Fresno State alumnus is bringing the art of glass blowing to Fresno

In the past five years, art has been on the rise in the Fresno community. Even more recently, glass blowing has captured the attention of many citizens of Fresno.

A big reason for this is expert glass blower, Cory Ballis, who owns and runs Ballis Glass in Northeast Fresno. Ballis says being an artist runs in his family.

“My grandmother and my mother, they both paint,” said Ballis, “My brother, he’s a welder and fabricator. My dad makes artist and honey, and my great aunt, she’s also done it.”

Ballis is also an alumnus of Fresno State, which is where he found his passion for glass blowing. However, it’s probably not in the way you would think.

“I actually have my degree in business management,” said Ballis, “But I needed an art elective to get all my credits, and I was fortunate enough to pick glass blowing, and now I’m here.”

Ballis has recently started offering glass-blowing classes, where people who sign up can learn how to make glass pumpkins and hearts. He says his goal was to create an environment where everyone can try to be an artist.

“Not everyone will like glass blowing, and I know that,” said Ballis, “But there’s also people out there like me who can discover something they might love and have a passion for.”

Fresno State student Nathan Mariscal took one of Ballis’ classes and said it was a fun experience.

“It’s different than what most people think of as standard art,” said Mariscal, “In other words, I can say it’s very unique, and definitely would be a good idea to try if you want to learn something new.”

Lastly, Ballis wanted to relay a message to all Fresno State Students about trying as many different things as possible while in college.

“I got lucky with what I have now, and I found it just by trying something new,” said Ballis. “I would recommend trying as many different things as you can while being so young and in college.”

If you want to learn more about Ballis Glass or sign up for a free class, you can find them on Facebook at Ballis Glass.