Since 1994, Hilltop Artists has provided tuition-free youth development programs in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools.
Programs run Monday – Friday from 8 AM – 8 PM at Hilltop Heritage Middle School and Silas High School. Every Third Thursday from 5 – 8 PM, you will find our artists and instructors at the Museum of Glass creating incredible pieces of art. Stop by and enjoy the demonstrations for free!
Explore our programs and find ways to get involved below:
Day Time Electives
HILLTOP HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL
In-School Teaching Artists teach CTE elective classes for 7th and 8th-grade students at Jason Lee during the school year.
Elective students rotate through three stations: glassblowing, flameworking and glass fusion. They gain arts knowledge through sequential skills building while also learning critical life skills, such as teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving.
Enrollment: 7th and 8th grade Hilltop Heritage Middle School students who are at least 12 years of age are eligible to enroll in these daytime classes. Students should speak with their school counselor to sign up.
SILAS HIGH SCHOOL
CTE elective courses in glassblowing are available to juniors and seniors at Silas High School.
These elective courses run throughout the school year and focus on the artistic and vocational aspects of glassblowing. Students gain essential post-secondary education and job-readiness knowledge.
Enrollment: 11th and 12th grade Silas High School students are eligible to enroll in CTE. Students should speak with their school counselor to sign up.
After-School
The Hilltop Artists After School programs offer students a safe, creative place to be for out-of-school hours, where they can make friends and develop their skills in glass arts. After-School students work in glassblowing, fusion, and flameworking, connecting with trusted teaching artists and working with advanced glass art students as their mentors.
Team Production & Alumni Team
Team Production is our program for advanced students, ages 14 – 20. Year round, our Team Production students create glass art for commissions, such as the Governor’s Arts and Heritage Awards and Tacoma City of Destiny Awards, and for sale in our gallery and at Hilltop Artists events. Team Production students also participate in an annual week-long Summer Visiting Artist Residency and Third Thursday demonstrations at the Museum of Glass.
All Team Production students are required to create a high school or post-education plan, supported by their teaching mentors and the Outreach Services Manager.
In early 2020, Hilltop Artists initiated a new program: the Alumni Team. We welcome Alumni ages 18-26 to join the team!
Alumni Team members are advanced artists, excited to continue their skill-building, or artists who may not have had much time in a hot shop since their Production Team, After School, or Daytime days, and want to rebuild their skills.
These artists earn a stipend at a higher rate than Team Production, AND earn hot shop time to create their own artwork.
To learn more, contact Jessica Hogan, Jhogan@hilltopartists.org.
Li’l Board of Directors
The Li’l Board of Directors is a group of students and alumni from Hilltop Artists’ Team Production who meet regularly. Their role is to bridge the gap between students, staff, and the Board of Directors. Hilltop Artists students involved in any of our programs are eligible to serve on the Li’l Board of Directors.
To learn more, contact Roberto Nieves at roberto@hilltopartists.org.
Opportunities for Team Production and Alumni
Our Ambassador Program connects Hilltop Artists students to a different cultures and techniques around the world.
Students have opportunities to train in Biot, France with artist Antoine Pierini; in Murano, Italy; and with other incredible artists in schools such as Pilchuck Glass School, Penland School of Craft, and more.
In September 2017, Pilchuck Glass School and Hilltop Artists launched a collaboration to offer an immersive retreat and professional training in glassmaking for Team Production students at Pilchuck’s remarkable campus.
This retreat occurs each Fall for our advanced students.
Thank you to the Washington State Arts Commission, The Robert M. Minkoff Foundation, and The Craft School Experience, for generously underwriting this unique collaboration.
Student Artists Leading in Entrepreneurship (S.A.L.E.) supports our Team Production and Alumni Team artists as the create their career paths.
Through S.A.L.E., they learn transferable skills such as sales, marketing, customer service, financial literacy, merchandising, and more, and they build their network by learning from professionals in the arts world.
To learn more, contact Jess Hogan, jhogan@hilltopartists.org
Hilltop Artists Team Production students blow glass on the Museum of Glass hot shop floor every third Thursday, September through June.
Visit the Museum of Glass website for museum hours, parking, and more information about other activities happening each Third Thursday.
Team Production and After-School students create hundreds of Monkeyshines, glass medallions and floats, to contribute to this annual treasure hunt held during the Lunar New Year.
Monkeyshines received the AMOCAT Community Outreach by an Organization Award from the City of Tacoma in 2017.
Hilltop Artists was awarded grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Washington State Arts Commission to support our Monkeyshines participation from 2019 to 2022! Thank you to NEA and ARTS WA for helping to support our role in this fun and iconic art event in the City of Tacoma.
Summer Glass Arts
Summer Glass Arts are held at Hilltop Heritage Middle School in 12 two-week sessions, and Silas High School in one four week session. The middle school program helps youth build skills in glassblowing, flameworking, or glass fusion; the high school program features glassblowing and flameworking.
Arts Connect
Arts Connect is a Hilltop Artists’ community-based program for youth involved with the Pierce County Juvenile Court, through the court’s diversion, probation, foster care, truancy, and at-risk programs. Serving youth ages 12 to 18, Arts Connect provides an environment for students to build trust, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Each quarter, the students explore a new medium, such as glass fusing, printmaking, glassblowing, and photography.
Outreach Services
The Outreach Services Program at Hilltop Artists is a critical component of our mission to connect youth to better futures, and is available to all students in every Hilltop Artists program.
Outreach provides in-depth, individualized services, referrals, support and advocacy for students and their families. We do this with respect for the diversity of our students and their families, a lens of equity, and an understanding of trauma-informed care. Outreach Services partners with community organizations for referrals to their services as well as recruiting their clients who could benefit from Hilltop Artists programs.
Thank you to the ArtsFund Youth Access and Opportunity Fund for helping to underwrite the expenses associated with Hilltop Artists’ youth glass art programs.
