Subject: Press Release - Belger Glass Annex presents Netflix Luminaries, Artists Jason McDonald and Elliot Walker

Belger Glass Annex Presents Artists Jason McDonald and Elliot Walker from the Hit Netflix Series “Blown Away”


Belger Glass Annex Hours:

See event schedule below, and by appointment


Media Contact:

Belger Glass Annex

1219 E. 19th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108

glass@belgerartscenter.org

816-474-7316 

BelgerArts.org

Left: Elliot Walker on the set of Netflix's "Blown Away." Photo by David Layes. Right: Jason McDonald glassblowing at the Pilchuck Glass School. Photo by Lane Bruce.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Kansas City, MO – The Belger Glass Annex is thrilled to present North Carolina-based artist Jason McDonald and Elliot Walker from the United Kingdom. Both artists competed on season 2 of the popular Netflix reality television series, “Blown Away.” Their mesmerizing glassblowing demonstration on April 26 at the Belger Glass Annex kicks off a series of free public programs featuring artist Jason McDonald.


Event Schedule:

  • Glassblowing demonstration with Jason McDonald and Elliot Walker: Saturday, April 26, 4 to 6 pm at the Belger Glass Annex (1219 E. 19th St., KCMO).

  • ·Jason McDonald Artist Talk: Wednesday, April 30, 6 pm at the Belger Crane Yard Gallery (2011 Tracy Ave., KCMO). McDonald will share about his passion for Venetian glass, his practice, and the topics he addresses in his work.

  • Public viewing of Jason McDonald’s sold-out masterclass at the Belger Glass Annex (1219 E. 19th St., KCMO):

    • Monday, April 28, 10 am to 12 pm

    • Tuesday, April 29, 9 am to 12 pm

    • Thursday, May 1, 9 am to 12 pm

  • Glassblowing demonstration led by Jason McDonald: First Friday, May 2, 6 to 8 pm at the Belger Glass Annex (1219 E. 19th St., KCMO).

About the artists:

Jason McDonald received his BFA with honors at California College of Art and was awarded the presidential fellowship at Tyler School of Art and Architecture where he earned his MFA. He has taught at Penland School of Craft, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pilchuck Glass School, Pratt Fine Arts, The Studio at Corning Museum of Glass, Urban Glass, and elsewhere.


McDonald is a Windgate Fellowship recipient, was a contestant on the reality television show “Blown Away,” and has been awarded residencies at Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pilchuck Glass School, and the Corning Museum of Glass.


Elliot Walker is a sculptor, based in the United Kingdom, who works with glass. Walker’s vibrant and demanding career has taken him from four years of education in London to working as part of the London Glass Blowing studio team of Peter Layton, a founding father of British studio glass. In 2022, Walker participated in and was crowned the winner of season 2 of Netflix’s “Blown Away.”


Walker's Studio now resides at The Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge, England. The site has 200 years of glass history and is one of the four remaining traditional glass cones in the UK.


For a PDF of this press release, complete artist bios, and high-resolution images, click here.

Elliot Walker, Bichromatic Bloom I, 2024, Free-blown and hot sculpted glass, 38.2 x 18.5 x 15.7 in. Photo by Simon Bruntnell.

Jason McDonald, Medusa Cup, 2022. Blown and sculpted glass, 7 x 7 x 0.25 in. Photo provided by artist.

About Belger Arts: 


Since 2000, the Belger Arts Center has encouraged viewers to explore, question, and deepen their understanding of art and the world around them. Drawing upon the extensive Belger Collection, as well as a rich variety of local, national, and international artists, the Belger Arts Center has staged over 100 large-scale exhibitions that represent some of the best in contemporary art. 


Belger Crane Yard Studios, an arts complex dedicated to providing studio and exhibition space for artists, opened in 2013. A range of programming in ceramics education, in addition to an Artist in Residence program, has made Belger a center for contemporary art. 


The Belger Glass Annex is the third Belger Arts location and opened to the public in October 2021. It is the first public glass blowing studio in Kansas City of its scale and scope. The new facility boasts state-of-the-art glass blowing equipment and tools, a furnace that holds 300 pounds of molten glass, and three workstations. The Belger Glass Annex is primed to be a Midwest hub for glass art, education, and appreciation, strengthening Kansas City’s reputation as an arts destination. 


For more information on upcoming exhibitions, classes, and workshops, or to schedule a group tour, please visit BelgerArts.org or call 816-474-7316.


# # #

Follow us to stay updated!


Powered by:
GetResponse