I began my artistic journey towards becoming an orrery maker with the goal of being a glassblower. Most of my glassblowing education comes through the Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass, under the tutelage of many talented glass artists, including master marble-maker Mark Matthews. Glass marbles hold a special place in my heart, every glass marble being unique. And while a glassblower's training often to leads to larger creations, I am always drawn back to the possibilities that can be contained in a small space.
A curiosity-driven detour along the way led me down the fascinating history of orreries and other miniature planetariums. I was captivated by the clockwork gears, and how every orrery was a complex work of art. Before I knew it, I was on a path to building an orrery of my own. My self-guided curriculum shifted from glassblowing to machining metal, including a transformative class on cutting metal gears with master craftsman Jerry Kieffer. As I progressed, ideas formed: Why be limited by our own solar system? Why not make an orrery with two suns, or more?
I call my creations exoplanetariums, being composed of exoplanets outside our own solar system. My intention is that each world in the orrery tells a story, and each exoplanetarium brings with its own past, present, and future.
My artist CV can be found here.
If you would like an exoplanetarium orrery of your own, please feel free to message me through my Instagram @hudakglass, or email me at 
- Joshua Hudak