Tako at Glassroots – Hunting Rare & New Pieces for Your Collection!
Tako has been packing his bags! He’s preparing to head to Las Vegas to attend this year’s Glassroots Art Show, an exposition of artistic functional glass.
The Glassroots Art Show underwent a significant leadership transition in 2024, when its founders—Nick Deviley, Mary, and Allison—passed the torch to Waldo, known in the community as @waldoswonders, to infuse new energy while preserving the event’s core focus on supporting functional glass artists and small businesses. For the 2026 edition, the show is relocating to Las Vegas for the first time, departing from its previous venues in Madison, Austin, and Asheville, and will be held from February 17-19 at the Alexis Park Resort—a move that pays homage to the city’s history of glass art conventions and promises a vibrant setting for networking and wholesale deals.
Events like the Glassroots Art Show are specialized trade expos where independent glass artists, small studios, and family-run businesses come together to showcase and sell their hand-blown functional glass pieces—think artistic pipes, rigs, bubblers, sculptures, and other high-quality, one-of-a-kind items. Unlike public festivals or consumer expos, these are primarily wholesale-focused events: artists set up booths to display their latest work, meet buyers face-to-face, and make direct sales to shops, galleries, online retailers, and collectors who stock or resell the pieces. The atmosphere is laid-back but professional, with a strong emphasis on community, craftsmanship, and building long-term relationships in the functional glass world. Attendees walk the floor, talk to the makers, see the quality up close, and negotiate deals right there—often scoring exclusive or limited-edition items that never make it to public sales.
Expo shows like Glassroots are a huge part of how Tako Glass is able to operate. These events allow us to meet with up and coming glass artists, as well as old pros! While Tako and Beezy make their art right here at Tako HQ, the majority of the rest of our products come from independent artists and small business, just like us, and events like Glassroots are the perfect opportunity to network, find new faces, and new glass! Expo events often have other cool activities such as Flame Offs— Competitions where glassblowers create unique pieces on the show floor, vying to be voted #1. Expos also create the opportunity for artists from all over North America, and the world, to collaborate with each other, lending their skills and talents to collab pieces that are only made possible because everyone came together for the show!
That’s exactly why we attend shows like Glassroots: it gives us the chance to personally connect with talented artists, hand-select fresh inventory, and bring the best new glass straight to TakoGlass.com for our customers. By buying directly at the event, we can offer unique pieces that aren’t widely available elsewhere, support working artists who pour their skill and creativity into every item, and keep our collection exciting and up-to-date. For fans and collectors, it means more opportunities to own rare, high-quality functional art that was chosen with care—often pieces that were just finished in the artist’s studio weeks or even days before the show. These expos are where the real magic of the glass community happens, and we’re there to make sure you get first access to it.
We love what we do, especially when that means finding just the right piece for your collection. Tako Glass isn’t just another head shop or online glass gallery, because every piece is purchased and curated by a skilled glass artist! Game recognizes game! This is also why we put such an effort into photographing every single piece we list! Tako uses his skills and expertise to select glass that we know you’ll love, and we make sure you’ve got access to professional pictures and videos, so know exactly what you’re getting!
From Vegas, to Tako Glass, to your doorstep!
There are way too many glass artists attending Glassroots this year to list them all here! We’re looking forward to making new connections, and bringing you original pieces, but we’re also stoked to see some old friends there! Glassroots may not be open to public, but if you want a little sneak peak, every featured artist in this blog is currently in stock at TakoGlass.com! Its may not be the same as strolling through the expo floor, meeting and greeting the artists, but if you want to get some idea of sort of pieces that will be on display on the showfloor this year, check ’em ut!
Are you excited to see work by a specific artist? We would love to hear about it! If there is a glass blower or brand booth we need to be sure to check out at Glassroots, send us an email! Know of an artist or brand that isn’t attending Glassroots? We still wanna know about them!
Hit us up, because your recommendations go a long way!
