Las Vegas Glass Craft and Bead Expo 2026

Glass, Grit, and Vegas Glitz: My First
Las Vegas Expo by Barb Kienle

After years of hearing about the energy and inspiration found at the Glass Craft & Bead Expo in Las Vegas, I finally made the trip this past April 15–19. As a first-timer, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I returned home with a suitcase full of products, sample projects and a head full of techniques that have completely re-energized my studio practice.

Pam Archuleta teaches Orfio Quagliata to pull cane

A Deep Dive into New Techniques

I decided to make the most of the educational opportunities and dove into eight different classes. Most of these focused on techniques I had never explored before, pushing me well outside my comfort zone. Some of the highlights included:

• Encaustic & Impasto: Learning to build up texture and dimension in ways I hadn’t previously considered for glass.
• Float Glass & Screen Printing: Discovering the unique properties of working with float glass and the precision of screen printing designs.
• Material Exploration: Experimenting with glass clay and the chemical reactions of copper oxide.
• Texture Play: Perfecting the crackle technique using various weights of frit.

While the schedule was undeniably tiring, the thrill of seeing these new methods come to life made every hour in the classroom worth it.

More Than Just Classes

When I wasn’t in the classroom, the Exhibition Hall was a constant draw. It was a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on with the latest tools and products hitting the market. Seeing the innovations in kiln technology and cold-working equipment in person is a totally different experience than browsing a catalog.

Beyond the tools and glass, the true highlight was the community. It was wonderful to connect with fellow PNWGG members in such a vibrant setting and to meet artists from across the country who share our obsession with all things glass.

Barb Kienle and Suzanne Tyler get ready to explore the Exhibition Hall

Guild Excellence

I was particularly proud to see the Pacific Northwest Glass Guild represented so well on the national stage. Two of our own, Carlyne Lynch and Kory Dollar, taught classes at the Expo this year. They are both incredibly talented instructors who represent the talent and professionalism of our guild beautifully.

If you’ve never been to the Expo, I highly recommend looking into it for 2027. It’s an exhausting, exhilarating, and ultimately rewarding way to grow as an artist!

Carlyne Lynch teaching her Vitrigraph techniques

Kory Dollar teaching her mosaic method

I had a busy week myself, with four days of classes, including classes on layered landscape blocks, landscapes in glass, screen printing on glass, etching on glass, and use of dichroic glass. Every instructor had a strong desire to share their incredible skillset with the students, and we had a diverse group of students, from newbies to very experienced artists, including professional artists. Several of our glass guild members were at the exposition, including our President Barb Kienle and Vice President Pam Archuleta.

Vitrigraph artist extraordinaire Carlyne Lynch taught for the second year with another set of sold-out classes, showing off her incredible pot design skills. She was assisted by other amazing glass guild artists and members, such as Karen Groendyke, Pam Archuleta and Daryle Ryder. (Thank you, Karen Groendyke, for the incredible vitrigraph tulips!) Sponsor Kory Dollar also taught at the exposition, and was very generous with her donation of a weekend class won by one lucky person at the Saturday night anniversary party. If you have the opportunity to attend the exposition in the future, I highly recommend it!

Suzanne Tyler in a glass cutting contest (2nd contestant from left)

It took contributions from many members of the Pacific Northwest Glass Guild to put on my 4 days of teaching ”Designing Vitrigraph” at the annual Las Vegas Glass Craft and Bead Expo.

I appreciate the support the following Guild members and friends gave me: Lisa G, Daryle Ryder, Dean Murray, Pam Archuleta, Karen Groendyke, Diana Wendt, Rose and Gerald McBride, Penny Hue, Rae Williamson, Greta Schneider, Suzanne Tyler, and Margie Rieff. I thank them for all of their hard work, enthusiasm and input to help create the successful training experience. It is not possible to list all the people who pulled pots and provided feedback on plate designs and tools but I certainly owe a shout out to Kory Dollar for her testing and refinement of many of my plates and her influence on my pulling techniques.

With help from friends Carlyne also had a booth in the Exhibition hall

I celebrated my 75^th birthday in Vegas. Diana Wendt went all out: Having Narcissus and Orfeo Quagliata sing happy birthday and meet our Guild folks was special. Orfeo Quagliata came to my classes and spent time with my awesome co-instructors and students. It was a great time and experience for all.

(Even Elvis helped Carlyne celebrate)