic has shown us that the way forward is to adapt and evolve.”
Pictured: Adding the ornament hook.
Pictured: Shaping the ornament hook.
Pictured: The making of a black bat ornament.
More examples of Kim’s glass work:
Originally from Southern California, Kim fell in love with glassblowing after taking some classes in college. She went on to earn a BFA, in studio art with a concentration in glass, and an MFA, in Exhibition Design, from the California State University in Fullerton, California.
Kim moved to Norfolk, VA to participate in Chrysler Studio’s six month Assistantship Program and now teaches Glassblowing, Art 101, and Portfolio Resumé at TCC, and Foundational Concepts and 3D Design at ODU.
In addition to teaching classes and running For All Handkind, Kim is currently working on a pilot program of virtual tours at the Barry Art Museum on campus at ODU.
You can find Kim’s work for sale at For All Handkind, Kitsch, UrbanGlass, Grand Central Arts Center, Drinking Vessels, or Uncommon Goods.
I hope you enjoyed this short behind-the-scenes of glassblowing as much as I did!