The Team

The mission of JDraper Glass is to offer 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 to encourage an exploration of this medium.  Through these efforts, JDraper Glass will cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art of hand blown glass.

Jeremie Draper

Soft Glass Artist, Instructor and Owner of JDraper Glass LLC

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 breathe 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, Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslave Brychotva, Fritz Dreisbach, William Gudenrath, Mary Schaffer, William Morris, Andy Goldsworthy and Javacheff Christo.

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 winner in spring ’02. She had the privilege to travel and work with other glass blowers in Oregon & Washington before moving back to IL. Her studio, JDraper Glass LLC is now located at The Studios on Sheridan, located at the corner of Main & Sheridan. Jeremie’s entire collection can be viewed at her studio by appointment or any time at General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport Gift Shop,  Exhibit A Gallery and Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Brandie Centi-Fislar

Artist, Instructor and Studio Coordinator at JDraper Glass LLC

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.

Molly Neuhaser

Artist, Assistant and Gallery Manager at J Draper Glass LLC

Biography

Molly Neuhauser was raised in Morton. Il. She grew up training as a competitive gymnast, learning discipline and the symbiosis of self-growth and teamwork. Her parents, Tim and Faith, supported her growing imagination by providing craft supplies, a helping hand, and years of traveling as a family. Molly discovered blown glass while studying Art History at Illinois State University. At first contact, she was captivated by the lively material. Her background in historical studies (specifically the Roman Empire) created the need to learn and master the sacred craft of glassblowing. After luckily stumbling into J Draper Glass, she found her hot shop home to evolve and create. Her glass education continues under the mentorship of Jeremie Draper and Brandie Fislar- assisting both artists, learning to instruct classes, and running our online shop and social media. Molly has a passion for family roots, antiques, female empowerment, and all living things. She translates these values into her work by incorporating found objects into sculptural glass pieces and seeking strength in vulnerability-with glass as a glowing guide.