Center shows glass pumpkins

The Bloomington Creative Glass Center came to Downtown Bloomington for their fourth annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch sale.

On Oct. 12, Monroe County Courthouse presented the 2013 Creative Glass Center Community Arts Commission at its courtyard to present over 250 blown glass pumpkins.

The Bloomington Creative Glass Center is a nonprofit organization that supplies Indiana residents with education about glass blowing. 

All proceeds from the pumpkin sales will go toward the Bloomington Creative Glass Center.

At the pumpkin patch sale, the center sold their renowned hand blown glass pumpkin sculptures.

The event was well received by the Bloomington community, with a majority of the sculptures displayed being sold out in the first hour of opening.

“So far we have sold 384 pumpkins, and we’re hoping to sell more,” Artistic Director Abby Gitlitz said.

“We are hoping to make enough profit to build another center in Bloomington, so more students and townspeople can attend.” Gitlitz said.

The center offers people a free educational course where they can learn to produce artistic mediums in glass, such as fused glass, stained glass and mosaic glass.

It also offers private and group classes at its glass guild that can go toward educational degrees.

All other earnings and proceeds made at the center’s fundraiser will go toward obtaining the right tools and materials so they can provide a free education for volunteers willing to join.

“We are trying to recruit more people to publicize, price, pack, haul, sell and advertise our Pumpkin Patch program,” volunteer Thomas Rayne said. “The more people we get, the better, since each pumpkin takes at least two to four people to make.”

The stained glass pumpkins displayed came in a wide variety of vibrant colors.

“These pumpkins are extremely festive to put out as great décor for the fall season,” customer Patricia Roberts said. “They are so gorgeous that I might consider keeping them out for both the winter and the summer.”

With the exhibit of the sculptures, the Glass Center also revealed the step-by-step process of what it takes to make one of the pumpkins.

“The process to make these pumpkins is fascinating,” said Rayne. “We use glass frit and crushed-up colored glass that we torch to create that beautiful, sparkling effect.”

Follow reporter Anthony Broderick on Twitter @brodakirck.