Hillsdale resident Sheri Ingles opened a glass art studio in Hillsdale on Oct. 1.

Ingles, mother of Mayor Adam Stockford, purchased a building on Carleton Road for Glass Act Studio one year ago, but she officially started teaching classes this week. 

“Starting in October I’ll be scheduling classes on Saturdays and drop-ins where anyone can come in and learn how to cut glass,” Ingles said. “I’ll spend the day here, and anybody who wants to come in and make a piece can come in and do that.”

Ingles said depending on the size, glass projects cost anywhere from $15 to $80.

The studio will have retail sales and do some Michigan art shows, but the focus will be on teaching fused glass classes, she said. 

“There’s nothing like it in the community, so it’s great for groups like small bridal showers,” Ingles said. “It’s just something I wanted to share with the community.” 

Ingles said fused glass is something anyone can do, and there are a variety of things one can make. Kids as young as 6 years old are able to participate. 

Fused glass creates no waste, Ingles said.

“If you don’t like it, you cut it up and fire it again,” she said. “So it’s not a bad thing for the environment, and it’s creative. It’s a lot of fun.” 

Stockford said he is happy his mother is becoming a small business owner. 

“I’m happy that after a lifetime of hard work my mother’s path has led her to small business ownership in her retirement,” Stockford said. “I’m excited to see another artsy business in the city which will be an outlet for our residents’ creativity. Hillsdale is truly an extraordinary community for music and the arts.”

Ingles said she learned how to make fused glass when she took some classes with her mom in Ohio a few years ago. 

“I’m really fickle with my art,” Ingles said. “That’s why I like the fused glass because there’s such a wide array of things you can make. You can get very complicated, and you can do a project that takes weeks.”

Ingles said her husband also makes glass art. 

“He owned the skating rink, which is now The Well, so his first project was of course a skate,” Ingles said.

Sophomore Nick Bass said he would be interested in learning to make glass art at the studio. 

“It sounds positively wonderful,” Bass said. “Even though I’ve never done glass artwork before, I really enjoy looking at it.”

Ingles said she hopes Hillsdale will become a more artistic town.

“It’s getting there,” Ingles said. “We’ve got some murals now, and I even painted some of the river barriers on Union Street. I asked permission to do more.”

Glass Act Studio is located at 3273 W. Carleton Road between Heffernan Soft Water Systems and Karim Healthcare.