Art by Fire is a glass school and gallery on Front Street in Issaquah. We teach glassblowing and lampworking. We enjoy sharing our love of glass with everyone!

We'd love to teach you to make beautiful glass or help you have a fun glassblowing experience. We have beautiful glass of our own for gifts or your own enjoyment too.

Our team:

Brad Stearns - Studio Lead

Brad Stearns - Art by Fire Studio Lead

Born and raised on Mercer Island, I have been a full-time glass artist and instructor since 2004. Although always artistically inclined, I had not found an opportunity to establish a career in the arts until discovering blown glass. I see myself as fortunate to have the prospect of creating for a living.

My work constantly changes and is inspired by classical Italian cane vessels, late 19th and early 20th century Art Nouveau, buried ancient objects and reliquaries, color and texture creation through chemical interactions, and organics in our natural world. I see my conversation with glass as an evolution of technique, form, color, and quality. I believe in continually challenging myself to understand, improve, and diversify, keeping myself thoroughly engaged.

 Dawn Johnson - Gallery Manager

Dawn Johnson

I grew up in a glassblowing family and have always loved glass. I am not a Seattle native, but had family living in Puyallup, Seattle and Bellingham before the turn of the century. I am a nature lover and enjoy taking my husky-aussie on long dog walks in the local parks. I have always been a creative person.

Ian - Instructor / Artist

Ian Freas - instructor and artist

Born outside Philadelphia, I was mostly raised outside Washington, DC. I served for several years as an EMT / firefighter before moving outside Seattle and transitioning to glassblowing. I love to teach glassblowing, especially to people who are differently abled. I believe in access to the arts for everyone.

Living near historical cities created my love of history. I am fascinated with historical glass, especially the amazing results they achieved with primitive facilities. I also love to turn the left-over scraps of glass into beautiful new works of art. As an emerging artist, I am experimenting with many new techniques and finding my voice in glass.

 

Art - Owner / Instructor / Artist

Art Freas - glassblowing 

I see glass as the way to capture and preserve movement and moments in a timeless way. My family had a technical glassblowing business for three generations before me so a love of glass comes naturally to me.

Sharon - Owner

My favorite thing to make in glass is fish and I like to incorporate a sense of whimsy into my art. Art and I started blowing glass after I got Art lessons for a 25th anniversary present. The bucket list item got completely out of hand when we both got hooked!

 

Art by Fire street view

Visit Us!

 

Giving Back

Giving back - peace and love and glassblowing
Local Events - Fenders on Front Street

Local Events

Our History

Lenoard making a Bird of Paradise vase