About Kirby

For almost 3 decades I’ve been playing with hot glass and have mastered my communication with glass while exploring all hot glass such as traditional glass/soda lime and team style blowing, flameworking, lathe working, casting, kiln working and many cold working techniques. I have been representing North Dakota in the arts since 1990 when as a student at Fargo North High School, I won a Maria Walsh Foundation Art Scholarship. I’ve taught workshops to all ages of students– pre schoolers through colleges. In 2014, I won first place at the Champs Glass Games of Las Vegas, Nevada at the glass games obstacle course posting fastest time in the world to date. My healing art has been featured in Medical Dispensaries across the States where I have personally donated free medical equipement to many veterans. My countless educational public demonstrations with on-the-spot requests have given me the great skills I have and helped educate people bringing hot glass across the region to many for the first time.  My glass workshops with elders in nursing homes during the pandemic has created many new glass artists, smiles, and healing art across our nation. Im a former North Dakota First Responder who was on call 24/7 with firefighting, search & rescue. I’m hazmat certified and active shooter trained.  I am one of North Dakota’s first Hemp Pilot Program producers working with ND Department of Agriculture on research helping pave the way for future generations of farmers. My art has raised money for countless charities and fundraising events for the greater good. I am former executive director of North Dakota’s largest rural art council and former director of the Stump Lake Fine Arts Youth Camp. Married to Shelli Berg and, together with our four children we are producing most of our own family’s food including beef, chicken, pork, garden, greenhouse and microgreens along with hunting and fishing.  I extract my own medicines from the plants we grow or harvest with a custom still I created out of glass. I am committed to my craft, my family and homestead.  I believe we all should plant a garden, feed our neighbors and blow more glass!