Since 2001, GlassRoots has been working with underserved teens and young adults to offer skills training in glassmaking and business development in the Newark, New Jersey, area. The company has faced hardships in the past with a long-delayed building expansion and a series of executive directors. The April 13th passing of Dena Lowenbach, its longtime champion, board chair, and Lifetime Trustee (an honorific title given to honor her life-long commitment to to serve on the company's board), has been an especially difficult challenge to this organization dedicated to uplifting youth. Against this backdrop, it was uncertain how the organization's annual GlassBall would fare, but the successful June 5th event could signal a turning point for GlassRoots and its current management team, which is led by executive director Carol Losos, who, togehter with the GlassRoots Board of Trustees, oversees the company through strategic leadership.
GlassBall 2025 took place at new gala location for GlassRoots, and the Montclair Art Museum event kicked off with a live performance featuring GlassRoot's Mobile Hot Shop, a traveling glass furnace. Afterwards, at cocktail hour, GlassRoots celebrated their Youth Entrepreneurial Spirit (YES) Program participants. The YES teens dedicated the last 6 months to creating glassworks--jewelry, glassware, etc--that would be sold at the night's event. Alongside this sale, GlassRoots held a live auction for various artworks made by GlassRoots Artists, including handcrafted centerpieces from GlassBall 2025. The night also recognized the GlassBall 2025 honorees: New Jersey Performing Arts Center president John Schreiber; Robinson Holloway the founder and CEO of ARTS 14C; as well as Roger C. Tucker III who is founder and director of Tucker Contemporary Art; and this year's Young Artist Honoree Andy Toxtle, an up-and-coming glass art teacher.
After years of obstacles on an expansion plan, when circumstances beyond their control caused the project to fall through, GlassRoots seems to be making a comeback. Amidst the global pandemic, GlassRoots was in the works of expanding to a new space. The effects of that outbreak coupled with the setbacks of the buildings development caused the project to initially falter. The developer of the new building was rehabilitating the former St. Michael’s Hospital, an entire 19th century building, and the project turned out to be bigger than initially expected, and it was put on hold when the developer did not have enough of the necessary resources to complete the project. However after a near decade of hoping, it looks like GlassRoots is finally poised to open a new space in Teachers Village, an education-centered neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey.
To find out more about the GlassBall's success and plans for the future, the Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet spoke with GlassRoot's executive director Carol Losos.
Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet: In some of the materials about the gala, I noticed how you frame GlassBall as an opportunity to shine the light on individual artists. How do you feel the GlassBall uplifts young aspiring glass artists?
Carol Losos: "We do something during the GlassBall that is two fold. We host the Youth Entrepreneurial Spirit (YES) program which hosts young glass artists and their work. So they can be exposed to a whole audience that may not know about them. And our established artists produce our centerpieces. That allow guests to take home a glass orb each year. Our staff this year actually created the vases that held them."
Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet: Was GlassBall 2025 successful financially this year? And what is the significance of that?
Carol Losos: "Yes, there was financial success with the event bring in more money than it did last year. We definitely made a profit that is significant for GlassRoots. GlassBall is our way of reaching new supporters in a celebratory setting. Our mission at GlassRoots is that we start with the young people. We provide access and opportunities for greater Newark youth through our full access glass studio. The core of what we do is educate the youth of Newark so the GlassBall ensures that the company stays free and heavily subsidized for education.”
Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet: I wanted to share my condolences for the passing of Dena Lowenbach. How has GlassRoots coped with that recent loss?
Carol Losos: "Its been really hard for us. Especially because she has been with us since day one. She was still on the board when she passed, so its been noticeable that she has been gone. She was a collector, a great collector and GlassRoots number one supporter."
Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet: Let's shift the lens a bit. What should the glass world be looking forward to from GlassRoots?
Carol Losos: “So just this week we celebrated our 'ground-shattering' for our new space. we are looking forward to expansion and growth. We called it a 'ground-shattering' as a play on this rather symbolic beginning. We invited our supporters in the community in our new space. We are confident that this expansion is moving forward. We have a dedicated team and solid resources. We will be part of a thriving, existing community known as Teachers Village and to complete this project, we only need to fit out our future space (essentially, customize the interior for occupancy). We organized the ground shattering to celebrate that construction - and an exciting new chapter - has begun!"