About Terry

Terry Corcoran Gomien started CoGoGlass in her basement when her kids were little as an outlet for her creative energies. The medium of glass captivated every part of her artistic creativity and craftsmanship. She studied glass at Lill Street Art Center, Bullseye Glass, Portland and Ed Hoy’s Glass. She has since mastered her craft both through classes and self exploration.

Terry studied Industrial Design at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She was employed as a product designer. She went on to design girls toys for Hasbro in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She moved back to Chicago and worked as a toy inventor for Big Monster Toys (formerly Breslow Morrison Terzian). Terry created many toys in her career but her kids were her favorite project.

The Process of Fusing

The process of glass fusing happens in the heat of the kiln.  The glass used for fused glass art is created directly for the purpose of fusing.  Fused glass comes in many forms such as sheet glass, small pieces of ground glass called Frit, strings like spaghetti called Stringer and thicker glass pieces called billet.  For most pieces, the glass is cut to shape, layered and placed and then fired in the kiln at a temperature hot enough to stick together.  This usually takes place anywhere from 1200-1500 degrees Fahrenheit.  The coefficient of expansion (COE) is what keeps the glass from cracking apart.  This is the rate at which the molecules in the glass heat up and cool down.  Glass with a similar COE will fuse together. Terry uses Bullseye Glass handmade in Portland, Oregon.  It is considered COE 90 glass and comes in a rainbow of colors both transparent and opaque.

Pictured: An array of colorful Bullseye glass in Terry's studio