Entry No. 62 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: hands-on
Working Artists Gallery & Stained Glass Supplies
A downtown gallery and full stained-glass supply shop that teaches both foil and lead glasswork to anyone 14 and up. Classes run four weeks of Friday or Saturday afternoons, with all materials for a finished stained-glass project included in the fee. Instructors pass along the professional tips and tricks of the trade, and graduates get a lifetime discount on supplies.
The story
Grand Junction’s oldest art gallery doesn't just hang paintings on the wall and call it a day. Behind the front display room at 520 Main Street—where the work of over 100 local artists crowds the walls—sits the Western Slope’s primary supply depot for raw glass, copper foil, and soldering irons. Step past the exhibition cases and you are standing in the regional hub for people who cut sheets of colored glass by hand.
Instead of offering one-hour gimmicks, the gallery runs deliberate four-week workshops on Friday and Saturday afternoons, teaching both copper foil techniques and traditional lead came construction to anyone fourteen and older. You won't be handed pre-cut craft kits. You learn how to score a clean break across a sheet without shattering it, shape sharp edges against a mechanical grinder, wrap the borders in foil, and fuse the seams with a flat-iron tip.
The instructors are working glass professionals who pass along studio trade secrets—how to keep chemical flux from spitting, how to burnish foil edges tight enough to withstand years of hanging, and how to hold a steady bead along a lead joint. The real insider payoff comes when you finish: graduates walk out with a completed glass panel and earn a lifetime discount on studio glass and supplies.
What it's like
Walk into 520 Main Street and you'll pass through a bright downtown gallery filled with regional art before reaching the supply shelves and workbenches in the back. During class hours on Friday or Saturday afternoons, the back room shifts into a full working shop smelling of flux, glass water, and warm solder. Expect to wear safety goggles, handle sharp edges, and leave with glass dust on your shoes. Because this is a serious four-week series rather than a casual single-session drop-in, seats are limited and require a multi-week commitment at roughly $135 per student plus a deposit. Call (970) 256-9952 directly to get on the ledger before a bench fills.
The move: Sign up together for the four-week stained-glass series and cut, foil, and solder your own glass panel side by side.
📍 Before you go Roughly $135/student plus a deposit; seats fill fast, register at (970) 256-9952. It's a multi-week commitment, not a single drop-in.
- 📍 Downtown Grand Junction
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 520 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Moody's Lounge — After spending an afternoon with hot solder and glass flux, walk down Main Street to find the neon dal segno sign and disappear inside for a drink.
- Candle Kitchen GJ — Double up on hands-on downtown projects by blending a custom candle scent right down the block after your glass session.
- Board Fox Games & Coffee — Grab a coffee and test out a tabletop game just a block away before or after your afternoon glass workshop.
Good to know
How do I sign up for stained-glass classes and how much do they cost?
You need to call the gallery directly at (970) 256-9952 to register. The four-week course runs roughly $135 per student plus a deposit, which includes all the materials needed to complete a finished stained-glass panel.
What techniques are taught in the workshop?
Instructors teach both copper foil work and lead came assembly, walking students through scoring, cutting, grinding, foiling, and soldering.
Is this a single drop-in night or a recurring class?
It's a multi-week commitment. Classes meet once a week on Friday or Saturday afternoons for four consecutive weeks.
Who can take the class, and are there post-class perks?
Classes are open to anyone age 14 and up. Anyone who completes the four-week series earns a lifetime discount on glass supply purchases at the shop.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · downtowngj.org · visitgrandjunction.com
last checked: 2026-06-23