For more than two decades, The Glass Palette has quietly carved out a colorful, creative niche in Charlottesville rooted in accessibility, experimentation, and a deep love of community.
Founded 21 years ago by Maria DiMassimo and eventually her daughter Cara DiMassimo, the studio began with a simple idea and grew into a welcoming space where glass art feels approachable rather than intimidating. “It’s my mother who is my partner here. It was originally her idea that she wanted to teach glass classes,” DiMassimo said. When Cara moved back to the area, she knew she wanted to help bring that vision to life, and Charlottesville felt like the right place to do it for both of them.
Instead of operating solely as a traditional teaching studio, The Glass Palette evolved into something more open-ended. Visitors can still sign up for classes, but the heart of the business lies in its walk-in fused glass sessions. Guests choose a project--anything from suncatchers and ornaments to bowls and plates--learn the basics of glass cutting, and then settle in to create. The finished pieces are fired in the kiln and are ready for pickup a couple of weeks later.
“We have adults and kids and everything in between,” Cara said. “People can learn how to work with glass and make their own artwork.”
That inclusive approach reflects what “Love Local” means to Cara, especially in a city known for supporting the arts. “One of the reasons why I wanted to settle back in Charlottesville after living in a lot of other places is the creative community,” she said. “There’s a lot of support for the arts here.”
The Glass Palette also fills a practical gap, offering a hands-on, indoor activity that works for families, visitors, and longtime locals alike. The studio welcomes both Charlottesville residents and travelers passing through, all drawn by the chance to create something personal without a huge time or financial commitment.
Cara’s own artistic path began long before glass entered the picture. She earned a BFA from James Madison University and initially worked primarily as a painter. Glass, however, won her over with its blend of creativity and science. “Glass is amazing--it’s such a creative medium, and there’s a lot of science with it,” she said. “What people get this medium to do is mind-blowing.”
Over the years, the studio has seen thousands of projects pass through its kilns, and Cara has a special place for memories of so many of them. “We are constantly inspired by what our customers create,” she said. Some pieces are playful, others deeply meaningful, including memorial works made with cremated remains. Helping people bring their ideas to life, she explained, never gets old.
Running a glass studio hasn’t been without challenges. Rising material costs, environmental manufacturing concerns, and surviving the pandemic all tested the business. “It’s a labor of love,” Cara said. “We just love what we do and working with people.”
That love extends well beyond the studio walls. Housed in the Linen on Market building, The Glass Palette is part of a small creative ecosystem, sharing space and connections with fellow makers and businesses such as Firefly, which has catered many events at the studio, along with Malleable Studios and Plenty. Cara also stays closely connected to Charlottesville’s tight-knit glass community, continuing to learn and grow through ongoing education. At the same time, she’s preparing for a personal creative milestone, designing her third full-size wearable glass dress for the Glass Art Society Fashion Show at the Corning Museum of Glass.
When asked what advice she’d offer aspiring creative business owners, her answer was simple. “Make a lot of connections,” she said. “Other businesses are not your competitors, they’re your friends,” she said. “And, you don’t need to know everything. You can just start.”