ABOUT US

The Glass Asylum is Northeast Ohio’s premier glass-blowing studio. Located in the beloved village of Chagrin Falls, our studio is a hot-spot for art and entertainment. At the Glass Asylum, you’ll find a supportive community of glass artists and staff who collaborate with each other and the public to create unique experiences and works of art.

CHRISTOPHER CRIMALDI

  • Once a hobby, Chris took his passion for glassblowing and transformed it into a full-time, full access studio. As the founder and an artist at the Glass Asylum, he is deeply committed to the studio’s vision to be the premiere teaching facility, artist’s studio and gallery in Northeast Ohio. Chris is particularly interested in creating translucent glass fixtures for retail and industrial settings. His custom lighting work is on display in upscale restaurants, as well as in homes and businesses worldwide. A self-taught artist, he encourages everyone to explore the fascinating art of glassblowing by enrolling in one of the many 1-hour workshops offered at the studio throughout the year. Chris attributes his exceptional work ethic to his time spent serving in the United States Marine Corps. He is a licensed electrician and owner of Crimaldi Electric and has just opened his second creative space, Glass Asylum 2. His creative endeavors are encompassed under his parent company, Chris Crimaldi Designs.

MILLIE AND MILO

  • Meet Millie and Milo, the most popular pups in Chagrin Falls!

    Millie is a lover of all people, and is always excited to welcome you into our studio. Millie loves long walks in the park, eating bacon treats from next door, pup cups from our friends at Starbucks, and giving kisses to everyone coming into the studio. Don't leave town without stopping to get one of her signature Millie hugs!

    Milo is more than just a cute face; he's a tennis ball enthusiast, a professional kisser, and a wine connoisseur in the making. With endless energy and spins to greet you, Milo brings joy to our workspace every day. Don't be surprised if you catch him sneaking a sip of wine when he thinks no one's looking; after all, he's got a taste for the finer things in life.

MEET OUR ARTISTS

DEAN WEHRENBERG

  • Dean was born and raised in Brecksville, Ohio. He first witnessed glass-blowing in Downtown Cleveland the summer before shipping off to the Columbus College of Art & Design. Freshly inspired, he dabbled in the field his Freshman year, and the rest is history. He completed his BFA degree in 2013 and moved back home to the West Side of Cleveland.

    We discovered Dean while our studio was still under construction. He helped us build the hot shop you see him working in today. His skills have only improved since he has had time to create more of his own artwork in this facility. Dean finds his inspiration within the interactions of nature and society. He is also influenced by street art, calligraphy and typography.

DOMINIC BENDER

  • Dominic was raised in Avon Lake, Ohio and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in glass blowing at Kent State University. He was first exposed to glass blowing in his freshman year but his small exposure quickly developed into a passion. Dominic found the properties of glass intriguing and unique from any other material. The curiosity is his drive to continue to explore the boundaries of glass working with his creativity as his only limit.

LINDY CUNNINGTON

  • Lindy is a Chagrin Falls native, recently graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art.
    Lindy has been intrigued by glassblowing ever since she was young. She has always been captivated by the unique properties of glass and the endless ways the material could be utilized. After taking a few classes learning the basics of glass blowing, she was hooked.
    Lindy obtained a degree in Industrial Design; she seeks to combine these two passions. Her goal is to create a harmony between beauty and functionality. Lindy found that glass was the perfect medium to merge these two qualities. Her main interest is to design and create functional vessels and custom lighting.

AMANDA TAKACS

  • Amanda Takacs is a multidisciplinary artist with a passion for glass. She received her bachelor’s degree from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2019. She uses a combination of techniques in her work including casting familiar objects and blowing vessels, and she often includes found objects in her art. Amanda loves the qualities of glass as an artistic medium, including its properties of physiological inner space and light transmission. She uses glass not only for its natural beauty, but for its potential as a narrative medium. Amanda sees her craft as a magical act whereby she can take the raw materials and infuse them with an essence that radiates beauty. She also works out of her “Phoenix” Mobile Glass Studio. She thoroughly enjoys the economic freedom and versatility starting her own business has provided.

BRIDGET LUJAN

  • Bridget Lujan hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado and moved to Burton, Ohio when she was a teenager.
    Bridget’s art journey began at Hiram college where she was awarded the War Orphan Scholarship, Art Scholarship, and an Academic Merit Scholarship. She continued her love for the arts at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio where her studio concentrations included Ceramics, Drawing, Glass, Jewelry/Metals/Enameling, Painting, Print Media and Photography, Sculpture and Expanded Media, and Textiles. Bridget was awarded a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art in 2022 from KSU.

LAUREN HEROUX

  • Lauren Heroux was born and raised in Northeast Ohio, and developed a passion for art and nature as a child. She achieved her BFA in Crafts, with a concentration in glass from Kent State University. Lauren enjoys working with a variety of mediums including glass, metals, found objects and treasures from nature. An unwavering optimist, Lauren spends her time enjoying the outdoors, creating art and running an Etsy store along with her daughter who recently started high school! She nearly gave up on her lifelong dream to bring a dog into her life, but then she found Millie.

CHARLIE GMITRO

  • Charlie Gmitro was born in Richmond, Virginia and then moved to North Royalton, Ohio when he was a young child. He just recently graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelors in Fine Arts with a concentration in glass. He was drawn to the medium of glass for physical nature as well as its opportunity to work as a team with others. A lot of his personal artwork focuses on visual textures that he is interested in as well as making physical objects as a means to explore the self and identity. In his free time, Charlie likes to cook, paint, listen to heavy metal, and play video games.

RYAN KREITZER

  • Raised in Ashland Ohio, Ryan Kreitzer is a sculpture artist currently based out of Cleveland. Ryan began working in glass at the Cleveland Institute of Art while pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and fell in love with its ability to permanently capture the dynamic feel of a molten material. His personal work explores fantasy and the real world, often incorporating found objects, glass,
    and written narrative to create artifacts from imagined worlds. In his free time Ryan can be found cooking, writing, spending time with his partner and their cat, or reading anything that may have a sword on the cover.