Description
J Draper Glass is an artistic, educational and entertainment studio, dedicated to providing hands on opportunities.
Mission
J Draper Glass offers a complete understanding of hot glass as a studio movement in America by engaging the community through hands-on opportunities, classes, tours, team-building workshops and open houses. By encouraging in-depth exploration of this beautiful medium, J Draper Glass cultivates a deeper understanding of the art of hand blown glass.
JEREMIE DRAPER
INSTRUCTOR, OWNER and founder
ARTIST STATEMENT
Glass is the dance in still life. Capturing this moment of vitality, an instant of inspiration and epiphany; marrying it with the delicate skill of blowing glass, result in a still piece — fluid, and somehow moving. Since I learned to hand blow glass, I have been enthralled with the amorphous nature of the medium; its potential to breath and flow with the rhythms of the artist.
Biography
Under the tutelage of Che`Rhodes, Jeremie became a passionate student of glass, curious about the most primitive processes of Roman & Egyptian forms and honoring the great traditions of Italian color decoration. Her influences are Lino Tagliapietra, William Gudenrath, Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslave Brychotva, William Morris, Fabiano Armani, Dino Rosin, Andy Goldsworthy, Javacheff Christo and Mother Nature.
background
A Central Illinois native, Jeremie received her B.F.A. in Glass from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2002. She was a Rickert-Ziebold trust winner in spring ’02. After graduating she traveled to work with other glass blowers in Oregon & Washington and even spent some time at The Corning Museum of Glass. It was there that she was inspired to move back to her hometown area and share her knowledge of glass blowing with the community. J Draper Glass LLC was established in 2009 and is now located at The Studios on Sheridan, in the heart of Peoria, IL. The public can view her glass galleries and take a class with no prior experience. She wishes to create a warm environment where one can have fun, learn, and explore the amazing material of hot molten glass.
* Note: portfolio items are a representation of work and are not for sale *
Brandie Centi-Fislar
Instructor and Studio Manager
ARTIST STATEMENT
Everyday objects and designs influence my desire to create glass. Whether I am walking down the street, reading magazines or sitting in a park, I can see colors, patterns and designs. Seeing and crafting those ideas into drawings begins the journey of morphing those designs into beautiful glass vessels and utilizing glass, whether it is clear, pastel or bold hues, gives me the opportunity to create a unique piece of art that is shared with others so that they, too, will enjoy the beauty of glass.
background
Born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, Brandie moved to Central Illinois once graduating high school in 2010. In 2012, she graduated with her associate in art from Lincoln College in Lincoln, IL, and transferred to Illinois State University where she would begin pursuing a bachelor’s in art education. However, in 2013 after taking her first glass blowing class, she decided to switch her major.
During this time, she worked for Africano Studios as a Studio Assistant. In 2014, Brandie graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelors of Science in Studio Art with a concentration in Glass Blowing. Currently, she works as the lead Instructor and Studio Manager at J. Draper Glass.
Addison Hishon
Instructor and Studio Assistant
ARTIST STATEMENT
As an artist, I am constantly inspired by fleeting moments and small details around me. The work I create suspends time, shifting what could be seen as molten chaos into a new structured form. My Creations embody a deeper consideration for the beauty in life’s most fragile transitions. From creating, I hope to bridge the gap between artist and viewer, inviting everyone into the captured moments within each piece.
background
Addison is a glass artist based in Central Illinois, where she has lived and worked most of her life. Though born in Florence, South Carolina, her artistic development has been deeply rooted in the Midwest. Addison was awarded the Kim Wonsook School of Art Scholarship and Tuition waiver from Illinois State University. In 2025, she graduated with a double major in glass and painting. Currently, Addison is a Graduate-at-Large at Illinois State University and works as an instructor at J. Draper Glass.
Cassie LaFollett
Studio intern
ARTIST STATEMENT
I feel the true joy of art lies not in the final product, but in the journey of its creation. The fiery process of glass blowing satisfies my need to work with my hands and learn through experience. Glass allows me to incorporate the colors, patterns and designs of everyday life into unique items that are both decorative and functional. I hope to share my love of glass by creating work that brings other as much joy as the process of making it brings me.
background
Raised just outside of Peoria in the small town of Kickapoo, Illinois, Cassie attended Illinois Central College for her Associates in Fine Arts, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education in May 2025. She is now pursuing a second Bachelor’s in Studio Arts Glass Blowing from Illinois State University, which she will complete this year. While studying education at ISU, Cassie Stumbled into the glass world after taking Glass 1 on a whim. She decided to add a year to her program to pursue her love for glass and develop her technical skills. Being a Peoria native, it felt only right to find her way back to the heart of the town to work with the talented artists at J. Draper Glass.
Cole Krasinski
instructor
ARTIST STATEMENT
Much of my process is not only getting the glass to cooperate but also cooperating with the glass and letting nature take its course. Glass is an amorphous medium, and I approach new projects with a loose plan and an open mind. Colors often define my shapes, keeping me flexible throughout the process. In this manner, glassblowing for me is often experimental – I can often be heard saying “let’s just try it and see what happens” with color mixtures and form. I prioritize making art that I would love to own, hoping others will feel the same.
background
Cole grew up in South Carolina before moving to Chicago to attend DePaul University. He earned Bachelors’ degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics in 2019. After taking a glassblowing workshop in Milwaukee, Cole was bitten by the glass bug and wanted to fully explore the medium. He began learning under Jeremy Hansen at Hot Shop Glass in Racine, Wisconsin. Cole moved to Peoria in 2024 and works full-time as a patent agent. He teaches our Saturday classes and, with any free time, assists with production during the week to further develop his glass blowing skills.
