St. Louis has a unique and fun business in town - a working art studio focused on warm glass and jewelry. Glasshopper Studio owned and operated by Leslie Leipziger, opened its doors in July in the Olive Arcade Plaza. This studio is a rare find for anyone seeking a creative break. What makes this studio so unique? It's the only studio in this area to offer education, studio support, and supplies for people pursuing the warm glass arts of glass fusing and lampwork beadmaking. Glasshopper's services begin with education from highly trained art professionals. After the introductory course, students can continue their work during studio hours using Glasshopper's tools and equipment. A large variety of glass, practically every color in the rainbow, creates the ideal setting to explore a myriad of color combinations and styles. This combination of education, studio support, and glass sales provides an opportunity for the novice as well as the advanced warm glass artist.

Due to student and customer encouragement, Glasshopper also offers bead sales (ranging from crystal to bali beads to sapphires) and jewelry related classes such as PMC (precious metal clay), wire bending, and bead stitching. These additional classes and bead sales became a natural extension to the beautiful fused and lampwork beads being created by Glasshopper customers. A customer can make (or buy) fused and lampwork beads, purchase findings, select complementary beads, and complete their jewelry art at the studio.

Glasshopper Studio was an evolution of artistic and entrepreneurial desire by Leslie Leipziger. Leslie once worked in the corporate world as a systems analyst. When her company moved from St. Louis, Leslie decided to stay. She felt this was her opportunity to try another field, and what a change she made! In 1996 Leslie began taking classes at a stained glass studio, which evolved into a part time job at the studio. This was just the beginning of her fascination with glass. She was also introduced to lampwork beadmaking through a class at Craft Alliance, an arts education center in University City. This process consists of heating glass rods in a torch flame and wrapping the molten glass around a mandrel to create beautiful beads. Now, she was hooked, but her desire to learn more about glass continued. She took another class at Craft Alliance on "glass fusing" - a process where a design is cut from various art glasses (much like stained glass), but the art glass pieces are fired in a kiln at temperatures up to 1500 degrees so they fuse together into one piece. The glass can then be placed on top of a curved mold and fired in the kiln again so that it slumps into the mold, rendering a beautiful plate, bowl, or platter. This process can be used for making jewelry pieces, as well. Leslie was so excited about this process that she devoted her efforts to warm glass, both beadmaking and fusing. She established her own studio in her home to expand her glass fusing efforts. The Glasshopper metamorphosis began.

In 1998 Leslie received an offer to teach glass fusing at Craft Alliance. She participated in the development of the warm glass studio at Craft Alliance and was an integral part of expanding the warm glass education program, becoming the Glass Department Chairperson as well as an instructor. The dilemma became that Leslie's students wanted to continue their fusing and beadmaking efforts and they needed supplies. Fusible glass, unlike stained glass, was not readily available in the St. Louis area. Since Leslie was ordering glass for Craft Alliance courses and her own work, the next natural step was to buy glass in greater bulk so students could purchase glass from Leslie. Students became friends and many were looking for studio time a little closer to home in West County. So they joined Leslie at her home studio until space ran out.

Equipped with encouragement and support from friends and customers, Leslie opened Glasshopper Studio in the Olive Arcade Plaza and business has grown steadily. "It is a dream come true," says Leslie. "Of course, I didn't initially plan to open a working art studio, it just evolved." People from all walks of life, all ages, and all professions come to Glasshopper to relax, have fun, and release their artistic talent. When asked what she enjoys most about her new business Leslie responds, "I like the comradery of the customers. It is what makes the business so much fun." Taken from a statement on a gift that was handmade by a customer turned friend, Leslie's motto for Glasshopper is: "A place where passion comes alive, and dreams are made true."

The classes fill fast. A full range of classes is offered (Glass Fusing, Beadmaking, Bead Stitching, Wirebending, Precious Metal Clay). Students attend class once a week and may select morning or evening sessions. The length of the courses range from two to four weeks. Anyone can call Glasshopper at 314-205-0220 to receive a schedule or enroll in a class. A Class Schedule is also available on this website.

For more information contact:
Glasshopper Studio LLC
Leslie Leipziger
13011 Olive Blvd.
Olive Arcade Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63141
314-205-0220
314-576-0008 (fax)
www.glasshopperstudio.com
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