Entry No. 57 — the Wichita file — filed under: hands-on
CityArts
Wichita's city-run community arts center in Old Town houses real hot-glass and metal facilities. Two-hour beginner glassblowing workshops let you make a glass paperweight or heart, and a glass-fusing workshop sends you home with kiln-fired frit-flower pieces. They also run metalsmithing intros covering stamping and cutting. It is an unusual case of a municipal program offering legitimate hot-shop and metal experiences to walk-in beginners.
The story
Most city-run recreation centers cap their creative ambitions at acrylic painting and hand-rolled ceramic pots. CityArts breaks that cautious municipal mold entirely. Operating out of Old Town at 334 N. Mead Street, this city-administered center houses a legitimate hot-glass shop and metalsmithing studio. Instead of walling off heavy industrial equipment behind expensive guild memberships or four-year art degrees, the city hands hot blowpipes and metal punches to absolute beginners.
The access here is the real anomaly. Operating through the city's quarterly activity guide, CityArts runs concise, two-hour entry workshops that bypass weeks of prerequisite theory. In the hot shop, you gather molten glass directly from the furnace to shape a solid paperweight or glass heart, or assemble glass frit for kiln-fired fusing. Down the hall in the metal shop, introductory metalsmithing sessions put tools in your hands to cover sheet cutting and metal stamping without requiring you to own a personal torch setup.
What it's like
Show up at the Mead Street building in natural fibers—synthetic clothing and hot-shop radiant heat do not mix. Workshop instruction is direct and hands-on, with instructors walking you through furnace safety and glass gathering right off the bat. The crucial catch with hot glass is timing: anything you shape must cool down gradually overnight in an annealing kiln, so you will have to make a trip back later in the week to collect your finished paperweight. Spots are strictly limited, restricted to ages 16 and up, and sell out quickly whenever registration opens.
The move: Book the two-hour beginner glassblowing workshop and each shape your own molten-glass paperweight.
📍 Before you go Workshops are age 16+, fill fast, and run on a published schedule; register via the Evolve activity guide or call (316) 350-3245.
- 📍 Old Town, Wichita
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 334 N. Mead St., Wichita, KS 67202
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Arcade — After working near a furnace on Mead Street, head a block over to cool down with unlimited retro arcade play.
- Gallery Alley — Trade the high heat of the hot shop for tactile, intersensory outdoor sculptures three blocks away on Douglas Avenue.
- The Lola Bar at Lola Candle Co. — Keep the hands-on crafting streak going by pouring custom-scented wooden-wick candles over in Delano.
- Entrap Games — Pair your hot-shop focus with team problem-solving in detailed escape rooms just a two-minute walk away.
Good to know
What kinds of beginner hands-on workshops does CityArts offer?
They offer two-hour introductory workshops in glassblowing (shaping molten paperweights or glass hearts), glass fusing (kiln-fired frit projects), and metalsmithing (covering cutting and metal stamping), alongside standard ceramics and painting courses.
Is there an age limit for the glass and metal workshops?
Yes, hot-shop glassblowing and metalsmithing workshops carry a minimum age requirement of 16.
Do I get to take my glass creation home the same day?
No. Blown and fused glass pieces require overnight annealing in a controlled kiln to prevent cracking, so you must return on a later date to pick up your completed piece.
How do I sign up for a hot-shop or metalsmithing class?
You can register online through the City of Wichita's Evolve activity guide or call the CityArts desk directly at (316) 350-3245.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: wichita.gov
last checked: 2026-06-23