(NEWARK, NJ) -- Twenty five years ago, GlassRoots started as a table and two torches at the Boys and Girls Club of Newark. A small number of students joined them once a week for an after school flameworking class. A few years later, they moved into their current space at 10 Bleeker Street: a 5,000 square foot glass art center that serves 5,000 individuals annually. Collectively, they've reached 40,000 people over the past 25 years and currently offer a dozen programs serving participants ages 8 - 80.
Their visionary founder, Pat Kettenring, a business school professor at Rutgers who specialized in art administration and social entrepreneurship, was also a passionate glass collector. After visiting Hilltop Artists in Washington and witnessing how they taught middle schoolers life skills through glassblowing, she sensed that glassblowing and the glass arts could uniquely demonstrate crucial life and career skills to the young people of Newark as well.
GlassRoots Founder, Patricia Ketenring, with supporters including then Mayor Cory Booker in 2008
Needless to say, she was right! Twenty-five years later, GlassRoots remains an integral cultural destination in downtown Newark dedicated to empowering teens and young adults through the magic of fire and glass. They've also evolved to serve participants of all ages and backgrounds - ranging from a Date Night class or team building workshop to a school field trip or commission for a handmade glass award. As they've grown, they've stayed true to their mission: when you take a class, order a handmade glass award or book any glassmaking experience at GlassRoots, you're ensuring that a young person here in Newark will enjoy that same experience at no cost!
They look forward to serving more of those young people as part of their 25th Anniversary expansion. In the spring of 2026, GlassRoots will be expanding to their new home in the Arts and Culture District in Downtown Newark. Not only will this new space double their footprint to 10,000 square feet, it will also double their reach to 10,000 participants annually. A customized ground level buildout adorned with large-scale windows, the organization's new home will be both visible and truly accessible to all the communities they serve.
GlassRoots' new home will position Newark's premier glass art center as an anchor of the City's Arts and Education District and an engaging cultural institution for an evolving neighborhood of Teachers Village. The larger facilities will strengthen the organization's impact throughout the Greater Newark community by accommodating more school and community-based partnerships, enhancing their capacity for team building workshops and providing affordable, high-quality space for rentals by artists and local businesses.
GlassRoots Executive Director, Carol Losos, affirms: "Being part of a neighborhood that intersects Newark's residential, educational and business communities will provide endless opportunities for our organization. We look forward to expanding our celebrated offerings - free programs for Newark youth, affordable and accessible glassmaking classes and one-of-a-kind events and group experiences - to even more of our neighbors with this exciting new chapter for our organization!"
GlassRoots looks forward to igniting the futures of these communities and more as we commemorate this 25th anniversary milestone. As the year unfolds, look out for:
* New Glassmaking Classes
* Their 25th Anniversary Birthday Party
* GlassBall 2026 - Their Largest Annual Fundraiser
* New Glass Award Designs by theirArtist Team
* The Expansion to their Future Home
* And a few surprises!
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.
