Breaking Barriers in Glass: A Spotlight on The Glass Ceiling

Since its founding in 2024 by Erin M. Cross, The Glass Ceiling has become a uniquely welcoming fixture in Richmond’s creative landscape. As an artist-run, beginner-friendly workshop, this vibrant studio is all about sparking curiosity, boosting confidence, and empowering people to shape something beautiful—“one material at a time”

From glassblowing and fusing to stained glass art, The Glass Ceiling offers a wide range of hands-on classes guided by instructors who prioritize safety, encouragement, and creative joy. Their space on Robinson Street serves as more than a studio. It’s a nurturing community where artists of all levels feel capable and inspired.

As a recipient of a CultureWorks grant, The Glass Ceiling is now stepping into the limelight, bringing more access to glass arts and reshaping what it means to learn, make, and belong in Richmond’s art scene. In this spotlight feature, we delve into their story, creative vision, and how they’re building community through glass.

CultureWorks: For those new to your work, what is The Glass Ceiling, and what inspired its creation?

Erin: I believe creativity and changing things around us helps us realize our power to change the world. Many artist workshops, especially glass, can intimidate beginner students. Because of the dangerous nature of the material, being comfortable learning and making mistakes is essential. It is really important to me that everyone feels safe asking questions and learning in whatever way they need. The Glass Ceiling is run 100% by teaching artists, folks who believe in the power of empowering others and sharing their knowledge with the next generation of artists. Knowing first hand how hard this medium can be to learn, we encourage and uplift you to learn this challenging material, and love to find ways to make your ideas come to fruition.
This creates jobs for artists in our Richmond community, where I was lucky to be raised and benefit from the creative energy in my childhood.

CultureWorks: Why was it important to you that the space be beginner-friendly and artist-run?

Erin: Art should feel accessible, not exclusive. I wanted The Glass Ceiling to be a place where curiosity is welcomed, questions are encouraged, and experimentation is safe and supported. Having a space led by working artists means students are learning from people who live and breathe their craft—and who want to pass it on.

CultureWorks: For someone who's never tried glass art before, what can they expect from a class or open studio session?

Erin: Expect to discover something completely new—and to feel confident by the time you leave. You’ll explore the possibilities of glass in many different forms, choosing your own colors, shapes, and styles with the guidance of an instructor. Open studio users can work on stained glass or fusing projects using our equipment and materials, and can book private sessions or join group classes to expand their skills. We offer glass fusing and stained glass classes for those who want to join a group class, and one-hour glassblowing private courses for one or two people, as well as private classes of up to 30 participants.

CultureWorks: CultureWorks grant recipient, how has the support impacted your work or helped you reach new audiences? Are there specific goals or dreams you’ve been able to move toward because of this funding?

Erin: This grant has already made a huge impact. We’ve been able to keep five VCU student interns on staff, giving them hands-on experience in everything from kiln maintenance to business taxes to class instruction. We’ve restocked our supply closets with glass, tools, and materials we’ve been saving up for, and we’re using the funding to repair three secondhand kilns. Our interns will also learn how to build and repair a kiln and an electric glass furnace from scratch. Using secondhand and recycled materials is central to our mission—and one of the most exciting aspects of working with glass. Custom welder Brody Schneider @csspecialtyfab is creating a height adjustable, wheelchair-accessible glassblowing bench, installing automated lifts for our large and heavy furnace and kiln doors, and a new reheating chamber to allow us to have two glassblowing classes simultaneously, or travel with our mobile glassblowing unit! This will more than double our reach and capabilities as a teaching studio, and it still doesn’t feel real! I am so grateful for this incredible opportunity.

CultureWorks: Do you have a favorite student story or moment that reflects the impact of your space?

Erin: There are so many, but one that stands out involves the wonderful folks at REAL Life. Before I opened The Glass Ceiling, I met their Assistant Director, Kristen Johnson Reiser, in one of my classes and ended up teaching art workshops for their fundraising gala in a library classroom. I forgot my glue—it was a mess! I remember thinking how much easier (and more inspiring) it would be to do projects like this in my own studio. Fast forward to the end of our first year, and we were able to host over 30 REAL Life employees for a glass fusing holiday party. It was a beautiful, full-circle moment, and many of them have come back to visit since. I’ll always be grateful to Kristen for encouraging me to take the leap! I also have been able to teach children I taught in preschool, the grandchildren of my mentors, and share my passion with my own teachers and family members who have encouraged me to be an artist, which feels really amazing.

CultureWorks: How do you see The Glass Ceiling contributing to Richmond’s creative scene and community-building efforts?

Erin: So far, The Glass Ceiling has welcomed over a thousand students—most of them first-time glass artists—ranging in age from four to one hundred. We’ve seen former glassblowers return to watch, reminisce, or create alongside loved ones. We’ve hired stained glass, glassblowing, and glass fusing instructors, as well as five VCU student interns eager to learn both the craft and the business of an art studio. We’ve hosted gallery openings, solo exhibitions, and now offer a fully equipped stained and fused glass studio with grinders, kilns, and soldering irons.

Beyond artmaking, we’ve organized toy drives for OAR, food drives for victims of Hurricane Helene, mutual aid distribution events, and countless free or donated classes for causes including Lighthouse RVA and MAD RVA. We’ve brought together orthodontists, doctors, bankers, artists, veterans, assisted living residents, high school students, ceramicists, scout troops, and more for everything from team-building workshops to birthday parties.

These gatherings have built not only glassmaking skills, but genuine human connection—turning our studio into a vibrant hub of creativity, generosity, and joy. One of my favorite moments is teaching grandparents and grandchildren together. Grandparents often tell me how meaningful it is for their grandchild to experience a space like this—one where creativity is celebrated and a hands-on art form can be explored as both a passion and a career path. Seeing that sense of possibility passed between generations is always a highlight of my work. For me, those sparks of curiosity and shared creation are what transform this little studio into a cornerstone of Richmond’s creative community.

CultureWorks: What upcoming classes, projects, or collaborations are you most excited about?

Erin: I’m currently collaborating with Lee at Field Floral on a bespoke line of perfume bottles and with Angela at Boon in Carytown on a series of playful vases. I’m also preparing for our first booth at Craft + Design at Main Street Station this November 21–23. Every class I teach is something I look forward to—my students are always eager, curious, and willing to try.

Most exciting of all, I’ve been invited to teach at the legendary Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine this September—one of the first hot shops in the country and the birthplace of many glassblowing innovations. I’ll be teaching high school students from across Maine, and I’m thrilled to bring my sister, Kasey, as my assistant- once one of my biggest dreams, coming true.

CultureWorks: How can folks stay connected or get involved in your work?

Erin: Come visit us anytime! You can find us on Instagram at @theglassceiling.rva, on Facebook as The Glass Ceiling RVA, and online at www.theglassceilingrva.com