Founder of the studio and gallery, as well as the Sonoran Glass School, Philabaum has been a presence in Tucson since 1975. He is responsible for many series of work throughout his career, including blown, fused, cast, and painted glass. Tom Philabaum retired from glassblowing in December of 2018, though he continues to paint and fuse glass. Current work from this series can be seen under “Philabaum Fused”.