Talking Out Your Glass podcast

The inspiration for Jonathan Capp’s art comes from the experiences that shape his life. Whether hiking the Appalachian Trail, coaching Little League Baseball, becoming an archaeological illustrator halfway around the world, or competing onBlown Away, he channels those experiences into ideas and fully embraces life as a part of his art.

Capps states: “I welcome new ideas and innovations in the studio, bringing fun, energy, and an inspiring enthusiasm into the hot shop.”

Raised in Knoxville, TN, Capps spent much of his youth outdoors, camping, hiking, and playing baseball. After moving to Kentucky in 2001, he developed a passion for glassblowing during undergraduate school at Centre College in Danville, KY, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2005. For the following decade, he worked as a freelance glassblower, artist, and designer, traveling extensively to learn, teach, and pursue the mastery of his craft. During this time, he received several residencies and scholarships, including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, The Pittsburgh Glass Center, Corning Museum of Glass, Penland School of Crafts, and an International Artist Residency at Lasikompannia in Nuutajärvi, Finland.

After “thru-hiking” the Appalachian Trail in 2013, Capps attended graduate school at Ohio State University and, in 2016, earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. He received several awards and scholarships, most notably a travel grant and fellowship as an archaeological illustrator in the remote Oğlanqala region of the Autonomous Republic of Naxçivan, Azerbaijan.

In 2018 and 2019, Capps was awarded a U.S. Fulbright Arts Grant to research Finnish glass and design for a year in Finland. In 2020, he was chosen to serve as an Alumni Ambassador to the U.S. Student Fulbright Program; today, he continues to engage in outreach and recruitment for the Fulbright Program and Finland’s National Fulbright Foundation.His work is held in the permanent collection of the Finnish Glass Museum and the Prykäri Glass Museum in addition to private collections.

Capps has taught and exhibited extensively in the United States and Internationally. Throughout his career, he has worked with many glass artists and master craftspeople, developing a diverse practice that fluently moves between traditional techniques and experimental methods, pushing the boundaries and seeking new applications of the glass medium.

He says: “My studio practice is rooted in the multicultural traditions of the glass craft; significantly, the physical nature of glass blowing requires reliance on others to create art successfully. For me, learning and then mastering a variety of glass techniques is where the culture behind the craft comes alive.

“My work in the visual arts is rooted in the hot glass studio. My research has developed, over time, into a global practice of interdisciplinary collaboration, social engagement, and cultural exchange. I have learned that there is something in my use of the glassmaking tradition that goes beyond form and function, and enters into the realm of experience, relationships, and communication.”

Most recently, Capps competed in Season 4 of the hit Netflix seriesBlown Away.On Saturday, May 18 at the Glass Art Society convention in Berlin, Germany, Capps will demonstrate atBerlin Glassworks from 10 a.m. to 12– an opportunity he won on the show. From June 10 – 14,he willteach a summer intensive at the Pittsburgh Glass Center,Lifting the Veil,andpresent a free lecture on June 11. He will also be the featured guest artist for this year’s Gay Fad Studio’s Festival hosted at the Ohio Glass Museum.

https://www.gayfadstudios.com

Early in his career, Paul Stankard used to trade paperweights for gasoline and car servicing with John Graeber. In 1989, through his uncle John, David Graeber wound up casually visiting Stankard’s studio andweeks later was invited to come and work with him. Young Graeber started learning about glass in the deep end of the pool.Thirty-five years later, he continues to work with Stankard about a day a week.

Having mastered numerous glassmaking techniques and having developed his own working style and visual aesthetic, in 2009 Graeber started his own art glass business.One thing he shares with his mentor Stankard is a deep appreciation for and interest in imagery from the natural world. His paperweight subjects includeChysanthemum,so life-like you want to reach out and pluck them from their crystal orb.Fall Harvest,including pumpkins and blueberries in floral arrangements that celebrate their season with color and vibrancy. AndFruits of Discoverythat pays homage to the enchanting yellow lemon trees of Italy.

Graeber says:“My stories in glass have evolved over time. However, one fact, my love of nature, remains constant. Many of my creations celebrate the memory of a loved one or the joy of a special event. All capture nature’s elegance and remarkable diversity.”

