Josh Poll is a self-taught artist with experience in all facets of glass art, mosaic, casting, furnace glassblowing, and flameworking. The first steps of Josh’s journey started in Joliet, Illinois at Joliet Junior College in 1995. It was here where he melted glass for the first time, and became hooked!
Starting out in his parent’s basement, he set up a small studio where he experimented with the new substance. He became his own mentor. Music was the catalyst – jazz, soul, rock & roll, world beat, all of it; without music there’s no flow, each song brings a different emotion.
His family’s history of study in Geology and Archeology has brought Josh to a new level of understanding of his medium, borosilicate glass. In August of 1998 Josh relocated to Tampa, Florida. In March of 2001, looking for new inspiration, he attended a workshop in Melbourne, Florida. Robert Mickelsen’s work had always intrigued him, so now was a chance to learn from the renowned artist. While attending, Josh met, among others, David Walker. David was Mickelsen’s studio assistant. In March of 2002 Josh attended another workshop of Mickelsen’s. This time it was a figurative class with a live model. This was the class that sent him over the edge, as it gave him a whole new outlook of all sculptural work. Very soon after, Josh and Dave combined forces to form Zen Glass Studio and Gallery.
Josh’s styles include, but are not limited to: Tiki, Botanical, African, Erotica, and Far East. Goblets, jewelry, vessels and figures are some of the pieces Josh incorporates into glass. He draws his inspiration from many different sources. Here are a sampling of the glass artists who have had an impact: William Morris, Luccio Bubacco, Milon Townsed, Lauren Stump, Paul Stankard, Joshua Simpson, Lino and Pino (Tagliapietra and Signoretto). Whether dug up and centuries old or recently conceived, Josh’s unique style and technique is ever expanding. He continues to run a full production studio, with classes, local and national festivals.
The business of being a professional artist has given Joshua a unique opportunity to reach and speak with thousands of people, from all walks of life, which is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work
For more information about Josh, please contact him at [email protected] today!
TESTIMONIALS
The owners are wonderful and love teaching.
Great time!
Very “cool” actually HOT!!!
The person that helped us was awesome, patient, funny and nice. Definitely will be coming back
It was so much fun.. My husband and I had a great time
zen is an amazing place 2 become an artist or just look @ some amazing glass. DAVE & Josh are super skilled and knowledgeable.
Great vibe love glass art and they are very helpful def will be back
Amazing fun!! Had an great time with friends
Took my boyfriend here for his birthday, awesome experience the instructors were all great, they checked in and were able to guide you in the right direction. I would definitely recommend going here if your looking for something fun and unique.
Fantastic experience with Josh Poll. Would highly recommend it! Can’t wait to see my piece.
Absolutely wonderful place to see and try something new! Our family of four had a great experience and would do it again in a heartbeat! My wife and I made wine glasses and our children made their own abstract art. We couldn’t have had a better time! Thank you Dave for an amazing afternoon! We will see you the next time we’re in Florida!
Very fun experience. Definitely makes you appreciate the custom glassware you see.
We had a great knowledgable instructor
Had such a blast! Staff was friendly! Got awesome one-of-a-kind wine glasses out of it!
Had a totally awesome time. They were great. We plan to go back for more classes!!! Everyone should try this. Zen Studio rocks!!!!
If you are itching for an adventure, look no further! I cannot say enough positive things about this experience. Josh went above and beyond to endure that we felt safe with social distancing, plenty of sanitizer and plexiglass between stations. He is very knowledgeable of his craft and helped us create exactly what we wanted. Already looking forward to our next trip
I went for the wine glass workshop and had a great time. I was solo so I had Josh’s full attention. I created a glass that I will enjoy for many years to come. I also bought a beautiful necklace for my mom’s birthday.
Awesome night at Zen studios ~ the instructors were kind & very helpful. We’ll definitely be going back! 5*!!!
Absolutely incredible experience!!! So perfect for date night or company team building…so much fun!!
We attended a wineglass workshop and had a great time. Everyone was very helpful and patient with us while we were figuring things out and soaking in all of the information. It made for a unique and fun girls afternoon out! Looking forward to a “cheers” with our new stemware!
Austin was AWSOME! We had a blast making wine glasses – so much we signed up for another workshop the following week. I highly recommend this class!
Jill, Wes and Jasmine
Fabulous time, unbelievable great experience! Will definitely be taking another class.
My 14 year old daughter has a hobby interest idea, and I am trying to help feed that idea/passion. Joshua was extremely helpful and informative. She will be back.
best place in florida to learn glass working
What a great experience! The guys working there were super kind! Highly recommend!!
Thank you Austin!! We really had fun today!!
Great personalized experience. I learned a lot and had a blast. Josh is customer focused, witty and a pleasure to be coached by. I’ll be sharing and encouraging others to signup.
Had a great time celebrating my other sister birthday! I highly recommend it and appreciate all of the team. Great gift shop for a unique gift.
