Entry No. 40 — the Kansas City file — filed under: glassblowing
Belger Glass Annex
As the first public glassblowing studio in Kansas City, this state-of-the-art facility offers immersive, fiery classes led by professional glass artists.
The story
Belger Arts didn't stop with their gallery footprints on Walnut Street and Tracy Avenue. Their third location—the Belger Glass Annex at 1219 E. 19th Street—brought Kansas City its first large-scale public glassblowing hot shop right in the East Crossroads. Instead of observing studio glass safely pinned behind gallery display cases, you're stepped directly into an operational facility with active furnaces.
The Annex operates across two distinct modes: cold glass manipulation and hot shop work. Professional resident glass artists lead two-hour glass-fusing workshops where you score, break, and layer cold sheet glass to assemble items like pet portraits or wind chimes, alongside four-week intensive courses and weekend sessions that get you handling liquid glass straight from the furnace.
What it's like
Expect ambient heat radiating through the space before you even cross the threshold. You need to dress strictly in natural fibers—100% cotton, linen, or heavy denim—because synthetic fabrics can melt near the heat of the hot shop, and closed-toe shoes are mandatory. During a fusing workshop, you'll assemble cold glass pieces flat on a ceramic kiln shelf. Keep in mind that glass work requires a controlled, slow cooling period called annealing to prevent thermal shock, so you won't walk out with your finished project the night you make it; you'll have to return later in the week to pick it up.
The move: Sign up for a 'Glass Fusing Date Night' to spend two hours cutting, arranging, and layering vibrant pieces of glass to create custom wind chimes or pet portraits.
- 📍 Crossroads Arts District
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1219 E. 19th St., Kansas City, MO 64108
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Art Alley — Cool off after working near the hot kilns with a half-mile walk to this open-air East Crossroads alley filled with rotating street art.
- Oracle Natural Science — Swap molten furnace glass for framed insects, bones, and taxidermy less than a mile away in the Crossroads.
- KC Conjure & Botanica — Follow up an evening of shaping physical raw materials with a short trip west to Mambo Julie Valdivia's spiritual shop for custom candles and botanica goods.
Good to know
Do I get to take my glass creation home the same day?
No. Glass must sit in an annealing kiln for hours to cool down gradually without cracking from thermal stress, meaning you will need to return later to collect your piece.
What should I wear to a class at the Glass Annex?
Wear 100% natural fibers like cotton or denim, as synthetic materials melt easily around heat. Sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required.
What is the difference between glassblowing and glass fusing?
Glassblowing involves gathering white-hot molten glass out of a furnace using long steel pipes to shape three-dimensional forms. Glass fusing uses cold room-temperature glass sheets that you cut, arrange, and layer flat before melting them together in a kiln.
How does the Glass Annex fit into Belger Arts?
It is Belger's third site in Kansas City, functioning as their dedicated glass facility alongside the Belger Arts Center on Walnut Street and the Belger Crane Yard Gallery on Tracy Avenue.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-07-21