ORANGE BEACH, Ala. The Hot Shop at The Orange Beach Arts Center, a public access glass studio, will celebrate its one year anniversary on Aug. 20, from 6-9 p.m., by throwing a birthday party.

Everyone is invited to The Hot Shop Birthday Bash, which will include live glass blowing demos with guest artist Mark Leputa from Orbix Hot Glass.

For Leputa, the greatest sense of self-satisfaction and pride is found in the creation process.

Graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 with a bachelor of arts in communication, Leputa always felt his imagination was being suppressed. Throughout his studies he continuously turned to art to liberate the ideas boiling within.

Not until a short holiday to New Zealand in 2004 did Leputa submit to his longing of being a full-time artist. He had finally discovered the medium he had long been seeking — glass.

The heat, the fire, the seemingly liquid state in which this material is worked entranced him. This period of his life marked a turning point and nothing has been the same since.

The short holiday turned into a three-year apprenticeship. During this time he was able to define a body of work where simplicity, purity of form and negative space is merged to meet harmony.

Being his own harshest critic, Leputa’s approach to creating his art is relentless and uncompromising. Demanding precision and a close attention to detail, he is able to bring his abstract visions to life. Every touch to the glass has significant and deliberate meaning.

The final detail is choosing a title that bonds the physical piece with its emotionally driven design.

In 2007 Leputa returned to the United States to further his knowledge and skills of the material. He now resides in Alabama, where he continues to focus on achieving a clean, crisp body of work.

Lupeta has exhibited his work at Silica Galleries — solo exhibition “Assembly Line,” Philadelphia, Pa.; SOFA International Art Expo, New York, N.Y.; Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass — Emerging Artists group exhibition, Dallas, Texas; and Wheaton Arts Glass Weekend, Millville, N.J.

He was the recipient of Pilchuck Glass School Scholarship, Alabama Arts Council grant award recipient and NICHE Award Finalist.

He currently works as an assistant to Cal Breed of Orbix Hot Glass.

His work can be seen in the soon to be released, “Best of American Glass” book.

There will also be pottery demonstrations by famed Gulf Shores potters, Steve and Dee Burrow of Sea Oats Studio. Mosaic artist Connie Blum will lead a public art project in which all ages can participate.

Special guest Bob the Art Car will be on campus after weeks of roaming the community and ready for his new skin designed by “birthday bash-keteers.”

Popular Mobile-based Roman Street will provide a musical backdrop with their “new flamenco” sound.

There will also be a live auction, raffles, and great food.

The Hot Shop opened its doors in 2009 with the generous donation of glass-blowing equipment by Joseph and Debbie Thompson, owners of Bear Creek Glass. The purpose of the studio is to bring education to the community about glassblowing, sculpture and art.

Currently, The Hot Shop is the only public access glass studio in Alabama. It provides educational opportunity, glass-blowing lessons, group demonstrations and field trips for local schools and organizations and public art exhibits.

The director of the Hot Shop is Sam Corman, an internationally recognized contemporary glass artist and glass teacher. Joe Hobbs, The Hot Shop’s resident artist has been a well-known award-winning glass artist on the Gulf Coast for more than eight years.

Hobbs’ and Corman’s glass works are featured in the Art Center’s Gallery.

For more information, call (251) 981-2787.