In order to create paperweights that reflect nature precisely, Graeber studies his subject matter carefully. A major source of natural inspiration is the million-acre Pinelands National Reserve, which has served as a living laboratory. He is always trying to “find a new illusion,” a new way to express the transcendence he experiences in those environs. Despite his stunning and widely collected artworks, Graeber prefers to be regarded as acraftsmancontinuing the South Jersey glass tradition into the 21st century.

A life-long “Jerseyman,” Graeber honed his craft under the watchful eye of teachers, mentors, and friends including:the late George Vail, who introduced him to the world of architectural reconstruction and forensic sculpture;William “Bill” Marlin, Ed.D., a dedicated teacher and established painter;Stankard, the internationally acclaimed glass artist who encouraged him to strike out on his own;and the late Ed Poore, a renowned master cutter whose skill has enhanced several of Graeber’s paperweights.

Graeber has created both a life and a living from the magic of glass.His intricate glass paperweights and impressive flameworking techniques are on display and can be accessed through the L H Selman website as well as Graeber’s own website.He is careful to always keep in mind how much more there is to know and that you always need to be learning something new to expand your horizons as an artist. He is restless and often makes no more than a few paperweights of a particular design before he needs to explore another direction.

Two years ago, Graeber met filmmaker Dan Collins at an event, and the two decided a documentary film was needed focusing on the paperweights and artistic contributions of Stankard. Graeber took on the role of executive director and began fundraising for the project in earnest.Since January,Flower and Flamehas thrilled hundreds of viewers at packed regional venues, including the Morris Museum, Perkins Center for the Arts and Salem Community College’s International Flameworking Conference. The next showing will be at thePaperweight Collectors Association convention May 15 – 18 at the Warwick Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island.Plans for national distribution are ongoing and will be updated on thefilm’s official websiteas they develop. The film is an official selection of theG.A.S. Film Festivalin Berlin, Germany (May 16, 2024), and theJersey Shore Film Festival(June/July, 2024).

Considering art to be a vehicle for sharing and giving back, Graeberstarted a glass program five years ago at the nonprofit Perkins Center for the Crafts in Collingswood, New Jersey. There, he recently organized a showing ofFlower and Flameto raise money for veterans – a group to whom the artist is particularly interested in teaching glass. Graeberhas also given his time and energy to the nonprofit Project Fire, located on Chicago’s West Side, and helmed by glass artist Pearl Dick.

He states: “I have a passion for the simple gifts of nature: the timeless beauty of a rose, the industriousness of a small bee, or the untamed wildness of a sunflower. Working in glass allows me to explore this passion, and under the tutelage of master glass artist, Paul Stankard, I refined my passion to the art of capturing nature – frozen for eternity in a paperweight.”

More about Flower and Flame

1. Film Reviews

Andrew Page of Urban Glass:REVIEW: An exquisitely crafted film examines Paul… | UrbanGlass

Richard Pope, The Independent Critic:https://theindependentcritic.com/paulstankard

2. Upcoming Screenings |

• Many not listed here are in planning stages. The updated list is atwww.flowerandflamefilm.com/screenings
• 4/18 Levoy Theatre, Millville, NJ
• 5/16 Official Selection, GAS Film Festival, Berlin Germany
• 5/18 PCA Convention, Warwick, RI
• Late June (TBD) Official Selection, Jersey Shore Film Festival
• 7/10 Common Ground on the Hill, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD

3. How can people host a screening?

Answers to screeninginquiries and general questions can be found here at our FAQ:FAQ | Flower and Flame (flowerandflamefilm.com)

Said Blown Away Season 4 winner, Morgan Peterson, “I’m not just the creepy weirdo lurking in the background anymore. I’m right up front.” As champion of Netflix’s 2024 glassblowing competition series, the Seattle-based artist received a whopping cash prize of $100,000, a paid residency in Venice, Italy, with glass legend Adriano Berengo, and a residency at the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass. Growing up in Boston, MA, Peterson’s watched horror films and Unsolved Mysteries with her Godmother, introducing her to the unnerving and creepy style so associated with her unique work that uses metaphor and imagery to address themes of pop culture and addiction.

