April Blooms with Art and AI

Happy Earth Month, Friends!

Meet April’s Featured Community Member, Rob Panepinto! A highly experienced and respected glass artist, Rob first worked for GlassRoots during its early days before our Hot Shop was even a reality. With a father who worked as a social worker for the ArchDiocese in Newark, Rob’s connection to Newark and the stained glass tradition also runs deep. He recalls incorporating stained glass into his paintings as an art student and credits artists Karen LaMonte and Deborah Czeresko with giving him a foundation in the glass arts. Rob also helped design GlassRoots’ first handmade glass awards!

We are grateful that Rob recently reconnected with our team as a Teaching Artist and will be leading a Tech and AI course for the 2025 GlassRoots | Peters Valley Fellows this summer.

As an instructor, Rob typically asks himself “How can I connect with each student individually? How to connect their lives to glass?" Recent discussions have ranged from the choreography of the Hot Shop to the fiber optics used in popular video games! 

In his own creative practice, Rob has been blending glass with experiments in Generative AI as seen above in his “Terrariums” series made possible by a Creative Partnership with Nim.Video. He is also participating in a collaborative residency at A Time To Be Happy Gallery in New York City with his wife, Jennifer Panepinto.

Black and White Photo Credit: Benjamin Allen

Join us for our annual celebration of glass art, community and creativity! We can't wait to welcome you to GlassBall 2025 at our new location - The Montclair Art Museum - on June 5th as we proudly recognize this year’s esteemed honorees:

• Robinson Holloway, CEO Arts 14C
• John Schreiber, President and CEO, New Jersey Performing Arts Center
• Roger C. Tucker, III, Board President, GlassRoots & Director, Tucker Contemporary Art
• Andy Toxtle, Visual Arts Teacher, North Star Academy

Help us congratulate them for all they do for our community. We also have a few fun surprises in store! #GlassBall2025

Handmade Glass Awards Now on Shopify!

We are pleased to announce that you can now order our handmade glass awards from the comfort of your own home or office! GlassRoots Awards and Commissions are now available on Shopify and we've made the ordering process simple and straightforward.

Is your organization planning a fall gala? Is your company closing a deal, welcoming a new partner or honoring a retiring team leader? Or, perhaps you're looking for a special way to honor your volunteers? Then consider showing your appreciation with a one-of-kind glass award hand-sculpted by our team of studio artists.

Calling All Emerging Newark-based Artists! 

You have three days left to apply to the GlassRoots | Peters Valley Fellowship: a fully-funded, 12-week immersive program exploring a diverse range of art-making techniques, including glassblowing, stained glass, blacksmithing, ceramics, printmaking, jewelry design and more.

Working at GlassRoots in Newark, NJ and Peters Valley School of Craft in Layton, NJ, participants will work closely with professional artists and receive career development support including portfolio building, resume writing and public speaking. The Fellowship culminates in exhibitions at both Peters Valley and GlassRoots.

Application Deadline: April 13th!

Get Your Team Fired Up this Spring!

We just launched our new Team Experiences for the 2025 season! We offer several hands-on team activities that facilitate camaraderie, professional development, onboarding or simply bonding with your colleagues face-to-face. Let us design a captivating program that works with your group dynamic, budget and timeframe.

Best of all? Your financial investment in a Team Experience at GlassRoots fuels free afterschool glassmaking workshops that empower local youth with creativity, craftsmanship and confidence! 

GlassRoots Beautifies the Community

This month, we're also looking forward to celebrating youth empowerment and Earth Day with various community partners! We are participating in this Saturday's Grand Opening Celebration of the Girl Scout Leadership Center on McCarter Highway. On April 26th, join us for our mural unveiling with Steam Urban's Earth Week Family Day. Lastly, we are partnering with the City of Newark and Newark Downtown District to create a mosaic for the students of Great Oaks Legacy Charter School. Stay tuned!



GlassRoots sparks change and enables growth in individuals and communities through the transformative power of glass art. Building skills, igniting creativity, inspiring confidence and impacting economic vitality.