Blazing paddles studio, Macon

To say Bryan Beck knows about glass would be an understatement. A professional glassblower since 2012, Bryan studied under master glassblowers Paul Stankard and Anna Boothe and once was one of three production glassblowers at Kokomo Opalescent Glass—one of the United States' oldest glass art factories.In 2017, he received a Master of Fine Arts in Glass from Southern Illinois University.

Now, as lead glassblower at Blazing Paddles, he continues to make art and instruct students of all levels in the glassblowing arts. In these classes, he shows students how to create works of glass art from the fires of the kiln all the way through to a finished piece. All of the basics are covered, including gathering and manipulating hot glass, blowing it into a shape, and adding color.