UrbanGlass, the NYC-based nonprofit established in 1977, fosters experimentation and advances the use and critical understanding of glass as a creative medium.

UrbanGlass was founded as the New York Experimental Glass Workshop in 1977 by a group of recent art school graduates—Erik Erikson, Richard Yelle, and Joe Upham—who wanted to continue their experiments in glass. In addition to providing studio space for artists already versed in the material, the Workshop featured an education program, which provided classes for working artists and the general public to expand their understanding of glass.

Today, the studio program serves approximately 350 working artists each year through equipment rentals and a variety of residency opportunities. The education program now serves over 1,000 students, 60% of whom are working artists, and partners with NYU and Pratt for accredited classes and additional workshops with students from SVA, Parsons and Brooklyn College. Our Agnes Varis Art Center welcomes 12,000 visitors annually and is a space for the public to see and learn about cutting edge art and design in glass. Named in honor of the philanthropist Agnes Varis, the Agnes Varis Art Center features the Window Gallery and Robert Lehman Gallery, which present ever-changing exhibitions of contemporary art.