Sonoma Glass-Blowing Studio Launches Kickstarter

SONOMA, Calif. - Feb. 20, 2015 - PRLog -- Sonoma, Calif. – Alex Leader of Sonoma is passionate about the ancient – and incredibly hot! – art of blowing glass. He recently moved his glass-blowing studio to a new location – 19642 Eighth Street East in Sonoma – and there are some essential pieces of equipment he still needs to make his “hot shop” fully operational.

While they’ve been busy remodeling the new space, Leader and his wife and business partner, Lillian Sanchez, have turned to Kickstarter to raise the $15,000 needed for two essential “hot shop” components: a small furnace used to keep glass malleable and an annealing oven.

Leaderglass hosted a Kickstarter Launch Party at R2 Wine Shop in Sonoma on Feb. 19 and raised almost $2,000. The way a Kickstarter campaign is structured, the project must raise the stated goal – in this case, $15,000. If the goal is not reached, the backers who have committed funds do not pay and the campaign is unsuccessful.

Through Leaderglass, Leader specializes in custom glass projects, as well as the production of art and multiple pieces. Using 1,000-year-old techniques, he crafts hand-blown glass lighting fixtures, decorative and functional glassware, and one-of-a-kind sculptures for lighting companies, designers, various corporations, local wineries, and individuals.

Several years ago, at Leaderglass’ prior location near the plaza in Sonoma, he began offering classes in glass-blowing, during which novices get to experience the heat of the furnace and roll glass into flowers, paperweights or other simple objects. These classes have become the backbone of his business and something he enjoys immensely. Hence, the title of his Kickstarter campaign: “Light Our Fire!: Teaching the World the Art of Glass Blowing.”

“After instructing more than 1,000 students, I have realized that I am more than a production artist,” said Leader. “I am in the business of creating memories. A memory is something a person keeps forever, something they can take with them and pass on to others. My students range from curious individuals to young newly married couples on their honeymoon in Sonoma to corporate groups such as Google interested in a fun team-building experience.”

Leader’s passion and the work he does through Leaderglass were the subject of an independent short film produced by 9 Mile Productions titled "CREATIVITY: Furnace," which was showcased at the 2013 Sonoma International Film Festival. Leader and his work were also recently featured in the January/February 2015 edition (http://www.sonomamag.com/molten-magic/#.VN_RZbDF_Ut) (http://www.sonomamag.com/molten-magic/) of Sonoma Magazine.

The Kickstarter campaign offers various levels of sponsorship, from $5 to $5,000, each paired with a reward ranging from a Leaderglass logo sticker to a custom art piece designed for your home or business.

Learn more by visiting the Leaderglass Kickstarter page here (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/178006358/light-our-...) (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/178006358/light-our-fire-teaching-the-world-the-art-of-glass?ref=nav_search). To see photos of the Kickstarter Launch Party, click here (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.101527166993674...) (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152716699367496.1073741827.80336432495&type=1).