Entry No. 66 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: hands-on
Nomad Neon
Neon bending is one of the rarest hands-on crafts you can actually try as a beginner, and Nomad Neon teaches it in small Denver workshops where you shape glass tube into a sculpture and take it home glowing. The six-hour abstract sculpture class lets you work in three colors and can be booked for one or two people, while a two-day weekend intensive gives you one-on-one instruction in designing, patterning, and bending your own piece. It's worth the drive up I-25 — there's nothing like it closer to the Springs.
The story
Most people assume true neon is dead, replaced by bendable plastic LED strips that fake the glow without the high voltage or hot glass. You didn't hear it from us, but genuine tube bending hasn't disappeared—it has just retreated into private backroom studios where benders run open-flame crossfires and ribbon burners. Nomad Neon is operated by Kaelyn McGowen, who runs Colorado's first woman-owned traditional glass-bending studio. McGowen spent years putting miles on her feet across the West Coast learning the trade—the inspiration behind the studio's name—before establishing her space in Denver and taking on neon fabrication for Burning Man's central Man Pavilion.
Instead of keeping the trade secret, McGowen opens her torch tables to beginners willing to make the 70-mile run north up I-25 from Colorado Springs. Bending neon isn't like studio glassblowing; you aren't spinning a glowing blob on the end of a blowpipe. You heat thin, hollow glass tubing over gas flames, using two hands to rotate and feel the glass go soft before laying it against asbestos-free layout paper patterns. Once the shapes are turned, electrodes are fused, air is vacuumed out, and noble gas is electrified into three distinct colors.
What it's like
You are stepping straight into a working neon sign and fine art studio, which means zero corporate showroom polish and plenty of open flame, ribbon burners, and specialized glass tools. Wear closed-toe shoes and natural fiber clothing that won't melt if hit by a stray ember or glass shard. Because McGowen keeps workshops deliberately tiny—often just one or two people—you get near-constant personal coaching on flame temperature, rotation speed, and avoiding tube crimps. The best moment comes at the end of the day, when your raw sculpture is wired up, processed, charged with gas, and lit in real time before you carefully pack it into your car for the drive back south.
The move: Spend a day learning to heat and bend glass tubing into your own lit neon sculpture and carry it home glowing.
📍 Before you go In Denver (~70 mi north), by appointment only. 6-hour class runs ~$575 for two; weekend intensive ~$850. Classes held Fri-Sun. Book ahead via their contact page.
- 📍 Denver, Colorado
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Denver, CO (by appointment)
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Provision — Cap off your drive back down I-25 with a craft cocktail hidden behind a swinging bookcase on Castle Rock's historic Wilcox Street block.
- Scileppi's at the Old Stone Church — Stop in Castle Rock on the way home to process the heat and gas fumes over pasta inside an 1888 rhyolite stone church.
- Wood Shark Trading Company — If melting glass tubes stoked your appetite for rare handcrafts and oddities, pull off the highway in Castle Rock to browse swords, taxidermy, and curiosities.
Good to know
Who owns and instructs at Nomad Neon?
The studio is owned and run by Kaelyn McGowen, a commercial tube bender and artist who holds an MFA in Arts Leadership and Management and oversees neon work for Burning Man's Man Pavilion.
How much do the workshops cost and what is included?
The six-hour abstract sculpture class costs around $575 for two people (or one) and includes up to three glass colors and power supplies. The two-day 12-hour weekend intensive costs ~$850 and offers one-on-one training covering design, patterning, bending, and assembly for a simple sign or form.
When are classes available and how do I sign up?
Workshops run Friday through Sunday by appointment only. Because class sizes are kept small, bookings must be arranged in advance via the studio's online contact page.
Do I need any prior torchworking or glassblowing experience?
No prior experience is necessary. Workshops are designed for complete beginners to learn gas burner controls, tube rotation, and bend safety from scratch.
Where is the studio located?
Nomad Neon operates by appointment in Denver, approximately 70 miles north of Colorado Springs straight up I-25.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-06-23