A neon orange glow radiates from the art building at Palo Alto High School. Strong heat billows out of the glassblowing furnace as students masterfully craft their molten glass, following the instructions and demonstration of their teacher.
Paly’s glassblowing class is one of a few in the nation, and proudly presents itself as one of the best. To further enhance the program, Paly is welcoming a new teacher to its art department this school year: Mike Da Ponte.
Da Ponte received his Bachelor’s degree in Fine/Studio Arts from Illinois State University, and his Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and Teaching from Grand Canyon University. His previous experience includes working as a glassblower, co-owning a glass shop in Richmond, and teaching high school glassblowing for 12 years before Paly.
According to Da Ponte, he is ready to bring his vision to Paly’s glassblowing program, saying he sees joining the Paly community as a chance to make glassblowing more inclusive.
“I have an opportunity to change this program, to make it something different,” Da Ponte said. “It’s been one thing for so long, and now my goal is to bring in many different kinds of glass. There’s a lot more within the spectrum of what is possible with glass, which opens up the door for more learners to come in and explore.”
According to Da Ponte, he wants to expand the school’s curriculum and allow students to take different prerequisite courses that build a better foundation for glassblowing.
“I hope that we can divide it [the art pathway] into a 2D sequence, and then a separate 3D course,” Da Ponte said. “Instead of taking 2D Art Spectrum first, I’m hoping we can have a foundation 3D course, that’s only three-dimensional sculptures.”
Da Ponte said he wants to use his experience as a glassblower in his teaching for students.
“I love to make art, and I think sharing all that knowledge with kids is really important,” Da Ponte said. “Being a professional artist is very different from being a teacher because there are a lot of people who can be artists, but they may not be able to teach. I hope to accomplish both of those things and show kids that it’s okay to have a practical job, but also be an artist.”
According to senior and current glassblowing student Oliver Rasmussen, Da Ponte supports students in exploring beyond what is offered.
“He’s introduced new concepts and encourages us to explore our creative ideas, as opposed to following a set curriculum,” Rasmussen said. “We can come to him with an idea, and he’ll help us with it. That’s a style of teaching which I really appreciate because it allows us to learn while still doing things that we want to do.”
Rasmussen said he also appreciates Da Ponte’s experience level and background in art.
“He’s a little more free form, and I think that’s the biggest difference compared to other teachers,” Rasmussen said. “He’s got a more diverse background, not just glass, so it allows us to explore other mediums that we can apply to glass or collaborate with other people.”
Da Ponte said the most rewarding parts of being a teacher are creating connections with students and meeting new people.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re creative or not,” Da Ponte said. “If you can just enjoy your time in art class for whatever reason even if it’s just something as simple as getting to know me, I think that’s the most fun.”
