Hilltop Artists: More Than Glass, More Than Ever
Hilltop Artists: More Than Glass, More Than Ever
In October, at the Better Futures Luncheon, I spoke about what “better” means to us at Hilltop Artists, and why we are more than glass, more than ever. As we approach the end of the year, I want to revisit these ideas because they speak directly to why your support matters so much right now.
In our hot shops and classrooms, students show us every day that better isn’t a destination—it’s a daily practice. It’s trying again when a piece cracks. It’s feeling better because you’ve walked into a space where you belong, where adults know your name and see your potential. It’s doing better by supporting a friend, taking a creative risk, or discovering something new about yourself.
Our Production team member Karyna, reflects this journey. She came to Hilltop Artists four years ago as a shy refugee whose family had fled the war in Ukraine. She spoke no English when she started at Hilltop Heritage Middle School. But the heat, capacity, and magic of glass drew her in: she hadn’t known humans could sculpt molten glass into art. Her first words of English were spoken in our hot shop. With guidance from mentors and encouragement from peers, she found her voice, her confidence, and a community she now helps nurture. In our recent video, she shares her story with remarkable strength and purpose.
And this is where more than glass comes in. Through the practice of becoming better, step by step, piece by piece, students like Karyna develop the skills that prepare them for their futures. They learn to communicate and collaborate, to trust themselves and others, and to build relationships rooted in respect, shared creativity, and belonging.
These are the lessons that carry young people toward Better Futures.
These essential skills matter now more than ever. Young people in our community are facing escalating food insecurity, economic instability, and a growing sense of disconnection and loneliness. They need resilience to navigate these social and cultural pressures, and at Hilltop Artists that resilience is built through critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and intercultural fluency.
Every day, I see students find comfort, friendship, confidence, and belonging. I watch tentative seventh graders shape their first glass bubble, After-School students experiment boldly with new techniques, and Team Production students assist world-renowned artists at Refract, the Seattle Glass Experience. These transformations show the power of creativity to change lives, one piece, one person, one future at a time.
We cannot do this without you.
The financial realities we face today are challenging, and the need for our programs has never been greater. Keeping our furnaces burning and our programs free for students takes resources that only our community can sustain.
Your year-end gift ensures that Hilltop Artists remains a place of belonging, creativity, and transformation. It helps us provide materials, transportation, and mentorship for every student who walks through our doors, no matter their background or circumstance.
Our goal this year is to raise $125,000, and your gift will make a direct, immediate impact. Whether you make a one-time donation, join our Murrini Club as a monthly donor, or explore asset giving options like stock or QCD gifts, your generosity keeps our community strong, our students inspired, the flames lit, and the creativity flowing.
Yes, I want to make a donation!
Because when we say better futures, we mean better futures for all of us.
Thank you for standing with Hilltop Artists—for believing in our young people, in the power of creativity, and in the strength of community. Together, we are more than glass, more than ever.
With gratitude,
Dr. Kimberly F. Keith
Executive Director, Hilltop Artists