This past weekend I went to a basic introductory glass blowing class, taught by the founder of the Diablo School, Sean Clarke. Clarke is a master glass artist who's as good at working with glass as he is at teaching this unique skill. The entire workshop of 30 students was incredibly engaged in his entire process of making a glass plate, which started from a wad of molten glass, and finished as a beautiful orange-colored plate. To display the fragility, and ease, of this process, Clarke intentionally breaks (and recycles) his creation after each demonstration. After the demonstration, each student was given the opportunity to work with glass by creating glass pendants.
The Diablo Glass School teaches an array of classes that range in skill levels, age groups, as well as the type of glass working technique. And for those people who say they don't have enough time to have a social life and take a glass class, the school offers a special wine and cheese tasting along with a glass blowing demonstration once every month. Bring some friends or make it date!
Aside from being a school, Diablo also offers studio time for experienced glass artists that want to continue to develop their skill, but lack a 1000 degree oven in their own home. In addition to the glass blowing studio, artists can also rent the fused and stained glass studio as well as the flameworking studio.
My suggestion to all of those interested in learning about glass artistry - check out Diablo Glass School. The teachers are skilled and inviting, the studios equipped, and the experience is like no other. Check out the class schedule to see how you can get started.
Images: Nick Siemaska
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Stanley Console by ...
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Summer Recipe: Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream
They have some great industrial art schools in the Bay Area too- and recently started doing hot glass classes (vs fused glass or neon) at the Crucible in Oakland. Its a pretty sweet set up with great teachers.
Glass blowing is so 1995.
YoNella: Tru dat!
There's also NOCA glass school in Cambridge - they offer classes through the Cambridge Center for Adult Education: http://ccae.org/catalog/courses.php?id=4&time=1
I recently took a glass blowing class in Seattle, WA and it was AWESOME!! It was 4 hours with my best friend and a hottie instructor and we made some very pretty pieces -- 2 nesting bowls, a paperweight and a little tiny crystal ball (OK this is the nerd in me) and then the dude made this amazing little glass horse, which was a tool cleaning trick done in Italy since the craft began (practically). Best 4 hours I've spent in a long while.