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 will be piecing together all we need to still offer glassblowing demonstrations at the Minnesota State Fair. Afterwards, we will begin planning and rebuilding a permanent solution - for that we will need support!

Thankfully, we have a donation from Gary W. Koch and Joleen K. Koch who will match every donation from our community, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. 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. Please consider donating what is meaningful to you today!

Your support will help Foci MCGA continue to reach thousands of Minnesotans every year with the creative potential of glass. If you are unable to contribute, please consider sharing this fundraiser with others.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to offer us support or assistance in any way, it is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed - we wouldn’t be able to pull off this year's demos, or next year’s rebuild without you!

AND, thank you to everyone who helped build, improve, and provide demonstrations out of our previous, beloved mobile hot shop. It impacted thousands of Minnesotans for a long 10 years! Thanks for all of the memories.

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Outdoor art demonstration booth for the Minnesota Center for Glass Arts, with tools, supplies, a small kiln, and a sign displaying the organization's name and website.

Outdoor art demonstration booth for the Minnesota Center for Glass Arts, with tools, supplies, a small kiln, and a sign displaying the organization's name and website.

Demonstrations at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair featuring the Minnesota Center for Glass Arts booth. A girl is sitting at a glassblowing station, and another person is seated nearby with colorful glass ornaments on a table. Visitors walk around in th

Demonstrations at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair featuring the Minnesota Center for Glass Arts booth. A girl is sitting at a glassblowing station, and another person is seated nearby with colorful glass ornaments on a table. Visitors walk around in the background on a partly cloudy day.

Demonstration at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair showing a woman and a man holding long metal tools, with the woman attempting to blow a soap bubble. Several onlookers are seated and watching, some sitting on bleachers and others standing, under a clea

Demonstration at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair showing a woman and a man holding long metal tools, with the woman attempting to blow a soap bubble. Several onlookers are seated and watching, some sitting on bleachers and others standing, under a clear blue sky.

A crowd of people attending a demonstration at the 2016 Minnesota State Fair, with some seated and others standing, watching a speaker near a stage with a microphone, under a partly cloudy sky.

A crowd of people attending a demonstration at the 2016 Minnesota State Fair, with some seated and others standing, watching a speaker near a stage with a microphone, under a partly cloudy sky.

People attending a glass art demonstration at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair, with a glass artist working on a piece and audience seated and watching outdoors.

People attending a glass art demonstration at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair, with a glass artist working on a piece and audience seated and watching outdoors.

Glassblowing process with a piece of molten glass being shaped in a furnace with a glowing orange interior, and a glass figurine resembling a fish on a rod.

Glassblowing process with a piece of molten glass being shaped in a furnace with a glowing orange interior, and a glass figurine resembling a fish on a rod.

Three young women at the Minnesota State Fair in 2014 demonstrating glassblowing on a small stage. The woman on the right is holding a glass pipe and making a peace sign, while the woman on the left is smiling and working with the glass apparatus, an

Three young women at the Minnesota State Fair in 2014 demonstrating glassblowing on a small stage. The woman on the right is holding a glass pipe and making a peace sign, while the woman on the left is smiling and working with the glass apparatus, and the woman in the middle is standing nearby watching. There are tents, trees, and a parking lot in the background.

Four people standing and sitting inside a food booth at the Minnesota State Fair, wearing bright yellow T-shirts with a science and glass blowing design, some with safety glasses and hairnets, surrounded by equipment and supplies, smiling at the came

Four people standing and sitting inside a food booth at the Minnesota State Fair, wearing bright yellow T-shirts with a science and glass blowing design, some with safety glasses and hairnets, surrounded by equipment and supplies, smiling at the camera.

A person is making glass and warming at a demonstration booth at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair during sunset.

A person is making glass and warming at a demonstration booth at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair during sunset.

Two men at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair, wearing bright yellow T-shirts with a green graphic and text. One man is smiling, giving a thumbs-up, seated at a table, with a black bandana and glasses. The other man is standing in the background, smiling,

Two men at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair, wearing bright yellow T-shirts with a green graphic and text. One man is smiling, giving a thumbs-up, seated at a table, with a black bandana and glasses. The other man is standing in the background, smiling, holding an object in his hands. The setting is outdoors, with a grassy hill and small buildings in the background.