On Blown Away 4, from her initial bathtub-toaster combo titledBest Friendsto a knife thrower’s impeccably made knives, black and white targets, and puddles of blood to her unforgettable monster mushroom, dark humor and twisted style set Peterson’s work apart- not just from other artists on the show, but from other artists making work in glass today. Her final gallery,6 Crime Scenes, included 80 glass objects and was described by guest evaluator Berengo as “fresh, new, and very contemporary.”The crime scene installation was based on six murders that occurred in Chicago during the 1920s and inspired by the artist’s obsession with the musicalChicago.

Peterson graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a dual degree in 2006. Upon completion of her degrees, she relocated to Seattle, WA, to pursue a career and continue her education and advancement in the arts. She has worked for many notable artists including Buster Simpson and Bruce Mau, and is a full-time team member for Dale Chihuly. Heavily involved with Pratt Fine Arts and Pilchuck Glass School, she is not only a member of the staff but also an instructor.

Included in The Young Glass Exhibition, hosted by the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, which is an international competition that only occurs once a decade, Peterson has also participated in multiple group shows in 2019, including Pittsburgh Glass Center, The Habatat Invitational, CHROMA (Nashville, TN), Traver Gallery (Seattle, WA), REFRACT (Seattle’s Glass Art Fair), and the Irish Glass Biennale (Dublin also in 2023). In 2020 and 2022, the artist exhibited virtual solo shows through Habatat in Royal Oaks, MI. Her first in person solo exhibition was held at Method Gallery, Seattle, WA, in October 2021.

Since winning Blown Away 4, Peterson says she has been “very busy in the best ways possible.” Her latest work will be on view inOnce Upon a Crime In Hollywood, openingSaturday, April 13, 6 p.m. -10 p.m.at the new Nathie Katzoff Art Gallery, 8900 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood.PLEASE RSVP –[email protected]. Her Corning residency takes place April 22 – 28, and she’ll participate in a group show at Traver Gallery in Seattle this October.

Principally a sculptor who employs cast glass and drawing as primary methodologies, Clifford Rainey creates work that is interdisciplinary, incorporating a wide spectrum of materials and processes.A passionate traveler, his work is full of references to the things he has seen and experienced. Celtic mythologies, classical Greek architecture, the blue of the Turkish Aegean, globalization and the iconic American Coca-Cola bottle, the red of the African earth, and the human figure combine with cultural diversity to provide sculptural imagery charged with emotion.

A British artist whose work has been exhibited internationally for 50 years,Raineywas born in Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, in 1948.He began his career as a linen damask designer and worked in William Ewarts linen manufacturers from 1965 to 1968. Later, the artist studied at Hornsey College of Art, the Walthamstow School of Art, where he specialized in bronze casting, and the Royal College of Art, where he received his MA and specialized in glass.Between 1973 and 1975, Rainey ran his own glass studio in London and won a commission for a small sculpture to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.In 1984, the artist moved to New York and established additional studios there.

Rainey’s sculptural work has been exhibited internationally including: The Ulster Museum in Northern Ireland, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Kunstmuseum in Dusseldorf, Germany, The Millennium Museum in Beijing, China, and the Museo de Arts Contemporaneo in Monterrey, Mexico.His work is in the permanent collections of numerous museums including: The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland, The DeYoung Museum, San Francisco, California, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Museum of Art and Design, New York, The Fine Arts Museum of Boston, and The Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Canada.Rainey has realized a number of public art commissions including: The Lime Street Railway Station in Liverpool, England, the Jeddah Monument in Saudi Arabia, and the 911 Communication Center in San Francisco. He is a recipient of the Virginia A. Groot Foundation Award, Chicago, and the 2009 UrbanGlass Outstanding Achievement Award, New York.

Balancing his commitment to studio practice with his desire to share knowledge, Rainey has lectured extensively around the world. He lectured at The Royal College of Art in London for seven years and was a Professor of Fine Art and Chair of the Glass Program at The California College of the Arts from 1991 through 2022.

On October 8, 2017 at 10:30 p.m., Rainey and his partner, Rachel Riser, were awakened by a neighbor’s frantic telephone call warning them that a wind-driven wildfire had kicked up and was blazing toward their shared Napa, California, residence. They needed to get out immediately.Far more devastating than the destruction of his home and studio was the complete loss of all the artwork on the property — not only two year’s worth of work for an upcoming exhibition, but the artist’s archive of drawings of every project he’d ever done, as well as a collection of his strongest work he was planning to donate to a museum.

