This past weekend, the Archetype team had the pleasure of joining forces with our friends at Paul Wissmach Glass Company at Art on Fire 2025, held at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. What started as a casual “hangout” evolved into one of the most inspiring evenings of color, heat, and artistic energy.
A Night to Remember
The event began at 6:00 pm and ran until 11:00 pm. Pittsburgh Glass Center Art on Fire is Pittsburgh’s sole glass art auction and stands out as the Glass Center’s single most significant fundraising event of the year—raising over 10% of annual operating funds in just one evening. Pittsburgh Glass Center For 2025, the event chairs were Samantha Brutout & Jamie Vollm and the featured artist was Nick Mount, a glass artist with decades of experience and deep influence in the studio glass community. Pittsburgh Glass Center
Because Art on Fire is more than an auction, guests were offered a full sensory immersion: live glass demonstrations, neon and plasma light performances, music, food, and art—all interwoven into a night of conviviality and wonder.
The Art & Auction
In the lead-up to the party, over 150 works by local and internationally known glass artists were displayed in The Hodge Gallery and also available for online viewing and bidding. Pittsburgh Glass Center+1 Throughout the evening, guests placed bids in both the silent auction (closing around 10:00 pm) and the live auction (beginning around 8:00 pm). Pittsburgh Glass Center+1 It was a thrill to see so many people championing unique, one-of-a-kind pieces—and simultaneously contributing to the Glass Center’s mission.
Proceeds from all auction activity support crucial public programs: free open houses, rotating exhibitions, scholarships, and community-access initiatives. Pittsburgh Glass Center In other words, every bid had meaning beyond the object itself.
Alive with Creativity
From the moment we entered, the air was charged with energy. We watched glass artists push molten material at 2,000 °F (or beyond)—shaping it, twisting it, coaxing translucent forms into being. Pittsburgh Glass Center+1 Neon and plasma lighting performances added a modern, electric edge—artists like Eve Hoyt, Alissa Eberle, and others showcased their craft in glowing, dynamic displays. Pittsburgh Glass Center+2Pittsburgh Glass Center+2
One standout highlight: a luminous, stained-glass dress created by Amsterdam-based designer Tess van Zalinge, constructed from 500 intricately cut Wissmach glass panels. Pittsburgh Glass Center+1 That marriage of fashion and glass art was a reminder that boundaries between creative fields can blur in beautiful ways.
Add to that gourmet food, signature cocktails poured into handcrafted glasses, rooftop patios humming with conversation, and surprise performances drifting through the rooms— and the night became a kind of kinetic art piece itself.
Reflections & Takeaways
For our team, the event was more than a social outing—it was a reaffirmation of why we work in design, art, and craft. To be surrounded by makers, spectators, collectors, and dreamers felt both humbling and enormously energizing.
We left with hearts full, eyes wide, and a renewed commitment to supporting creative communities. We’ll treasure the memory—and the pieces that found new homes that night—and we absolutely intend to return.