Two young men performing a glassblowing demonstration at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair, with a group of children and adults watching nearby.

Two young men performing a glassblowing demonstration at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair, with a group of children and adults watching nearby.

Demonstration at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair featuring a glassblowing artist working on a glass piece while an audience of children and adults watches. The scene takes place outdoors with trees, a parking lot, and fair rides in the background.

Demonstration at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair featuring a glassblowing artist working on a glass piece while an audience of children and adults watches. The scene takes place outdoors with trees, a parking lot, and fair rides in the background.

Support Our Nonprofit Glass Arts Organization

Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts is currently the only public access nonprofit glass art facility in the Midwestern United States. Support from glass lovers and community members is essential, and keeps our studio furnaces hot! Consider making a tax-deductible donation to Foci MCGA today. 

Our Mission is to gather people to explore the creative potential of glass. Our Vision is a diverse community of dedicated makers, enthusiasts, seekers, and newcomers who feel welcomed and engaged at our center.
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Foci MCGA is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization qualified under section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. A receipt will be sent in the mail following your tax-deductible contribution. If you would like your donation anonymous or in honor of another individual, please let us know by emailing us at contact@mnglassart.org.

Two glassblowers are working together to create a glass object, with an audience observing in the background. The scene is lit with warm, colorful lights.

More Ways to Give

  • There are many supplies that our glass studio communally uses for classes, rentals, cleaning, and maintenance every day! Nonmonetary gifts are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

    Check out our Amazon wish list of frequently used items here.

    Please notify us by emailing contact@mnglassart.org so we can send a receipt and thank you letter to you!

  • Give now from your DAF

  • Do you have used glass equipment, frit, glass, gallery display items, and other useful materials a glass studio may need? We will likely take it off your hands! There are many supplies that our glass studio communally uses for classes, rentals, cleaning, and maintenance every day!

    Nonmonetary gifts are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

    Send a description of your donation and any helpful pics to contact@mnglassart.org to arrange for a drop off time. Foci MCGA will provide an In-Kind Contribution receipt.

  • IRA Charitable Rollover legislation is back!  On Dec. 18, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015. The new law made the IRA Charitable Rollover retroactive to January 1, 2015, and will remain in effect for 2016 and beyond.  The IRA Charitable Rollover enables you to make income tax-free transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA if:

    • The Donor must be at least 70½ years of age on the day of the gift.

    • The Donor transfers the funds directly from your IRA to one or more qualified charities. This opportunity applies only to IRAs and not to other types of retirement plans.

  • Stock gifts allow you to take advantage of tax savings, and are an easy and convenient way to support Foci MCGA. Stock gifts are tax deductible to the full extent provided by law. Giving appreciated stock held more than 12 months offers a two-fold tax savings: First you avoid paying capital-gains tax on the increase in value of your stock. In addition, you receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the date the securities are transferred to charity. We are happy to provide further information about making gifts of appreciated stock! Your gift will help sustain the quality of training and maintain our professionally equipped studio for the next generation of glass artists.

  • Does your employer match charitable donations?  Twin Cities companies of all sizes are willing to match an employee’s donation to a non-profit organization like Foci MCGA with a corporate donation of the same amount. For example, if you give $100, and your employer gives another $100—it’s that simple. Better still, Foci MCGA not only thanks your employer, but also acknowledges you as a $200 donor. Your own generosity doubles!

    Please request a matching gift form from your employer’s Human Resources Department, complete and sign your portion, and send it with your gift to Foci MCGA, 2213 Snelling Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404.  We’ll take care of the rest!

  • Target Circle members earn a vote for each Target trip they make. Guests can then use those votes to direct funds to Foci MCGA! Once each voting period wraps up, Target awards grants to the nonprofits based on the percentage of votes they receive. Log into Target.com to vote!


    Learn more about the Target Circle Community Giving here.