Rainey still resides in Napa, California, and in March 2024 took time away from rebuilding his studio to participate in an artist residency at the Museum of Glass, Tacoma. There, he advanced ideas and processes originally seen in works he lost to fire.

Enjoy this stained glass panel discussion with top industry professionals and educators Judith Schaechter, Stephen Hartley, Megan McElfresh, and Amy Valuck. Topics addressed include: what is needed in stained glass education; how the massive number of Instagrammers making suncatchers and trinkets affect stained glass;how to promote stained glass in a gallery setting; andhow to stay relevant as stained glass artists.

The panelists:

By single-handedly revolutionizing the craft of stained glass through her unique aesthetic and inventive approach to materials,Judith Schaechterchampioned her medium into the world of fine art. The content of her work – some of which gives voice to those who experience pain, grief, despair, and hopelessness – resonates with viewers, leaving a profound and lasting impression.

Schaechter has lived and worked in Philadelphia since graduating in 1983 with a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design Glass Program. She has exhibited her glass art widely, including in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, The Hague and Vaxjo, Sweden. She is the recipient of many grants, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in Crafts, The Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, The Joan Mitchell Award, two Pennsylvania Council on the Arts awards, The Pew Fellowship in the Arts and a Leeway Foundation grant. Her work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Hermitage in Russia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Corning Museum of Glass, The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution and numerous other public and private collections. Schaechter’s work was included in the 2002 Whitney Biennial, a collateral exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2012, and she is a 2008 USA Artists Rockefeller Fellow. In 2013 the artist was inducted to the American Craft Council College of Fellows. The Glass Art Society presented Schaechter with a Lifetime Achievement award in 2023, and this year she will receive the Smithsonian Visionary Award.

Schaechter has taught workshops at numerous venues, including the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, the Penland School of Crafts, Toyama Institute of Glass (Toyama, Japan), Australia National University in Canberra, Australia. She has taught courses at Rhode Island School of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy, and the New York Academy of Art. She is ranked as an Adjunct Professor at The University of the Arts and Tyler School of Art Glass Program, both in Philly .

Born in Philadelphia,Stephen Hartleybegan his craft career working on a variety of historic buildings and monuments throughout the region. In 1999, he moved to South Carolina to attend Coastal Carolina University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in History. He then relocated to Savannah, Georgia, and continued to work in the traditional crafts and conservation fields while attending graduate school. After completing his MFA in Historic Preservation at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Hartley was employed as an instructor at various colleges within the Savannah area.He earned his PhD from the University of York in 2018 where his dissertation thesis studied the historical and modern frameworks of trades training in the US and the UK.

Hartley eventually returned to the Philadelphia area and accepted the position of Head of Building Arts at Bryn Athyn College, where he formulated the first Bachelor’s of Fine Arts (BFA) in traditional building within the United States. Hartley, currently an associate professor in Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, wants his students to have a deeper appreciation for the work craftspeople do to fulfill an architect’s vision—by learning the vocabulary of the trades, understanding their history, and, when possible, trying out the tools.

Executive Director of the Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA),Megan McElfreshhas dedicated her professional life to community service and the art and science of stained glass. With a background in fine arts and operations management, she joined the Association as a professional member in 2015 and became the Executive Director in the fall of 2017. Growing up in small stained glass studios, McElfresh continued to build on her technical skills in the medium by seeking mentorship opportunities throughout college. Some of the highlights of her glass studies were traveling to Pilchuck Glass School and time spent at the nationally recognized kiln forming resource center, Vitrum Studio.

Prior to working with the SGAA, McElfresh worked in a variety of roles from operations management at a life sciences firm in Washington, D.C. to IT and web support for small non-profit art organizations.In 2011, McElfresh moved from Northern Virginia to Buffalo, New York, and founded her studio, McElf GlassWorks. With a passion for her professional career as well as her new community, she never turned down an opportunity to collaborate with neighborhood teens and local programs to provide enthusiastic and creative educational enrichment. In her personal work, McElfresh uses her artwork in the advocacy of issues she became passionate about during her time working at a forensics laboratory concerning subjects like domestic violence and rape, and DNA backlogs. Her studio work has been featured in theStained Glass Quarterly, Design NY, The Buffalo News,andBuffalo Rising.

