Let it glow, let it glow, let it glow
The University of Texas at Arlington’s Department of Art and Art History will host its annual Holiday Glass Art Sale and Fundraiser on Dec. 5 and 6. The longstanding tradition supports students and helps keep the glass area thriving.
More than 40 student artists will offer more than 2,000 glass artworks for sale. Half of the proceeds go directly to student artists, with the other half supporting the glass area. Throughout the event, visitors can also watch live glassblowing demonstrations—a unique opportunity to see students’ talent and technique up close.
Justin Ginsberg, UT Arlington’s glass area coordinator and associate professor, shared details about this year’s sale, what to expect and how the fundraiser supports students and the world-class facilities on campus.
What is the history of the Holiday Glass Art Sale and Fundraiser? How long has it been taking place?
Ginsburg: The glass area has been doing fundraisers since it started, so, really, over the last 50 years. The sales were originally more like lunchtime sales in the spring and were on a smaller scale. For the past five or six years, we have split the sales into two events: one in the winter and one in the spring. This really helped us build the sales into our curriculums and give students time to make their art for the sale. So although this holiday sale is fairly new, fundraising for the glass area has been going on for a long time.
How long do students spend preparing for the holiday sale, and what types of pieces do they typically contribute?
Ginsburg: Students are preparing through the whole semester, really. I would say it’s a balance between students who work in teams to make things efficiently—and more in line with real-world studio practices—and create themed items like ornaments, candy canes or snowmen, and students who work on pieces they’ve created when they’re practicing a new technique or a new shape—when they’re really letting their own creativity flow. Often with these pieces, the students will make multiple versions until they get the final product that they really like. They’ll bring all of the pieces they worked on before getting to their final to the sale; those are unique, one-of-a-kind artworks.
On average, how many items does each student submit?
Ginsburg: It’s a wide range. We have beginner students who participate, and they’ll maybe just bring a handful of items. Our more advanced students and graduate students are sometimes bringing more than 100 items. It really all depends on what each student is planning on making and what they want to sell. I would say we have somewhere between 2,000 to 4,000 pieces. There really is a large variety of items with all sorts of price points. We encourage all of our students to participate in the sale. It’s a really good opportunity to learn how to price point, make items ready for sale—you know, giving them a little insight into the entrepreneurial side of glass art. Each year, over 40 students participate in the holiday sale.
Profits are split 50/50 between the artists and the glass area. How are these funds used throughout the year?
Ginsburg: This really helps provide the majority of our operating budget. What it allows us to do is subsize a lot of the materials we use through the year so we can provide students more access to unique materials they otherwise wouldn’t be able to use. It also allows us to maintain all our equipment and keep our world-class facilities running and up to date. It allows us to stay with the trends and bring new equipment in, especially if a student wants to really focus on something specific, as we can invest in having those tools in our studio.
A large chunk of the funds goes to support student research and scholarships. If students get into exhibitions or have opportunities to present at a conference, we’re able to fund their trip. We also help nurture the research side of glassmaking. For example, this summer we’ll be sending three students to take specialized courses from internationally known glass artists. When they come back to our studio, the students will share the new technique or practice with the rest of the students—it creates a real synergy of new information in our studio.
What does it mean to students when they see people genuinely interested in—and willing to purchase—their artwork?
Ginsburg: The students get really enthusiastic, like really enthusiastic, and also touched in some ways. It’s something that is pretty motivating and encouraging, seeing people who are not related to them willing to give them money for the things they make. It puts things into a realistic perspective for our students: They see their efforts, labor, and talent come into fruition, giving them an idea that their art is a real pursuit.
Each student sets their own prices, and when they set something at a higher price and it ends up selling, our students have a really big “wow, I’m really making things that people want to buy” moment. This is an opportunity for them to develop their skill sets on design, creativity and problem-solving.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.