Tacoma, WA
Hilltop Artists is a nationally recognized youth arts nonprofit in Tacoma, Washington, dedicated to empowering young people through rigorous training in glass art, design, and creative practice. Founded in 1994, Hilltop serves more than 700 youth ages 12–26 annually from historically underserved communities, providing year-round, tuition-free instruction in blown glass, fused glass, flameworking, neon, and sculptural processes alongside wraparound social and academic support. Two fully equipped hot shops and a commitment to mobile outreach bring professional-level glassmaking to young people who might never otherwise access this art form.
A 2026 FCI Implementation Grant will support the engineering, design, and initial build of an environmentally responsible mobile glass studio featuring recycled glass batch, renewable propane furnaces, and solar-powered annealers. The project provides a carbon-neutral blueprint for the glass arts field, demonstrating at a youth-serving organization that industrial studio arts can be practiced with minimal environmental impact.