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Board of Directors:

SGAA's Distinguished Staff:


Alex Berger:: Alex, SGAA's Assistant Director, has been working at SGAA for almost 3 years. Alex has been working with glass, both in the Hot Shop and Flame Shop, for 5 years. She is a self-taught lampworker, focusing mostly on pendants and small sculptural forms, and studied furnace glassblowing at Simon Pearce in Vermont and at Philabaum Studios here in Tucson. Check out her work at www.openmoutharts.com.


Jillian Justiniano:: Jillian has worked at SGAA for many years as a Hot Shop assistant, teaching a variety of BYOB events and beginner level classes. She is a great beginner instructor and always assists during SGAA's Women Only Hot Shop Classes. Recently, Jill began instructing in our Warm Shop as well, where she teaches beginning Fusing and Slumping classes, Platemaking Basics, and Slump Your Own Bowl events.




William Justiniano:: William is SGAA's Hot Shop Manager, in addition to being one of our finest instructors. William is an enthusiastic, proficient, and patient instructor and has been with SGAA since its inception. He began blowing glass in Seattle, where he worked under many great artists and was encouraged to pursue a career in glass instruction. William has been teaching for ten years, and has been an instructor at SGAA since 2002. His personal work can be found in private collections around the country.

Dave Klein, Director:: Dave started blowing glass with Michael Joplin in 1980. He has numerous awards in judged competitions and many shows. He has worked internationally in glass at Hoglund Art Glass (New Zealand), Sunpu Studios (Japan), and now shows glass at Philabaum Glass Gallery (Tucson), VanGoes Ear (Prescott), and Raku Gallery (Jerome, AZ). Dave works in hot glass, lampworking, slumping-fusing and casting. He has a BA in Industrial Education and has written glass curriculums for colleges, built many glass working facilities, and combustions systems. Dave is also a registered electrician in Arizona and New Zealand and is a commercial pilot.

Jason Marstall:: Jason started working with glass as a student here at the Academy. His creative style brought him to the attention of the staff and he was invited to study for a position as an assistant instructor. Jason has been accepted into the Pilchuck Glass School summer residency program. We are excited for him and can't wait to see what he brings back to SGAA.


Tom Philabaum:: Tom began working with glass in 1971 with Harvey Littleton. He built the first hot glass shop in Tucson in 1975. His work is shown internationally and in many collections worldwide. Tom is a former Board member of the Glass Art Society and the American Crafts Council. He and Dave Klein founded the Sonoran Glass Art Academy where he continues to serve on the Board. Tom is involved in curriculum development and is a drop-in guest instructor in our hot shop and soon in our warm shop studio. Tom is currently an adjunct faculty at the U of A and Pima College.

Karl Taylor:: Karl Taylor began working with glass in 2001, at the age of 17. While Karl specializes in lampworking, using both borosilicate and soda-lime (soft) glass, he also experiments with furnace working and fusing. He has enhanced his skills by working with fellow Sonoran Glass Art Academy instructors, as well as with guest artists: Tom Philabaum, Fritz Dreisbach, Shane Fero, Bandhu Dunham, and Loren Stump. Karl is constantly experimenting with new colors, tools, and techniques, specializing in hollow forms and vessels. Recently, Karl has been pushing the limits of flameworking, working on vessels up to 5 feet in height.