Rebuilding The Mobile Hotshop

Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts has been bringing glass arts education and experiences to Minnesotans since 2009. A diverse community of dedicated artists, makers, enthusiasts, and curious beginners - our nonprofit organization shares the creative potential of glass with everyone!

An essential part of that work has been our mobile hotshop. For around ten years our mobile has provided broad access to educational glassblowing demonstrations outside of our studio and on the go. Tragically, our mobile was stolen in June of 2025, as we were planning for the Minnesota State Fair, our largest outreach event of the year!

The mobile consisted of a custom-outfitted trailer containing a stage, an awning, a glassblowing furnace and reheating unit, annealing kilns, a sound system, large signage, glassblowing tools, a bench, and many years of countless memories. It has been the support system for numerous local artist demonstrations and the one thing many Minnesotans know Foci MCGA for.

This year, with the help of our community, we pieced together all we needed to offer glassblowing demonstrations at the Minnesota State Fair. Now we are planning and rebuilding a permanent solution.

Thankfully, a generous donation from Gary W. Koch and Joleen K. Koch is supporting this work. They have offered to match every donation from our community, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. 

We are $3,800 from our goal and we need your support to unlock those funds! 

A donation of any amount is doubled, up to $10,000, as long as it comes in before December 31, 2025. 

Your support will provide us with the resources needed to purchase a new mobile glassblowing furnace and trailer.  

Please consider donating what is meaningful to you today!