STEAM Education Through Glass & Art
We provide access to educational glassmaking demonstrations that explore the shared physics & sticky similarities between molten glass & sweet ice cream — inspiring the next generation of creatives & makers.
We provide access to educational glassmaking demonstrations that explore the shared physics & sticky similarities between molten glass & sweet ice cream — inspiring the next generation of creatives & makers.
Who We Are
MELT Mobile Glass provides STEAM education to inspire the next generation of creatives & makers.
From school visits to community fairs, our mobile rig brings hands-on glass blowing and art fundamentals directly to the people — FREE to Title I schools. We believe art education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of background, ability, or zip code.
Join the Virtual Ice Cream Social!Our Beginning
Founder and Hampton Roads high-school teacher Kimberly McKinnis dreamed of bringing a mobile glass studio to her students after sponsoring two after-school clubs and realizing how complicated and expensive field trips can be. An idea was born, and ‘Team MELT’ was formed. Together we bring together art advocates, artists, teachers, creatives and “glassies” to “bring the heat to you!”
View Our 501(c)(3) Letter
Our Executive Directors
What We Stand For
We believe everyone deserves access to quality art education, regardless of race, gender, or religious affiliation.
We provide art education that is both fun & accessible to all learning styles and accommodates those with disabilities.
We are committed to serving the teachers in our community through FREE educational demonstrations.
With your donations we are developing our programs to provide the best art-educational experiences available.
We are committed to showing you how your donations can fund underrepresented schools in your area.
What We Do
Hands-on STEAM art experiences for students and communities of all ages.
Our mobile glass studio — we bring the heat to you!
On-site interactive STEAM glass blowing demonstrations with our mobile rig, at your school or organization.
Exploring the foundational principles of art through engaging, hands-on activities for all skill levels.
We bring hands-on STEAM glass demonstrations to schools, libraries, and community groups for learners of all ages — always FREE to Title I schools.
On-site interactive glass making demonstrations at community-based events, fairs & festivals. Bringing art to where people are.
In the Studio
Check us out on the hot shop floor.
Our Impact
Every demonstration, every visit, every interaction creates real outcomes for real people.
Community
We're proud to work alongside these incredible organizations to bring art to our Hampton Roads community.
Leadership
Our dedicated board members bring passion, expertise, and heart to everything we do.
Team MELT
Kimberly McKinnis is an artist, educator, and curator who holds a BFA in Glass and an MFA in Exhibition Design from Cal State Fullerton. Her work has been exhibited internationally and featured in the Corning Museum of Glass’s New Glass Review. She lives in Norfolk, where she teaches fine arts at Maury High School and works with the glass studio team at the Chrysler Museum of Art.
Lisa Beckman earned a BFA from ODU and an MAT from NSU, with post-graduate work at SCAD, VCU, and ODU. A retired 34-year Norfolk Public Schools art teacher and former NAEA Middle School Art Teacher of the Year (Tidewater Region), she now leads professional development and community studio classes at the Chrysler Museum of Art. She apprenticed as a stained glass glazier in 1975 and still takes commissions.
Cheryl White is a nonprofit champion, creative place-enabler, and arts advocate based in Norfolk, Virginia. With more than twenty years of experience, she has helped organizations turn ideas into impactful programs, partnerships, and places—collaborating with the Chrysler Museum of Art, Glass Wheel Studio, the NEON Arts District, and the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation. She brings expertise in community engagement, partnership development, and nonprofit leadership to her board service.
Heather Sutherland is a Norfolk-based glass artist and educator whose work uses glass to explore material transformation, labor, and shared experience. She teaches at ODU, the Governor’s School for the Arts, and Norfolk State University, holds an MFA in Glass from UW–Madison, and has exhibited internationally, including at the Corning Museum of Glass.
Lindsay Horne is an artist and designer based in Norfolk and a longtime member of the Ministry of Silly Walks and Dance Moves. She believes art is the most beautiful, transformative, and accessible communicator we have. If you don’t know, why not have a go?
While pursuing a degree at Old Dominion University, Laura McFie took a glassblowing class at Tidewater Community College. Drawn to the heat and fluidity of molten glass, she found herself irrevocably changed by the experience. “Dancing with Glass” emerged as both a practice, a passion, and a guiding force—an evolving practice rooted in movement, material, and the shared wonder of transformation, centered on sharing the transformative experience of glass with others.
Ed Francis holds a BS in fine and applied arts from Southern Connecticut State University and an MFA in glass from Kent State University. He founded Off Center Glass and has taught at Alfred University, RIT, and the Indianapolis Art Center. Ed is a professor of art and head of glass studies at Tidewater Community College’s Visual Arts Center in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Elliott Fisher holds a BFA in Printmaking and Photography from ODU and an MA in Modern Art History from Azusa Pacific University. Especially dedicated to portraiture, he is also a photography teacher and mentor for Norfolk Public Schools and Tidewater Community College. As he puts it, “Standing out is sticking out with a purpose.”
Penelope Rose (known as “Nelly”) is a multimedia artist, collaborator, and educator. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Alfred University, she is the current adjunct professor of glass fusing and ceramics at Tidewater Community College and an instructor of glass at Chrysler Museum’s Perry Glass Studio. Rose looks to her surroundings for inspiration, gathering, arranging, and assembling a growing library of interchangeable ideas, parts, and scenery to create glimpses of fleeting memories, moments, and magic.
Get Involved
Whether you're an artist, educator, or just someone who loves community — we have a place for you.
Help facilitate glass demonstrations and assist participants hands-on. Glassies must have at least 2 years of glassmaking experience.
Help organize school visits, community events, and mobile studio logistics.
Capture our events and help share the magic of MELT online.
Work directly with young artists in our school programs.
Sweet Treats for a Cause
Grab a scoop, score raffle entries, and help fund free glass education — it all happens at our Launch Party on National Ice Cream Day.
Say Hello
Want to book a demonstration, partner on a program, make a donation, or just say hi? We'd love to hear from you.
For Educators
Teachers — request a free, hands-on glassmaking demonstration for your students. Demonstrations are FREE to Title I schools. Fill out the form and we'll be in touch.
