Hilltop Artists Celebrates 30 Years of Connecting Youth to Better Futures Through the Power of Glass Art

Today, Hilltop Artists alumni can be found in hot shops around the world, at prestigious art schools, and even on every season of a reality TV show about glassblowing. They’re also teachers, techies, welders, gardeners, writers, make-up artists, and professionals in a whole host of fields unrelated to glass. From the beginning, Hilltop Artists’ founders knew that art had the power to engage young people in significant ways that would positively impact their lives, no matter where they landed.

Launched in the summer of 1994, Hilltop Artists started with just 20 students in a former woodshop at Jason Lee Junior High (now named Hilltop Heritage Middle School ). The early 90s marked a period of unrest that made national news and Hilltop Artists emerged as part of a community-led effort to give young people in the Hilltop neighborhood a safe place to go during summer break.

Team Production students, Eddie and Lily, put finishing touches on a centerpiece for the Hilltop Artists Better Futures Luncheon, August 2023.

Glass artist and alumni, Jason McDonald, teaching a current student, Jordan, at Pilchuck Glass School during Better Together, May 2022.

Hilltop Artists staff and students during a residency at Pilchuck Glass School, September 2023.

Hilltop Artists student, Dasein, makes a glass plate in the hot shop at Hilltop Heritage, October 2022.

Students in the summer program at Hilltop Artists popping popcorn during a demonstration in the hot shop, July 2023.

After-School and Team Production students work together during a Third Thursday demonstration at Museum of Glass, February 2024.

Hilltop Artists staff and students pose with visiting artist, Cedric Mitchell, during the 2023 Spring Glass Sale. Image courtesy of Merissa Humes Photo

The hot shop at Hilltop Heritage abuzz with activity during a typical evening of Team Production, January 2022. Image courtesy of Verbovski and Hilltop Artists.

Gallery owner and Hilltop parent, Kathy Kaperick, partnered with Tacoma-born glass artist Dale Chihuly to found a program that would provide local teens with arts instruction taught by established artists. They explored a variety of sculptural mediums, including glass. Lacking proper equipment, they simply heated up Snapple bottles and reshaped them to make something new.

Recognizing the viability and allure of what they started, Hilltop Artists and Tacoma Public Schools developed a partnership that led to the growth of two hot shops over the next several years. Hilltop Heritage now boasts a world class glass art studio that not only sustains the use of up to 170 students a day, but also regularly hosts internationally renowned artists who come to inspire students and the public-alike through Hot Shop Hot Nights – a new iteration of the artist residencies that helped start Hilltop Artists decades ago.

Serving over 600 students a year, ages 12 to 26, Hilltop Artists continues to provide young people with a safe space to grow and thrive. Hilltop Artists’ tuition-free programs use leading youth development practices to welcome students from diverse backgrounds and connect them with tools for social and academic success. 

As noted by Syd Bersante, Hilltop Artists Board President, “Hilltop Artists does more than teach our youth the art of glassblowing. It teaches critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. Those problem-solving skills are invaluable to our youth’s development, and to their ability to be successful both now and later in life. As a leader in business, I believe building vocational and interpersonal skills are important. The way Hilltop Artists instills these skills compelled me to join the board and contribute my time and resources.”

Even as Hilltop Artists has gained national and international recognition, Hilltop Artists remains deeply rooted in the local community. It is involved in partnerships with the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Public Libraries, Pierce County Juvenile Court, and Communities for a Healthy Bay, and is a member of the Arts & Culture Coalition of Pierce County and the Imagine Justice Project. Hilltop Artists played a key role in getting the initial Tacoma Creates cultural access tax initiative passed in 2018 and is on the steering committee for its renewal in 2025. Hilltop Artists is instrumental in taking action for the arts and the youth of Tacoma and Pierce County.

Hilltop Artists Executive Director Dr. Kimberly F. Keith grew up just a few blocks away from Hilltop Heritage Middle School. “Hilltop Artists is in my neighborhood. I wish it had been here when I was a kid. At our core we’re a youth development organization teaching social and life skills through the team-based craft of glassblowing. The process encourages young people to communicate, express themselves, and build relationships while engaged in making art. Those skills help our students grow into community members we want to live next door to and into our leaders of tomorrow. That’s what participation in the arts can do for young people, for all of us really.”

Hilltop Artists will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary throughout the year. If you would like to download a copy of this press release, please click here. Have other ways you want to connect with us? Send us an email at info@hilltopartists.org.