Highly reccomend this place. Our instructor Dave made it very fun and relaxed. He was very eager to help and answer all our question and gave us enough space to have fun and be silly while providing a safe environment.
Amazing experience! I don’t think it’s possible to have a bad time here
We had a great time today making our own martini glasses. The owners were friendly and very knowledgeable, so the whole experience was a lot of fun. They also have really nice pieces for sale to accentuate your home. We’d highly recommend going there to anyone looking for something fun and different to do!
What an awesome place, with a super low key, but awesome time!
This was on my husband’s bucket list…super cool experience!!! Definitely recommend & will do again!
Took a chance on a Groupon for our first visit. Enjoyed it so much we went back a second time. Staff/instructors were really attentive. A fun experience. Highly recommend.
Josh Poll & David Walker did such an awesome job in honoring my brother! Had some beautiful pendants & a pocket piece made with cremations & some outstanding paper weights too. Can’t put into words what it feels like to have & only know I have felt a definite peace.
I <3 You………………………………………
The class was Lots of fun.
Lots of fun,people friendly and helpful want to do it again
My sister and I made wine glasses.
All the staff were so welcoming and informative. They made sure we had a good experience and made a successful project.
So much fun!
We definitely plan to come take another workshop! Cheers!
Great fun. Instructors have a good sense of humor and patience galore!
Had a fantastic time making my our beer glass. Looking forward to taking classes
My husband and I had a great experience at a wine glass workshop today with Austin. Great way to experience something new and cool on a Sunday afternoon. Our wine glasses are so unique and we can’t wait to drink out of them. Thanks Austin! We will recommend you to all our friends.
I did the make your own wine glass workshop for my birthday, and it was by far the most amazing experience I have had. Austin is an amazing instructor I will definitelybe going back. Thank You!!
Lots of fun and easy to do. Great teachers, I highly recommend anyone that has any interest in trying this, go for it, you won’t be disappointed .
The best places in the state for classes, camaraderie, and overall good glass vibes. Knowledgeable, friendly staff and a plenty of bench space. They also have a wonderful gallery full of beautiful work from tons of artists. Zen Glass really is a jewel of Florida.
We had a great experience at Zen Glass! Josh was friendly and patient with us, talking us through the process. We can’t wait to go back! Highly recommend this as a fun activity, date night, birthday celebration, etc! We had no experience at all and we enjoyed ourselves!
So much fun! What a wonderful gift for you to have blessed Mother’s Day with! We enjoyed it very much and plan to return again in the future! Thank you!
Amazing people and atmosphere! If you love glass definitely go check out Zen!
Great experience. Austin was FANTASTIC! We just finished less than an hour ago so pics have yet been posted. Highly recommend.
Great fun place to learn about working with glass
This was so fun! Austin was great and took so much time with us. I can’t wait to come back and do it again.
everyone there is friendly and helpful. Love that I get to create something with my bare hands ??? its fun
I 😘You………………………………………
The class was Lots of fun. 😊
Place is simply awesome! Great people over there!!
Austin was a very good teacher and funny. Had a fun and great experience and going to go back to make some more works of art.
Austin was so patient and fun. My mom wasn’t to sure about what we were doing but he put her at ease. We had a blast and made a great memory!!! Thanks Austin!!!
Awesome!!!!
My husband loved it!!!
zen is an amzing place 2 become an ar7is7 or jus look @ some amazing glass . DAVE @ Josh are super skilled and knowledgable .
Great time with a group of 14!
Best family fun experience! Austin and Josh were amazing to work with. Thanks Guys!
Everybody was so nice and helpful. Had a blast. Everybody should try this at least once!
We had such a great time would love to do more great teacher
Very friendly, helpful people. Most interesting and we had a great time! Would recommend it as a great addition to your Florida vacation!
Our family had so much fun creating our Glass
Our instructors were great!!
We took our teenage boys ~ the whole family had a great time
Thanks for some rainy day fun!!
So much fun!! And they were so very patient with us. I highly recommend their workshops!
Thanks to KATY and JOSH for making my birthday weekend simply wonderful by going the extra mile!
Mike &Jozette Spina
Awesome! Hubby and I had so much fun playing with glass and fire. Katie was the best with helping us create our glasses. Thank you for offering the workshop.
my wife and I had an excellent time creating our own wine glasses! I highly recommend attending one of their classes, great atmosphere with friendly down to earth people.
Great introduction to making glass! Staff was very welcoming.
Very friendly . Helpful. Awesome studio.
Today my work partner in crime and I took our amazing customer service team for a class on pendant and bead making – they had so much fun! Josh & team were so patient with the 4 of us and really let us experiment and explore the artists inside. I was proud of both our girls – Karin and I need more practice heehee. This was 100% an awesome time and highly recommend it!!!
OHHHHHH my Gosh, such and amazing experience. Austin, Dave and the other artists were so incredibly awesome!!! This is some things I recommend doing more then once.
