fountain project 2026:
A Belger Arts-Powell Gardens collaboration

Belger Arts is pleased to announce a collaboration involving the Belger Glass Annex and Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s Botanical Garden. The project brings together a team of glass artists to create a custom glass installation. The Belger Glass Annex designed a blown glass fountain depicted in the digital renderings shown below.

Conceptual rendering of large-scale design

Fountain Project Artists

Conceptual rendering of large-scale design

This project provides glass artists the opportunity to gain valuable experience working with and learning from peers from across the country while completing an ambitious project inspired by Kansas City’s distinction as the “City of Fountains.”

The finished glass fountain will be installed and unveiled at Powell Gardens on May 2, 2026.
Follow this link for information about tickets to the public unveiling.

Important Dates:

Saturday, April 25 - Free “behind the scenes” viewing of the fountain production process from 1:30PM - 5:00PM
Monday, April 27 - Free “behind the scenes” viewing of the fountain production process from 1:30PM - 5:00PM
Wednesday, April 29 - Artists Talk starting at 6:00PM
Friday, May 1 - First Friday Demo featuring the team from 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Saturday, May 2 - Unveiling at Powell Gardens from 10:00AM - 12:00PM

Selected Artists:

Gaffers: Jacqueline Polofka, Keegan O'Brien, Ori Shir

Assistant/Assemblers: Abigail Amundson, Michael Carson, Justin Jenicke, Lauryl Sidwell, Brandon Smith, and Tyler Suter

Project Partners:

• Belger Arts is an arts organization with three locations in Kansas City, Missouri’s urban core. The Belger Arts Center exhibits contemporary art from the Belger Collection, and by a rich variety of local, national, and international artists. Belger Crane Yard Studios is an arts complex that provides studio and exhibition space for artists, plus a range of programming in ceramics education. The Belger Glass Annex is a state-of-the-art glass studio that hosts artist demos, provides studio space for artists, and offers educational programs.

• Powell Gardens is a non-profit public garden with a mission to be an experience that embraces the Midwest spirit of place and inspires an appreciation for the importance of plants in our lives. Powell Gardens maintains a vast acreage of lush, rolling hills and windswept meadows, with more than 175 acres and a large collection of plants open to the public for education, exploration, and recreation. Powell Gardens provides meaningful outdoor experiences for the Kansas City community and beyond.

about the project initiative:

The Fountain Project is the second collaboration of an ongoing initiative that began in 2024 with the creation and installation of a glass chandelier at The Museum of Kansas City (photos and press articles included below). This initiative, partnering Belger Arts with Kansas City regional organizations, is dedicated to bringing together a diverse group of glass artists from across the country, offering them a creative and educational environment where they can learn, thrive, and further develop their skills.

About the Artists

Abigail Amundson is an emerging multimedia artist based in Corning, New York, whose work explores the intersection of nature and spirituality. She recently graduated from Bowling Green State University and works with the Corning Museum of Glass Hot Glass team.
Michael Carson, originally from Indiana, focuses on functional blown glass inspired by historical Venetian techniques. Currently, a resident artist at Belger Arts, he has worked with studios across the Midwest and with the Corning Museum of Glass Hot Glass team.
Justin Jenicke is a Kansas City-based artist who has been working with glass for over 20 years. He has worked with artists from around the globe, and his work is defined by clean lines and symmetrical repeating patterns.
Keegan O’Brien, based in Kansas City, earned his BFA from Bowling Green State University. His sculptural glasswork explores light and material, and he currently works as a gaffer at Monarch Glass Studio.
Jacqueline Polofka is the artist behind Double Dipped Studios on Kelleys Island, Ohio. A graduate of Bowling Green State University, she specializes in blown glass and previously worked at institutions including the Corning Museum of Glass and Chrysler Museum of Art.
Ori Shir is co-owner of Shir Glassworks in Greenfield, Massachusetts. His nature-inspired glasswork ranges from functional to sculptural and is exhibited nationwide.
Lauryl Sidwell is a Kansas City-based artist who transitioned from stained glass to hot glass in 2023 and continues to expand her practice through studio work and classes.
Brandon Smith is a glass and mixed-media artist, blacksmith, and educator based in Pennsylvania. He holds an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and leads the glass program at Keystone College.
Tyler Suter is a resident artist at Belger Arts in Kansas City whose sculptures in glass and ceramics are inspired by organic forms and the natural world.