Glassblowing program for veterans provides connection and support

On the hot shop floor at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, a team works together seamlessly. They are creating a glass goblet, working confidently around the 2,000-degree molten glass, anticipating each other’s moves.

But these aren’t professionals. Eight weeks ago, they didn’t even know each other.

This is Hot Shop Heroes, a program for veterans and active-duty military.

Hot Shop Heroes offers a therapeutic approach to healing for military members who have experienced some type of trauma, whether post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury or a physical injury. The program provides social and emotional benefits: finding joy in creating art, coping with anxiety and interacting with others in a healthy manner.

Over the course of eight weeks, participants learn and gain confidence in glassblowing techniques. More important, they find the support of others who understand the unique challenges military members face.

A bridge between civilian and military life

John Obermuller joined the Air Force when he was 18 years old. He served overseas for 20 years before retirement brought him back to the United States.

Suddenly, he found himself navigating two unknowns: civilian life and a country he hadn’t called home for two decades.

“The camaraderie and the teamwork of the military and civilians, being able to transition and having the opportunity to learn a different path, it’s helped me (transition to civilian life) immensely,” Obermuller says.

In Hot Shop Heroes, he found a team-oriented environment and structure similar to what he was accustomed to in the military. That, combined with the physical and mental aspects of glassblowing, provided a supportive environment to help him cope with some behavioral health affects developed as a result of his service.

“Art can be very helpful,” Obermuller says. “This has provided me the opportunity to look outside myself and reflect on things that are good for me.”

The program has been so meaningful for him that he underwent additional training and is now an instructor, providing similar support and guidance to others.

Program manager Jabari Owens-Bailey sees this type of transformation in every cohort that comes through the program.

“I’ve seen students going from very shy and withdrawn on the first day of class to fully engaged,” Owens-Bailey says. “I can’t necessarily clinically assess them, but I can see over time they seem less overwhelmed or depressed, that their quality of life is improving.”

Connection and a sense of purpose

Daniella Fremstad, DO, wasn’t sure what to expect when she first set foot in the hot shop. She spent her military career serving as a pediatrician for military families and sought a creative outlet after retirement. What she found was so much more.

“The neatest thing was on the first day, we all had instant camaraderie,” Fremstad says. “Just to be together with a group of people who have this immediate connection, where we can talk and share, means so much.”

That feeling of acceptance and belonging also extends into the community, she says. Fremstad credits the program for restoring a sense of accomplishment and pride, which has helped in interacting with her family.

Knowing she has the support of a community helps her feel even more connected and uplifted.

“To come into such a supportive, welcoming environment is such a gift after coming from such an intense military experience,” she says. “Everyone looks forward to coming every week. It’s a place where veterans and active-duty can come, relieve their stress and then go out into the community.”

Other program participants shared the unique challenges of military service — including frequent relocations, extended time away from family, intense psychological and physical situations, and feelings of loss or uncertainty after retirement. They described Hot Shop Heroes as a moment of lightness and fun; something to look forward to in times when it felt they had very little.

“This community-based program provides an intermediary between clinical care; it’s another layer of support,” says Owens-Bailey. “When I hear someone who participated say how much it has changed their life or how they feel it saved their life, that is the biggest return we could get from the program.”

Veterans and active-duty military are referred to Hot Shop Heroes through the Warrior Transition Unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Veterans Administration and other veteran support programs. The program is often offered as a complement to another course of treatment the military member may already be receiving.

Learn more about Hot Shop Heroes.

“Partnering for healing and a healthy future” is MultiCare’s mission, and it inspires us to form connections that help improve the quality of life for our communities. Community organizations all around us are doing amazing work, and we’re inspired and excited to support that work.

Stories from our Community is an ongoing series conceived to dive into some of these organizations*, bring their stories to life and spread the word about how they are making our communities better.

*Some of the organizations profiled in this series are recipients of MultiCare’s Community Partnership Fund, which awards funds to nonprofit organizations working on initiatives, programs and projects that improve our community.