Our Town

The Racine community has an interesting history & commitment to glass as an artistic medium from the early days of the art glass movement to today. In 1969, The Prairie School, a private K-12 day school, created a hot glass shop as part of its art department under the direction of Kent Ipsen and David Drewek. Today the school maintains the popular glass art program for students from 7th grade through high school teaching not only glass blowing but glass fusing and bead making as well.  The Racine community has a long history of being creative & inventive...Malted Milk, the hairdryer, blender, Golden Books, Ziplock, and garbage disposal were all created here while the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, featured in the popular movie A League of One's Own, took the leagues first championship in 1943.  The National Endowment for the Arts, National Public Radio and the National Organization of Women all have roots in conferences at Wingspread, the Johnson Foundation's Frank Lloyd Wright designed home turned conference center.

Racine is home to the nationally renowned Racine Art Museum with an impressive collection of glass in its permanent collection. ‘The Johnson Family Chandelier’ by Dale Chihuly hangs prominently in the center of the downtown headquarters of Johnson Financial. Several art galleries, jewelers & tattoo artists call downtown Racine home. Hot Shop Glass opened as a public access studio to build on this community tradition and appreciation of hot glass! Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, between Milwaukee & Chicago, Hot Shop Glass & downtown Racine has become a destination for art lovers throughout the midwest and beyond.