BGA Spring Art Showcase 2026
April 3 - June, 2026
Belger Glass Annex (1219 E 19th St, KCMO 64108)
Open by appointment
The 2026 Spring Showcase, presented at the Belger Glass Annex, celebrates and highlights these vital connections that bind the global glass community. All works featured in the exhibition were created on-site at the Belger Glass Annex, grounding the showcase in the very environment that fosters this spirit of collaboration.
Featuring artists whose practices embody connection on multiple levels, the showcase reveals the many layers inherent in the glassmaking process—from personal relationships with the material to the collaborative dynamics of the studio, and the broader role of glass art in bringing people together. Created within a common space, the selected works demonstrate the collective spirit that drives the glass community forward and underscore the power of art to unite individuals across diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Participating Artists
Michael Carson, Katie Hogan, Eric Howell, Justin Jenicke, Zachary Manos, Emily Clair Potter, Keegan O’Brien, Tyler Suter, Lauryl Sidwell, LesLee Taylor, and Daelin Towne.
Shops and Techniques
Hot Shop
While working in the Hot Shop, the glass stays hot the entire time the artist is working with it. Artists start with molten glass that needs constant reheating, and the finished piece is still around 1000 degrees when it gets loaded into an annealing oven to cool. Techniques in the Hot Shop include Glass Blowing, Sculpting, Flame Working, and more.
Cold Shop
In the Cold Shop, the glass stays cold throughout. Through processes of Cold Working, which include cutting, grinding, and polishing, cold shop artists can change the shape and texture of glass without ever heating it. Sandblasting consists of using abrasive materials to create a matte surface on glass. Different techniques, including masking, can be used to etch patterns into the glass.
Warm Shop
In the Warm Shop, the glass starts out cold, gets warmed up, then cools back down. Warm shop artists start by cutting and arranging pieces of room-temperature glass before loading a kiln to heat and melt the glass. This process can take the form of Glass Fusing, Kiln Working, Stained Glass, and more.