Find out more about the SGAA’s 2024 conference here:

Conference 2024: Sand to Sash | The Stained Glass Association of America

Amy Valuckis a stained glass artist and conservator based in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and the current president of the American Glass Guild. She began her apprenticeship in 1998 at The Art of Glass in Media, PA, and in 2014 went on to establish her own studio, Amy Valuck Glass Art, now located in West Chester, PA. Her studio’s primary work is the restoration and conservation of historical windows from churches, universities, and private residences. As a conservator she specializes in complex lead work, plated windows, and replication painting. Valuck also maintains a personal art practice, producing autonomous stained glass panels for private commissions and public exhibition, including the AGG’s American Glass Now annual exhibit. Her personal work is heavily influenced by the fabrication and painting techniques of historical windows but frequently includes experimental fused glass elements.

Valuck is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, who earned herBFA degree in jewelry and light metals.Her work in jewelry earned awards including the first annual Cartier Prize, and the MJSA (Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths’ Association) Award.She has served on the board of directors of the American Glass Guild since 2017 and has participated as a lecturer and instructor at several of the AGG’s annual conferences.Registration is now open for the 2024 Grand Rapids conference, July 9 – 14.

Find out more about the AGG’s 2024 conference here:

https://www.americanglassguild.org/events/agg-2024-conference-grand-rapids-mi

For further exploration of panel discussion topics:

The Campaign for Historic Trades Releases First-of-its-Kind Labor Study on the Status of Historic Trades in America – The Campaign for Historic Trades

Kazuki Takizawa’s 2015 installation entitledBreaking the Silencerepresents the artist’s interpretation of a person’s breaking point and the juxtaposition of balancing inner struggles with oppressive external forces. The installation incorporated performance aspects and sound, where slanted vessels filled with water until submitting to the liquid’s weight, falling over onto a table. Takizawa’s work provided a new perspective for interacting with glass, going beyond form and technique to provoke a deeper level of engagement.

Impressed by how humble and open Takizawa was when discussing the deeply personal experiences reflected within his art, Emily Zaiden, director and curator at Craft In America Center, Los Angeles, offered the artist a solo exhibition. She states: “I was drawn in by Takizawa’s metaphorical use of the material to articulate new themes through new forms and new applications. He is dealing with subject matter that has been untouched and under-represented, particularly in his medium, and sharing this vital message through compelling sculptural works of beauty is perfectly in line with our mission.”

For Takizawa’s 2017 Craft in America exhibition,Catharsis Contained,the artist designed and fabricated another unique installation, creating an aural experience produced by suspending colored glass bulbs enclosed in a swaying metal structure. The rocking motion of the work, entitledBreaking the Silence II,caused the blown bulbs to gently bump into one another, producing a soothing, tinkling sound inspired by the artist’s visit to a temple in Thailand. Takizawa combined a sonic atmosphere with the rich visual experience of repeated glass forms in various subdued hues to inspire a conversation about a topic rarely addressed in art – suicide. The work was inspired by the artist’s struggles to support his brother who has wrestled with mental health issues and suicidal ideation.

https://www.kazukitakizawa.com/breaking-the-silence-2?pgid=j6vrle9h-71bf472c-84df-4a19-b456-59e74a495e43

As an artist who himself lives with bipolar disorder, Takizawa uses glass as a means to explore his inner reality and destigmatize mental illness. Withan aim to give the invisible shape, Takizawa craftselaborate vesselsandinstallations, each with a unique story. Universally rooted in a dialogue around mental health, his series examines broad themes such as attainingminimalismamong chaos as well as his personal narratives around the topic of living withBipolar Disorderandsuicide prevention. Takizawa has traveled to numerous communities in and outside the US to share his work and act as an advocate for mental illness. His practice offers an uncommon and inclusive space to increase awareness and start a conversation.

