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Two demonstrations set up an evening of hands-on torch work: students shape and decorate glass beads, using mushrooms as a design exercise. The beginner class is Friday, November 20, at UrbanGlass Studio; finished beads must be collected later.
All times are local to the venue · America/New York
After two short demonstrations, students take over the beadmaking for the rest of the session, with instructor Hannah Martin available for questions. Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads is a three-hour beginner class in which participants practice turning glass rods into mushroom forms while learning to manage torch heat.
The mushroom gives students a specific shape to interpret rather than a blank exercise in beadmaking. They practice forming the bead, adding dots and other small details, and adjusting the torch heat as they work with glass rods.
UrbanGlass estimates that students may produce two to six successful fungi beads, while allowing for unsuccessful attempts along the way. That is an expectation, not a guaranteed number of finished pieces: practice and learning to translate an object into glass are part of the session too.
Further reading: Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗
Martin makes work as HAN MADE, using glass alongside wool and yarn in wearable pieces and home accessories. Her profile describes an interest in how materials with different qualities can work together. The class itself is specifically an introduction to torch-based beadmaking and mushroom forms.
Martin studied anthropology at Georgia State University, focusing on cultural and medical anthropology, and works as an artist in Manhattan and Brooklyn. That background offers context for her wider practice; it does not change the class’s stated focus on basic beadmaking techniques.
Further reading: Hannah Martin | UrbanGlass ↗ · Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗
This single-session workshop is separate from UrbanGlass’s Bead Project, a 10-week program that combines studio instruction with coursework in jewelry design and fabrication, marketing, and small-business planning. Founded in 1997 by Annette Rose-Shapiro, the project was created to connect beadmaking skills with economic opportunity.
The Bead Project is designed for women, femmes, and gender-nonconforming people in the New York City area who face financial barriers, and UrbanGlass frames it as a way to invite participants into a field it describes as historically male-dominated. Those eligibility rules apply to that separate program, not to Mushroom Party!, which is open to students ages 12 and up.
Further reading: The Bead Project | UrbanGlass ↗ · Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗
The class opens with two short demonstrations. The remaining time is for students to try the techniques themselves, with Martin available to answer questions. The listed activities focus on shaping beads, adding dots and small details, and managing torch heat.
The one-session class meets Friday, November 20, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. at UrbanGlass Studio, 647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217.
Registration and payment are required, but the class page does not give a tuition amount. UrbanGlass primarily uses Eventbrite for class registration and says it accepts sign-ups until a class begins. Enrollment is first-come, first-served; full classes have waitlists. Electronic payment is required.
The organization encourages early registration because enrollment helps it plan materials and teacher needs. Classes with low enrollment may be canceled within two weeks of their start. For questions about the class or a payment plan, contact Education Registrar Ari Eshoo at [email protected] or 718-625-3685, ext. 246. The registrar is available Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗ · Registration Info | UrbanGlass ↗
Under UrbanGlass’s general policy, cancellations, transfers, or other changes made more than two weeks before a class begins are eligible for a refund. Changes within 14 days of the first class day and withdrawals during class are not refundable. Refunds exclude the combined Eventbrite processing and service fees; any donation added to a class purchase is nonrefundable.
Missed classes cannot be made up. UrbanGlass says classes remain in session while the MTA is operating and does not offer refunds or transfers for weather-related absences outside that policy.
No previous experience is required, and UrbanGlass classes are taught in English. Beadmaking is primarily seated, though handling glass and tools may require dexterity; the class page also notes that the studio can be bright and loud.
Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗ · Registration Info | UrbanGlass ↗
UrbanGlass provides the basic materials and supplies. A notebook and water bottle are recommended, and protective eyewear is provided and must be worn in the studio.
Wear appropriate work clothes: flammable or synthetic fabrics are not allowed. Sandals and other open-toe shoes are prohibited, and long hair must be tied back.
The beads need to cool overnight and be removed from their mandrels, so students must return to UrbanGlass after being notified that their work is ready. The studio’s general guidance says hot-glass work is available after five business days or when the student is notified; follow the class notification rather than assuming a specific pickup date. Work left uncollected for a month will be recycled.
Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗ · Registration Info | UrbanGlass ↗
UrbanGlass describes its facility as ADA compliant. Studio access is through the automatic-opening Rockwell Place entrance and an elevator to the third floor; the facility also has an automatic-opening entrance on Fulton Street. Service animals are welcome. UrbanGlass recommends booties for service animals because glass particles may be present on the floor.
Working areas do not have air conditioning. UrbanGlass advises students in hot-glass areas to bring water and monitor how they feel; its accessibility information notes fans and filtered-water dispensers. For accommodation questions, contact Ari Eshoo at [email protected].
Accessibility | UrbanGlass ↗ · Registration Info | UrbanGlass ↗
UrbanGlass lists Nevins Street on the 2, 3, 4, and 5; DeKalb Avenue on the B, Q, and R; and Fulton Street on the G as nearby stations.
The class takes place at UrbanGlass Studio, 647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217. UrbanGlass says studio access is through the automatic-opening Rockwell Place entrance and an elevator to the third floor. Its map link can calculate directions from your starting point. The official visit information lists nearby subway stations but does not describe parking.
Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗ · Accessibility | UrbanGlass ↗ · Visit Us | UrbanGlass ↗
The class is open to ages 12 and up, with no previous experience required. UrbanGlass classes are taught in English.
Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗ · Registration Info | UrbanGlass ↗
The class page does not state a fee. UrbanGlass says basic materials and supplies are provided; registration and payment are required, and electronic payment is accepted.
Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗ · Registration Info | UrbanGlass ↗
No. The glass needs to cool and be removed from its mandrel. Return after UrbanGlass notifies you that the work is ready; its general guidance says hot-glass work is available after five business days or notification.
Mushroom Party! Intro to Beads | UrbanGlass ↗ · Registration Info | UrbanGlass ↗
Wear appropriate work clothes and closed-toe shoes. Flammable or synthetic fabrics and sandals are not allowed; tie back long hair. Protective eyewear is provided and must be worn.
647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
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Event, planning and background information checked 2026-11-03 against the linked sources.