“This weekend the ladies of KAT special made our way through the city to McFadden Art Glass. Every other Friday Tim McFadden (owner, artist) opens his studio doors to the public so we can watch as 2000 degree liquid turns into something wonderful.

We brought a few bottles of wine, our conversation and our curiosity and had a great time! It’s a laid back atmosphere that interests all types of people from the cutest babies, to older couples, to twenty somethings. We watched (and chatted) as Tim and friends created an awesome vase, a flower, a pumpkin and an ornament. Onlookers have a chance to create their own work of art for $35, which we skipped this time but agreed that we’d all like to come back at holiday time to create an ornament!

When the temperature rose, which it did… think Bikram yoga… we scooted next door to The Glass Grill which is also owned by McFadden and family. The bar had some good live entertainment and the yummy bar food we were after. It has an eclectic crowd and great decor (glass of course).

There is a gallery on site for those who want to take home a souvenir.

The ladies of KAT special had a blast at the Glass Grill and at the glass studio. One of America’s oldest trades has certainly evolved into something very cool!”

For more info on Date Night and other upcoming events head over to the events page.

Find the original article here.

Watch him in action here.

“Blown glass in Baltimore? It’s an idea that just might work if Fortune Small Business magazine’s assessment of one Salisbury University student’s future plans is any indication.

Senior management and marketing major Tim McFadden recently was named a semi-finalist in the magazine’s third annual Student Showdown business plan competition with a proposal to place a blown glass studio in his hometown of Baltimore.

Some 82 students and teams from 66 schools entered this year’s Fortune Small Business Student Showdown. Semi-finalists joining McFadden in the top 11 spots included those from the Wharton School of Business, Stanford University and the Columbia School of Business, among others.

McFadden entered the contest after winning the 2005 Bernstein Achievement Award for Excellence, an annual $5,000 prize awarded to the SU student or team submitting the most viable business plan in the competition hosted by the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business.

McFadden became interested in glass blowing thanks to his brother, Marty, a senior at SU when McFadden was a freshman. Marty was involved in glass blowing classes at SU and interested his brother in the process.

“It’s the best course offered at SU,” said McFadden, who has been hooked on the art since 2003.

Balancing his business major with that artistic interest proved to be his winning combination. According to his business plan, his studio, Blown Away Glass Inc., would house a gallery and gift shop where patrons and tourists could watch unique art being formed, possibly in the city’s trendy Canton section.

Though that business is still several years from taking off—McFadden plans to complete his degree first—he said getting the ideas down on paper was an important first step.”

For more on the studio head over to www.McFaddenArtGlass.com.

You can find the original article here.

“He is a gifted and talented artist and a wonderful teacher as well. First Fridays are date night with glass blowing demos. This particular Friday you could make an ornament or flower.

My sweetie made a gorgeous turquoise colored ball… so fascinating to watch a blob of glass on a rod turn into something so pretty and perfectly shaped too!”

View more pictures and read the rest of the story here.

You can read the full article here.
And, Check out the photo gallery here.

“This year’s journey began right near the county line at the Glass Grill (6804 Eastern Ave., 410-633-2921, theglassgrill.com). Inside, the Glass Grill is decorated with intricate blown glass sculptures made by the neighboring McFadden Art Glass. Two of the hanging sculptures look like psychedelic sea anemones, and funky glass sculptures brighten up the bar back.

A two-man cover band was jamming on a small stage across the room from the long bar, but most of the customers were chilling on the outdoor patio. Bottles of Bud Light cost $2.25 each, which set the bar for cheap suds. Later in the evening, that bar would be lowered considerably. Outside, the Glass Grill’s handful of tables and chairs were all occupied, with a couple folks playing corn hole nearby. It was a nice little nook where you could spend an evening, enjoying the warm weather.”

You can find the rest of the article here.

“Glass Grill is a fine place to go for lunch, but we get the feeling that it’s an absolutely great place to go for happy hour, a place to sidle up to the bar with a few friends and order bar snacks, sandwiches and cold beers.

The Glass Grill is on Eastern Avenue just east of I-95. It is next door to McFadden Art Glass studios, and the two establishments have a symbiotic relationship. Glass Grill patrons can watch glassblowing demonstrations, and on Date Nights can even make a little keepsake of their own.

Diners can see the hand-blown art glass produced at the studio every day. Vases and goblets and figurines—we liked the one-armed snowman, who seems to be the victim of too-vigorous dusting—are lined up above the bar, and the chandeliers are colorful fantasias of blown glass. It is a treat for the eye.

The restaurant offers a full menu of casual fare—bar snacks, salads, sandwiches and wraps. There are also several entrees, again aimed toward a bar crowd. There’s bourbon glazed salmon, a New York Strip steak, grilled chicken grilled shrimp and barbecued ribs.

Prices are moderate, from $14 (chicken) to $19 (steak). The menu also features a market-price crabcake, meatloaf and fish and chips.

Whatever you end up ordering, do not miss the crab dip ($9.99). It is a gooey, cheesy, warm cupful of crabby delight nestled in a bread bowl and surrounded by chips and more bread for dipping. Go directly for the homemade potato chips smothered in Old Bay and dip away. There are tricolor tortilla chips, but you’ve had those before; and the French bread is nicely toasted—but for the best experience, elbow your friends aside and hog all those potato chips.”

You can find the rest of the article here

“I love stumbling upon “cool finds!” This one definetely ranks up there on my list of favs…
I was back east for two weeks soaking up all the spring blooms and color green that I could while visiting my parents before heading to a friend’s wedding in Maryland. The initial plan was to go see the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. before heading to Havre de Grace to link up with my hubby… but we got a little side tracked and wound up in the Baltimore area,where we stumbled upon an artist’s gallery and studio. Perfect timing for us…he was just starting to work on a piece, and his studio is open for people to come watch! The quick “let’s stop in and take a peek” turned into a few hour visit, as we just couldn’t leave until we saw the final work of art…watching the whole process was mesmerizing and beautiful – he made it look so easy! {I majored in ceramics in college, so while not the same there were a lot of similarities…and I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as easy as he made it look} Thankfully I had my camera in the car, so I was able to capture some cool shots of the artist and his assistants at work…”

See more photos here

“We did a neat family thing recently – we want to McFadden Art Glass and each made a piece of glasswork (“Make-Your-Own”, 3 vases & 1 flower, with an instructor). Very cool time & a great teacher. Kevin had gone here on before a field trip from school and had asked to go back. We definitely recommend this to anyone.”

See more from their make-you-own class here
and more of Jeff’s photography here