Masterclass: What’s Past is Prologue – Marc Barreda
Course Outline
We’re often told not to look back—echoing the fate of Orpheus and Eurydice, or the relentless forward drive of innovation and creativity. But what if the past still has something to teach us?
From the rapid mastery of glassblowing in ancient Rome, to medieval makers transforming vessel walls and experimenting with light, to the far-reaching influence of Renaissance collaboration across Europe—history has continually shaped the evolution of glass. Over the past several years Marc Barreda has been revisiting the techniques of these earlier makers. This class invites you to explore the techniques of the past, and to consider how they might inform and inspire your own contemporary practice, style, and aesthetic. Come travel through time to explore the tricks of our glass forbears .
This is an advanced glassblowing class and previous experience is essential. If you are unsure, please get in touch
Marc Barreda
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology from Williams College, Marc started a career in the arts, working as a mixed-media sculptor and training as a glassblower. He developed an understanding of glass by working for a variety of artists and by taking and assisting at classes at glass schools around the United States and Europe. This commitment to the medium opened a variety of doors for him, both domestically and abroad. In 2005, Marc made his first trip to Holland to help develop the Vrij Glas Foundation. In 2009, he moved to Amsterdam full time to pursue a master's degree at Sandberg Institute, the graduate program of the Rietveld Academie. His work is shown internationally and is housed in the collections of The Creative Glass Center of America, the Museo Nacional del Vidrio in Spain, the Nationaal Glasmuseum of the Netherlands, and elsewhere. Marc also works with acclaimed artists and designers to help realize their ideas in glass and teaches at the KABK in The Hague. In the summer, Marc is also a commercial salmon fisherman in Alaska.