Golf cart sculpture tour to raise funds for Water Street Glassworks

The state of Michigan says Water Street Glassworks must get new ventilation system and install it this summer.

To cover the cost of the ventilation project and electrical upgrades, the Glassworks, which offers after school programs for teens and classes for adults in Benton Harbor’s Arts District, hopes to raise $50,000.

In the organization’s Fired Up! program teens learn the art of glassblowing, fusing, beadmaking or stained glass during a two-hour class taught once a week from mid-September through June. Participants make a two-year commitment to the after-school program.

As part of the mandated renovation effort, a fundraising event presented Saturday, April 9, in a collaboration with Harbor Shores will give donors a chance to tour the course in golf cart to get a close look at tee marker sculptures created by Water Street Glassworks artists Jerry Catania and Josh Andres.

Participants will reserve golf carts and depart on a self-guided tour of the course using a booklet created for the event as a guide. The booklet features excerpts from a soon-to-be published book on the artwork and the artistic aspects of the Jack Nicklaus course at Harbor Shores.

After the tour, guests are invited to return to Water Street Glassworks to meet the artists who created the sculptures, see glassblowing demonstrations and sample treats from Gelatoworks.

Artwork created by Water Street Glassworks board members and a special “mini” tee marker sculpture created especially for this event will be available for silent auction throughout the day.

The event begins at noon and guests can purchase tickets from Water Street Glassworks for $40 per person by calling 269-925-5555.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Sarah Hess, Water Street Glassworks