What an awesome experience. I would highly recommend this to anyone. So friendly and relaxed. Thank you for a wonderful experience (~);}
My cousin Josh is amazing at glass work. Definitely hit him up! 🙂
zen is an amazing place 2 become an artist or just look @ some amazing glass. DAVE & Josh are super skilled and knowledgeable.
Such a fun afternoon! Highly recommend!!
Awesome workshop and great instruction. Me and my wife loved it.
We had an awesome experience making crag beer glasses today, wonderful way to zen out.
Awesome place!! Great teachers!!
I had a great time with u guys!
Great class nice people, hope to see you soon again !! From Puerto Rico ✌
AWESOME! So fun and great teaching by Josh and Co
Josh is a great instructor! He took his time with us and made the session fun. Definitely recommend him and his studio. I have a new found respect for this art. It’s amazing!
My daughter got to work w glass!! So wonderful!!!
We had such a great time, I definitely want to come back and do more!
Super fun!!! The guys were patient with us and very helpful.
Perfect name for this amazing space! Knowledgeable, kind, and fun folks just enjoying everything glass. Check them out, you’ll be happy you did.
We had a blast at the studio. Highly recommend taking a glass blowing class.
wicked fun and entertaining,
Josh was amazing. very relatable and welcoming from the minute we got there. it was a surprise for me so kinda didn’t know what to do, but he explained and gave us examples and really made it a memory for us. looking forward to our next visit already.
Great group of people! Awesome experience!
Awesome! Did the make your own wine glass, can’t wait to see how it turns out! Had a great time!!
GREAT TIME. Would do it again in a heartbeat! Great way to learn the art
My wife and I participated in a pendant workshop on October 15, 2016 with instructor, Katy. It was fun to learn how glass pendants are made and to try to make a few pendants. We were able to practice with combining different colors of glass and also trying to make different shapes. Katy was great as an instructor! I have a lot of respect for the process of glass making.
Absolutely had the best time making our own pipes! He said that was the most fun he’d had on a birthday! We most definitely will be back!!!
It was an awesome experience. Being that it was my first time I was a little nervous. But luck was on my side because we had Austin helping us and explaining every step of the wonderful process. I was supper happy with my wine glass and so were my friends! Austin rocks !!! Give it a try …. you will not regret this amazing experience ❤️🍷
Lots of fun trying something new. New appreciation for glass blowing!! Awesome time and cool teachers that make it easier and you can’t do anything wrong.
For two ladies with introverted testing anxiety the Beginner’s Pendant workshop was absolutely wonderful Austin was a great help, always full of bounce and positive encouragement! Thank you for helping our belated birthday celebration go so smoothly!
We had such an amazing time at Zen glass studio!! Josh was patient and helpful! We will definitely be back!
Had a great experience with the staff making champagne flute glasses that we plan to use in our upcoming wedding. Will be going back again!
This was such a fun glass. I had a great date day! and our glasses came out great! thank you Austin for making our day enjoyable. definitely coming back! Austin was a great instructor.
Hard working vision within the craft of art. And dedicated to the community.
Awesome experience! Josh and Austin were great. Would definitely recommend this to anyone.
I spent a few minutes with Josh telling him my background and what I wanted to get from the class. He took me through a few ‘basics’ and I was off and running. Fantastic experience and I look forward to coming back the next time I’m in town.
Awesome Place,Great People, I totally enjoyed meeting everyone there.
Awesome Place to learn Glass Blowing.
Thanks so much to Christian for making the ornament workshop so easy! They have some fabulous works of art in their gallery and the service is superb! Can’t wait to see how our hand blown ornaments came out. I’m grateful to Christian for explaining how the color combos might look. Will be back!
Enjoyed making my wine glass stem, was a little nervous at first but David was an awesome instructor. Will be doing another work shop
Everyone there is friendly and helpful. Love that I get to create something with my bare hands 🥰🥰🥰 its fun
My boyfriend and I had an amazing date night here! It was so fun. Such a different and exciting date.
Thanks for accomodating our crazy group today! We had a blast and will be back!!
Me an my wife had a blast!??
Just Awesome Thank you to our Teacher Josh my Wife and I Had a Great time.
A great place for a cool weekend activity! We had a blast!!
Kind hearted education. Welcoming and all around awesome people, hope to spend more time there, so much to learn!
Great atmosphere and very friendly instructors. Much more fun than we thought we were going to have. Thanks Austin!
GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL STUDIO…………..
A great family environment!! Excellent food!! If you looking for great environment and food I would absolutely recommend Zen great restaurant!!
Something fun and unique to do with the Besties ❤️ The owner and the workers are very helpful?
What a freaking blast! My mom bought this experience on Groupon for us (group of 4) and we had so much fun making the stems of our wine glasses! Austin was patient, super helpful, and did an excellent job not only explaining what we should be doing but also entertaining us. 10/10 would go again.