Meet Culotta Creations

Feb 26
4 min read

Updated: Mar 6

Where are you from and how does that affect your work? I grew up in Long Beach and earned my BFA in Fine Art Photography from Cal State Long Beach, focusing on experimental black-and-white processes. In a way I never anticipated, that early training became the foundation of my creative language in glass - rooted in light, contrast, and composition. During those years, I was also deeply inspired by the region’s Art Deco and Craftsman architecture, and that influence continues to shape my work.

A few years ago I relocated to Camas, Washington, where my studio now sits among towering trees of the Pacific Northwest. The shift from city to nature changed my mindset and work in a profound way as I became more aware of seasonality, atmosphere, and how glass behaves in softer, shifting light. My designs are still structured and geometric, but the relationship to light and space feels deeper and more intentional.

How did you get your start?

A chance visit to a Los Angeles glass shop in 2014 became the turning point that launched my journey into stained glass.

At the time I was working full-time in corporate hospitality, so I taught myself at night and on weekends. I made dozens of pieces, gave many of them away, studied obsessively, and rebuilt things when they failed. That trial and error period shaped everything. Over time, my focus shifted from just making pretty objects to really understanding the relationship between the craft & the materials and I found my personal style. In 2018, I founded Culotta Creations and committed fully to building a professional studio practice.

What is the hardest part of your creation process?

Protecting my time and creative energy has been one of the hardest parts of my commission and collaboration process. After a long career in hospitality, where saying yes is instinct, building a full-time studio practice required a true recalibration. I realized that boundaries are not separate from the work, they directly shape its quality & my enjoyment of the process. It was a hard-earned lesson, many times over(!), and one I still remain conscious of.

burning man — Heart featured at Burning Man in 2023

What's your favorite piece you've created & why?

Oh my goodness, after so many years that feels impossible to answer! Some pieces are favorites because they mark technical growth, others because of the emotion behind them.

My forever pivotal piece was a stained glass heart installed inside The Man at Burning Man in 2023 as a memorial tribute for a crew member, designed to pulse with light the whole week before ultimately burning. I spent several weeks translating a very specific vision into a dimensional piece within that massive structure, moving through many iterations before it felt resolved and using my most special saved glass to build it. Bringing that complex vision to life, and then standing among an audience of thousands as it burned was a profound experience for me as an artist.

I adore hearing about this magical lil piece - what a rad experience! What do you love most about Pasadena? I have so many fond and formative memories here. Pasadena’s architectural history, especially its American Craftsman legacy, resonates deeply with me. The integration of architecture, decorative arts, and stained glass during that era aligns closely with how I approach my own work: intentional, structured, and integrated into space rather than applied to it.

I’m also drawn to the sense of community here. There’s a real respect for craftsmanship and history, and that shared appreciation clearly extends into a genuine support of the arts and the artists who create them. I also love food & Pasadena has a fabulous culinary scene.

Some of our favorite eats are certainly located in Pasadena! Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope to stay fully immersed in the two things I love most about this second career: refining my studio practice and expanding stained glass education. I want to keep building curriculum that draws people deeper into the craft, not just teaching how to make something, but how to think about it. I’d love to travel more for that reason, to teach, connect & engage with glass communities in a meaningful way.

Any advice for someone starting off on their own?

Take your time with the fundamentals and let your skills build at a natural pace. Make sure your work is structurally sound before you rush to sell it. Charge fairly, treat your craft with discipline, and protect your time. Try things that feel outside your comfort zone. Some pieces won’t work, and that’s part of it. Those risks and missteps are usually the valuable elements that shape your voice and confidence.

What do you love most about Pasadena?

Pasadena has some really incredible history! I particularly love the historic architecture throughout the city, but especially the stunning American Craftsman examples coming out of the Arts and Crafts movement, which included interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts. There are so many extraordinary examples of stained glass, the Gamble House being the most famous and accessible.

What will you be bringing to Jackalope?

I will be bringing some specialty creations just for the occasion. In addition to a wide range of colorful suncatchers, window decor & ornaments perfect for gifts, I will have some unique larger panels and mobiles that I only create for the Jackalope shows.

Anything special you’d like to add? I am thrilled to be participating in Jackalope Artisan Fair again! When I first became a vendor several years ago I was just starting out in my journey of figuring out how to sell my work & I gained such a valuable experience from participating in these events & found genuine support from the maker community & the loyal buyers who come to support this unique event.