Entry No. 33 — the Albuquerque file — filed under: stained glass
The Groove Artspace
An artist-owned teaching collaborative in downtown Albuquerque focused heavily on cold-glass arts, glass casting, stained glass cutting, and custom mosaic creation.
The story
Downtown Albuquerque isn't short on quiet galleries selling polished Southwestern wall art, but tucked right next to the historic Occidental Life building on Gold Avenue SW is something far grittier. Founded in 2023 by mosaic artist Erika Harding and co-director Alison Robbenhaar, The Groove Artspace operates as an artist-owned teaching collective and working studio where you're expected to pick up power tools rather than admire work from behind a velvet rope.
The space brings together a network of over fifteen local instructors and four resident artists, focusing heavily on raw, tactile mediums: cold-glass cutting, glass casting, foil wrapping, soldering, and custom mosaic assembly. In 2025, the team launched a non-profit arm, The Community Groove, to keep hands-on creative programming accessible downtown. It functions as an anti-pretentious workshop where thick sheets of colored glass are scored, snapped, and transformed into illuminated art right before your eyes.
What it's like
Inside, the studio feels like a genuine maker lab, filled with the crunch of glass shards, the hum of wet grinders, and workbenches strewn with copper foil and soldering irons. When you sign up for a workshop, expect step-by-step instruction from local makers who supply safety glasses and guide you through scoring and soldering your own suncatcher or mosaic panel. One crucial warning before you head over: grab street parking along Gold Avenue SW or use the paid lots at 4th or 2nd Street, but stay out of the private bank lot directly across the street—they tow aggressively and without hesitation.
The move: Sign up for a stained-glass or glass-casting workshop where you'll score, cut, foil, and solder vibrant glass sheets side-by-side to craft custom illuminated suncatchers.
- 📍 Downtown
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 309 Gold Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Telephone Museum of New Mexico — Walk one block north after your workshop to trade glass-cutting tools for four floors of vintage telecom hardware and working 1900s switchboards.
- KiMo Theatre — Head one block over on Central Avenue to admire Pueblo Deco architectural details and hear local ghost lore.
- Founders Speakeasy — Stroll two blocks south once class wraps up to whisper a password in a bottle shop and grab craft cocktails underground.
- The Art Vault at Gallery One — Walk three blocks north toward Civic Plaza to see experimental art housed inside a heavy steel city treasury vault.
Good to know
What kinds of workshops are hosted at The Groove Artspace?
The collective specializes in glass arts—including stained glass cutting, cold-glass techniques, kiln glass casting, and glass-on-glass mosaics—taught by a rotation of over 15 local art instructors.
Where should I park when visiting the Gold Avenue studio?
Park at street meters along Gold Avenue SW or in public paid lots at 4th & Gold or 2nd & Gold. Avoid parking in the bank lot directly across the street, as unauthorized cars are towed.
Can I visit without signing up for a class?
Yes. The front room operates as an informal gallery space showcasing monthly rotating exhibitions from New Mexico artists along with pieces created by in-house studio residents.
Who owns and directs the studio?
The Groove is an artist- and woman-owned collaborative founded and directed by mosaic artist Erika Harding alongside co-director Alison Robbenhaar.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · visitabq.org · handwork2026.org · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21