Schools
Glass Artist Opens Windows on the World for MHS Students
Art teacher Carolyn Rordam has inspired students to get involved with glass art through class and club at Merrimack High School.
By Carolyn Rordam, Merrimack High School art teacher
I came to Merrimack High School eight years ago as an art teacher. Before I
began teaching I worked as a professional glass artist. I was very excited to start teaching in a high school, and my biggest aspiration in my new position was to bring a glass art class to high school students.
I started with a vision for what is known as the catwalk hallway in the high school. It was a location that was just screaming for stained glass windows. I started by approaching the gateway coordinator to develop an Artist in Residence
program in glass. The students chose a theme for our window. Each student then made a 6”x6” clay tile using imagery related to the theme. Those tiles were later cast in glass using a kiln I brought in from my studio.
After the first window was complete I worked with the high school Art Department to write a class to bring glass art to MHS. The first time the class was placed in our program of studies the students signed up in such numbers I could have taught eight sections of Glass Art; but this was not feasible. I was encouraged, I had created something students wanted to learn more about. After a couple of very successful years teaching glass art I asked students if they might be interested in creating a glass club. I thought the students could perhaps
expand their knowledge of glass and fund raise to try some advanced glass opportunities that are not possible in the course of a regular school day schedule.
This manifested itself in a field trip to a hot glass studio in Rindge. For two years running I have been able to bring 20 different students into the hot glass world.
It is a once in a lifetime experience for many and completely altered their understanding of what is possible in the world of glass art.
My class is now in its fourth year and has grown from two sections to three. Our club now has 16 members; we have completed three windows for the school and are in process of window number four. To the best of my knowledge MHS has the only glass program in the state of New Hampshire. My dream for the students is to bring the technology of hot glass working to the MHS glass program. I am interested in adding a unit of lampworking, which involves sculpting glass by twirling thin rods of glass over a gas-oxygen burner, to the MHS glass class. This would also create the potential to develop an advanced glass class at MHS.
Hot glass has a history of more than 5,000 years; the technique of lampworking is 2,500 years old. As a media, glass art brings together several disciplines; art, science, math and history. In addition, glass can enhance a student’s self-confidence by succeeding at an unusual and difficult art medium. Many skills and specializations must be applied to create glass sculptures, beads or vessels using the medium of hot glass.
I came to Merrimack High School eight years ago as an art teacher. Before I
began teaching I worked as a professional glass artist. I was very excited to start teaching in a high school, and my biggest aspiration in my new position was to bring a glass art class to high school students.
I started with a vision for what is known as the catwalk hallway in the high school. It was a location that was just screaming for stained glass windows. I started by approaching the gateway coordinator to develop an Artist in Residence
program in glass. The students chose a theme for our window. Each student then made a 6”x6” clay tile using imagery related to the theme. Those tiles were later cast in glass using a kiln I brought in from my studio.
After the first window was complete I worked with the high school Art Department to write a class to bring glass art to MHS. The first time the class was placed in our program of studies the students signed up in such numbers I could have taught eight sections of Glass Art; but this was not feasible. I was encouraged, I had created something students wanted to learn more about. After a couple of very successful years teaching glass art I asked students if they might be interested in creating a glass club. I thought the students could perhaps
expand their knowledge of glass and fund raise to try some advanced glass opportunities that are not possible in the course of a regular school day schedule.
This manifested itself in a field trip to a hot glass studio in Rindge. For two years running I have been able to bring 20 different students into the hot glass world.
It is a once in a lifetime experience for many and completely altered their understanding of what is possible in the world of glass art.
My class is now in its fourth year and has grown from two sections to three. Our club now has 16 members; we have completed three windows for the school and are in process of window number four. To the best of my knowledge MHS has the only glass program in the state of New Hampshire. My dream for the students is to bring the technology of hot glass working to the MHS glass program. I am interested in adding a unit of lampworking, which involves sculpting glass by twirling thin rods of glass over a gas-oxygen burner, to the MHS glass class. This would also create the potential to develop an advanced glass class at MHS.
Hot glass has a history of more than 5,000 years; the technique of lampworking is 2,500 years old. As a media, glass art brings together several disciplines; art, science, math and history. In addition, glass can enhance a student’s self-confidence by succeeding at an unusual and difficult art medium. Many skills and specializations must be applied to create glass sculptures, beads or vessels using the medium of hot glass.
The above information was provided by Carolyn Rordam as part of a Merrimack Teachers Association program highlighting the successes of teachers in the school district.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
