Jessica Schimpf

Studio Owner and Lead Glass Blower
 

While in college studying art, Jessica won her sculpture department senior thesis competition at MICA in Winter 2010 for developing an idea for an art studio called "Mantra Art" - and was encouraged by teachers, admin and students to bring her company to life. 

 

Just after graduating in 2010 from The Maryland Institute College of Art, Jessica's career started as a monumental welder and bronze artisan for The Sculpture Foundation in NJ. Her team created the largest metal sculptures in the world for artists, museums and cities (public installations) out of the large metal facility at Grounds for Sculpture. Jessica worked on the fabrication team that created work for famed artists: Seward Johnson, Kiki Smith and Jeff Koons.
 

In 2010 Jessica fell in love with glass blowing after seeing a glass shop in MD and switched to focusing on glass as her primary medium, officially launching "Mantra Glass Art". 8 years later after building up her company, Jessica created the first glass blowing studio for MGA in Reno/Tahoe NV in 2018. The Reno/Tahoe studio offered intensive one on one and group classes to over 5,000+ students in 5 years. Sadly due to the pandemic, Jessica stop teaching in 2020 but continued with creating commissions world wide.

 

In 2023 Jessica designed and purchased Mantra's newest and largest space, a private art studio that has: boro & soft glass, fusing, and a full cold working shop on 2.5 acres of stunning preserved farmland surrounded by horses, tree and crop farms. The MGA Studio is closed to the public, but please contact us for more details!