Some like it HOT! I am a fire sign (Aries), which is one reason I moved to Florida, I don’t like the cold. Not saying I like 100 degree weather either. More like 75-80, right?! That being said, Zen Glass Studio’s heat hits 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. And you get to play with it. Pretty awesome!
So, I made me a marble! Yep, fired that glass up ‘til it was MOLTEN! Dripping off the end of the clear, long, glass rod. Kept twisting it, adding my four colors with tweezers holding small colored glass rods. Mixing the colored glass with the clear. Every so often I would pull it out of the flame and place it into a concave metal “mold” while continuing to twist, roll and twirl. The glass rod I mean, not me! With the dripping hot glass on the end of the rod following, as much as possible, my intentions. A lot of twisting and twirling going on.
Zen Glass Studio & Gallery stands as one of the city’s most immersive artistic experiences. Equal parts working studio, classroom, and gallery, Zen Glass has spent more than two decades shaping not just molten glass, but the cultural identity of St. Pete itself.
Founded in 2002 by glass artists David Walker and Joshua Michael Poll, Zen Glass began as a space for artists to experiment, collaborate, and refine their craft.
Walker and Poll came together from different creative paths, Walker through a formative apprenticeship in glassmaking, and Poll as a largely self-taught artist exploring multiple disciplines within glass. Their shared vision was simple but ambitious: create a studio that would both produce high-level glass art and make the medium accessible to the public.
More than twenty years later, that vision has expanded into one of Tampa Bay’s premier glassworking facilities, known for both its artistry and its hands-on approach to education.
Glassblowing is often described as a dance with heat (no, you better not be dancing while doing this!) The process is immediate and unforgiving. Once the glass is molten, there’s no pausing, no rewinding, only shaping, reacting, and adapting.
That unpredictability is part of the allure. As Walker has noted, working with glass requires presence: a commitment to the moment and an acceptance that the material often has a voice of its own.
Why is Zen Glass exciting? It’s business model places an emphasis on participation. This is not a place where art sits quietly behind glass (Although there is that), it’s a place where you make it yourself.
The studio offers a wide range of workshops designed for all experience levels. First-time visitors can try one-hour “make-your-own” sessions, creating pieces like wine glasses, ornaments, pendants, or paperweights under guided instruction.
For those looking to go deeper, Zen Glass provides:
• Beginner flameworking classes
• Private one-on-one instruction
• Group workshops and team-building sessions
• A 15-week immersive glassblower training program
This approach, from casual experience to professional development, has helped cultivate a new generation of glass artists in the region. Some former students have gone on to build full-time careers in the medium, a testament to the studio’s educational depth.
Zen Glass is more than a studio, it’s a community hub. Since its founding, it has been deeply embedded in St. Petersburg’s arts ecosystem, participating in events like the Second Saturday ArtWalk and collaborating with local institutions.
The studio has also partnered with educational programs, including immersive semesters with students from Eckerd College, and has hosted workshops for both children and adults.
Programs like youth workshops and specialized initiatives, even those aimed at veterans seeking creative outlets, highlight the studio’s broader mission: using art as a tool for connection and personal expression.
In recent years, Zen Glass has become a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists. The rise of experiential travel, where visitors seek meaningful, hands-on activities, has positioned the studio as a standout attraction.
Guests don’t just leave with a souvenir; they leave with a personal story. Whether shaping their first piece of molten glass or watching master artists at work, the experience is equal parts thrilling and meditative.
The studio’s growing visibility has even reached national audiences, including a feature on HGTV’s Rock the Block, further cementing its reputation beyond Florida.
St. Petersburg has increasingly been dubbed part of Florida’s “glass coast,” and Zen Glass is a key reason why.
As the city continues to evolve as an arts destination, Zen Glass remains both an anchor and an innovator, preserving traditional techniques while pushing the boundaries of what glass can be.
More importantly, it continues to invite the public into the process. In a world where art is often consumed passively, Zen Glass offers something rare: the chance to create, to experiment, and to experience art in its most elemental form; fire, oxygen, and a nice piece of glass! •
Zen Glass – Keeping it HOT, for you! Check it out…
