Hi! I’m Arjan — a stained glass artist and educator. I’m raising funds to build a storefront that finally brings everything under one roof: glass and tools, classes, memberships, and a place for makers to connect with each other. This project is how we level up stained glass in Portland for beginners, hobbyists, and working artists.

Stained glass is an old craft that’s becoming popular again, but supplies are hard to get in person. A dedicated space makes the medium more accessible and gives people a way to actually develop skills and stay engaged long-term.

I’ve been working with stained glass for years and fell in love with teaching it over the past year. So many of my students regularly ask where they can get glass, tools, or even a place to work without buying all the equipment. The demand for supplies, education, and community has outgrown what one person can do from a small garage.

Your support will help secure the lease, purchase initial inventory, outfit the classroom, and build a safe, well-equipped workspace. I’ve already sourced suppliers and built a community of students who are hungry for a real home for glass in this city — now I just need the infrastructure. With community support, we can give Portland a real home for stained glass. 

More details:

CLASSES

We’ll offer beginner-friendly intro workshops, with more space, but still keeping classes small. Project-based classes, and more advanced techniques. Whether someone’s trying stained glass for the first time or wants to level up their soldering and design skills, there will be structured learning paths and real support.

SUPPLIES + TOOLS

The storefront will stock solder, copper foil, soldering irons, grinders, cutters, and the other essentials. I have been working with Inland to get great grinders both for learning on and to purchase. My goal is to stock a wide range of glass in person from major manufacturers like Oceanside, Youghiogheny, Wissmach, and more.

MEMBERSHIPS

Memberships give people access to studio tools and workspace without needing to buy everything themselves. Members will be able to reserve bench time, work on personal projects, and meet other makers. This is especially helpful for hobbyists and people who don’t have room for equipment (or don’t want to invest into it). Memberships will include full access to the space, and there will also be hourly rates for anyone who just needs the workspace for a single project.

COMMUNITY SPACE

This space also offers something harder to describe but equally important: connection. People learn faster and stick with crafts longer when they’re not working alone. I don’t want the shop to only reflect my voice. I plan to host other glass artists for specialized workshops —  I’ll teach plenty, especially in the beginning, but the goal is a space where many artists get to contribute. I also hope to feature work for sale from other artists in the shop and carry small, locally-made goods.

WHO THIS SPACE IS FOR

Beginners who want a low-stakes introduction to glass
Hobbyists who want to keep learning + making
Working artists who need tools + materials locally
People who want to be part of a creative community

Risks & Challenges:

Opening a storefront comes with real challenges. The biggest variables are securing the right space and outfitting it with the equipment needed for a safe glass studio. Commercial leases can move slowly, and build-outs often take longer than expected. To mitigate that, I’m already touring spaces, talking with landlords, and getting quotes from contractors and suppliers so I can move quickly once funding is secured.

Inventory and supply chain issues are another consideration. Glass and tools aren’t always easy to source consistently, so I’m establishing relationships with multiple vendors instead of relying on a single supplier.

My timeline for the store:

Month 0–1: Secure storefront
Month 1–2: Build out + stock
Month 2–3: Soft open
Month 3: Grand opening

Stretch Goals

• More specialty glass + tools
• Guest artist workshops
• Expanded community events