Stephen Montoya
Clifton Crofford executive director of SiNaCa Studios watches the cars go by on Magnolia Ave. during some down time at the shop.
In our over 20 years of marriage, my wife and I have gone on our fair share of date nights. Outside of the obligatory dinner and movie motif, many couples go for on the weekends, we’ve done everything from axe throwing to hiking the blazing desert of Chaco Canyon. However, there’s always been an adventure we longed for in the form of glass blowing. After diligently watching every season of Netflix’s “Blown Away,” — a glass-blowing competition on par with any cooking show — we’ve been enamored with this specific artform. Until last month, participating in anything glass related seemed a bit outlandish and admittedly scary. I mean after all; these art pieces are made in ovens that blaze at around 2100 degrees Fahrenheit.
But our eyes lit up after making a trek to Fort Worth’s Near Southside on Magnolia Avenue over a month ago. As we passed the old gas station at 1013 West Magnolia Avenue, we caught a glimpse of a specific glow that can only come from working with hot glass. After stopping in and introducing ourselves, we were promptly offered a spot to take three courses of glass blowing in one evening. “Wow,” we thought as we read more about what we’d agreed to do. I mean these things sound fun in theory, but now we were offered the option to really do it. We had to be prepared to show off our lack of skills in an art form we really respected. Yikes!
SiNaCa Studios
This studio, which has been on Magnolia Avenue since 2010, is one of only a handful in the North Texas area, making it a mecca of sorts for many a 3D visual artist. In fact, the name SiNaCa is derived from the periodic table of elements that combine to make glass, Si (silicone), Na (sodium), and Ca (calcium). This was done on purpose according to Clifton Crofford, one of the founding artists and executive director of this non-profit studio/arts program. Crofford in essence was one of the first artists to look for a studio like SiNaCa after graduating from the University of Texas Arlington (UTA) in the early 2000s. The studio’s name was set like the elements it represents to catch the eye of any aspiring glass maker or 3D artist, which according to Crofford, they’d understand.
Crofford is one of five full-time artists who help run this glass studio's day-to-day operations. Outside of the full-timers, 13 part-time employees also help as class instructors and so much more. Founded in 2008 as a nonprofit, SiNaCa is a one-of-a-kind concept that has a unique business model that still relies on public support. Since this glass studio is a non-profit, it has a board that oversees its quarterly and annual output. Like many nonprofits post-pandemic, SiNaCa is always looking for financial backing to keep this style of artwork alive and well in Cowtown. However, you slice it, this studio is one of Fort Worth’s most unique artistic offerings hidden in plain sight. However, the studio as of late is being run on a shoestring budget, which begs the question, “how long can this studio space sustain itself?”
The story behind why SiNaCa was created is one of perseverance and camaraderie. Soon after graduating from UTA, Crofford, who was also responsible for helping build the UTA glass art program’s workshop annex in 2002-2003, says he and his cohorts, which consisted of four other original 3D visual artists, decided they wanted to build a studio where graduates from a place like the UTA 3D arts program could hone their skills post-graduation. After a recession in 2008, things were looking a little bleak for this plan until Crofford and crew found a former gas station/tire shop that just might fill the void the glass art world of North Texas needed.
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“We wanted a space where we could set up a program that could cater to the public as well as connect with the national community of glass artists and have one spot in town for everyone to meet, learn, and create,” he says.
And much like the art of molding glass to one’s desired shape and purpose, SiNaCa was forged through fire — literally. Shortly after going through the fire inspection process, SiNaCa Studios actually caught fire on the very day it was supposed to open.
“We got this place in the summer of 2010, and we started renovating and we were planning our grand opening on September 11th, 2010. When that day finally arrived, I got a call from the fire department at about 6:30 a.m. in the morning stating the building was on fire. And so, we had our grand opening on the same day that we had a fire, and the facility was totally thrashed,” Crofford verified.
Never one to be deterred, Crofford and his team busily rebuilt the studio offering its very first class on January 2nd, 2011. Today, SiNaCa Studios offers open studio nights on the second Friday of the month. Attendees, like me and my wife, can work alongside pros in the hot shop, learn flameworking, and kiln-forming techniques.
Outside of this, SiNaCa also features glass artist from all over the country, in the form of free events to the public with a full narration of the process the artist is going through. Attendees can ask artists questions in real time to learn and add more understanding to this highly addictive art form. Since opening in 2011, SiNaCa has taught/introduced glass art to over 30,000 students and become the only public access studio for making glass art in North Texas.
Stephen Montoya
According to SiNaCa’s website, it has provided unique and impactful outreach programming for children and adults with partners like One Safe Place, Fort Worth ISD (Independent School District), Cook Children’s Medical Center, and veteran’s programs. Oh yeah, and it’s also great for date nights too.
SiNaCa Studios
I mean my wife and I were as green as you can get as first-time class attendees, but it made a memory not soon forgotten. After going through the gauntlet of different disciplines, reaching outside of our comfort zones, we have the glass products to remind of us our time learning. Our glass creations are conversation pieces we look at with our friends and family. There’s something more to it than anyone can put their fingers on, or in this case tongs.
Outside of this learning experience, SiNaCa also has a beautiful gallery full of glass art created by a community of over 50 artists who treat each other like family in an established community. For instance, the studio does a 60/40 split with the first number going to the artist: a unique design in any gallery formula.
And speaking of the glass community, the Glass Art Society (GAS), a global organization of artists is set to host its 2025 annual conference here in North Texas. This conference, which brings over 1,000 glass artists, professionals, businesses, and institutions from more than 20 countries to one spot to explore new techniques and ideas will be here hosted here in our very own backyard. Yeah, it’s a big deal.
What makes this announcement more poignant is the fact that this conference, which will run on May 14- 17, will be held in Arlington and Fort Worth, with the latter taking place at SiNaCa Studios.
SiNaCa Studios
“We are excited to bring our global glass community to Texas in 2025,” Brandi P. Clark, executive director of GAS said in a release. “The glass organizations in the area are doing phenomenal work within their communities and bringing access to glassmaking to underserved audiences. Our conferences are not only spaces for glass art innovation and education, but also bring attention to glassmaking communities,’ people may not be aware of and we are thrilled to highlight the vital work being done in Texas.”
This upcoming conference’s theme is titled "GAS Texas 2025: Trailblazing New Traditions," a fitting name for the artwork being created here in the DFW area. Most of this conference’s activities will take place at UTA, however, SiNaCa Studios will is taking on the rest of the conference activities here in Cowtown. The call for presentation proposals will open on May 29, 2024, at glassart.org and will be open until July. Registration for the conference will open on November 11, 2024.
“Access comes in a lot of forms around here at the studio,” Crofford says. “This place is an accessible place to be an artist. And if this place wasn't here, it would be a very different story for this entire community of glassmakers.”