Takizawa is a Japanese glass artist based in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BFA in glass art in 2010 and owns and runsKT Glassworks, LLCin the historic West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Takizawa’s work was exhibited inMonochromatic, which opened at Duncan McClellan Gallery (DMG) in St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 10 and included his latestMinimalistseries. A few pieces from hisContainerseries can be seen at Hawk Galleries, Columbus, Ohio, and additionalsculptures are on view inan exhibition calledThe Optics of Now: SoCal GlassatPalos Verdes Art Center, curated by Zaiden fromCraft in America Center. The show runs through April 13, 2024. From November 1 through December 25, Takizawa’s work will be exhibited at theGlass Invitationalexhibition at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina.In 2024, the artist endeavors to offer more artist talks with a focus on his perspective on mental health.

Says Takizawa: “I started speaking about mental health including my experience living with bipolar disorder and suicide prevention back in 2015, wondering if I would ever regret this decision. But the entire journey since then has been nothing but empowering, and I don’t regret this at all. I just wanted to be someone who could freely speak about things related to mental health without the stigma. And I felt the need to do something about helping someone who had suicidal ideation at the time. Since then, I have continued to make new work to support my story and to continue speaking.”

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

We can all help prevent suicide. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. Just dial 988.

Jessica Loughlin’s work is characterized by a strict reductive sensibility and restricted use of color. Fusing kiln formed sheets of opaque and translucent glass together in flat panels or in thin, geometric compositions and vessels, she alludes to shadow, reflection and refraction. Loughlin’s work is influenced by the flat landscapes and salt lakes of South Australia, and the recurring motif of the mirage appears in much of her work. Each piece makes its own poetic statement.

“My work investigates space, seeing distance and understanding how wide-open spaces, particularly of the Australian landscape, affect us. I am fascinated by the unreachable space. The view we look upon, but can never reach. In this minimal landscape, all elements are stripped back, light becomes the landscape,and I am left looking at space, the space between here.…and there. This viewed distance is a place we can never reach, never get to, for as we move towards it, it moves away from you. Is this a real place or is ita projected space of the imagination. My work does not aim to represent this landscape directly but rather induce a state of looking inward and outward simultaneously.”

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Loughlin is a graduate of the Canberra School of Art under the tutelage of late Stephen Procter. Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Corning Museum of Glass, the National Gallery of Australia, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh GB, and the Musee de Design et d’Arts Appliques Contemporains in Lausanne, Switzerland. A studio artist for over 20 years, Loughlin has exhibited both nationally and internationally. In 2020, she was only the second Australian to have work selected as a finalist in the Loewe Craft Prize. In 2018, she was awarded the Fuse Glass Prize, and in 2004 and 2007, the Tom Malone Art Prize. She is represented by Sabbia Gallery, Sydney, Australia, and Caterina Tognon, Venice, Italy.

A committed and passionate artist who is highly regarded both in Australia and internationally, Loughlin combines her thoughtful and instinctual approach with extraordinary technical skills. With a gentle color palette of soft muted hues, her work often explores ideas of evaporation, space and distance, all inherent in the Australian landscape.

Loughlin’s work was on view in late 2023 in a solo exhibitionnear | farat Sabbia Gallery, Sydney, and her pieceof light is on national tour as part of the Jamfactory Icon series, accompanied by a monograph of her artJessica Loughlin:from herepublished by Wakefield Press.In 2024, Loughlin was selected for and will participate in theAdelaide Biennial of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia,March 29 through June 2.

Apollo 8, which launched onDecember 21, 1968, was the first mission to take humans to the moon and back. While the crew did not land on the moon’s surface, the flight was an important prelude to a lunar landing, testing the flight trajectory and operations getting there and back. Capt. JamesA Lovell, Apollo 8 astronaut, shared his memories of that historic mission: “Then, looking up I saw it, the Earth, a blue and white ball, just above the lunar horizon, 240,000 miles away…I put my thumb up to the window and completely hid the Earth. Just think, over five billion people, everything I ever knew was behind my thumb…I began to question my own existence. How do I fit in to what I see?”

Inspired by this wonderment and interest in perspective, glass artist Josh Simpson embarked on his own exploration of the cosmos. Born on August 17, 1949 and educated at Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York (1972), much of Simpson’s career in glass has been dedicated to communicating his fascination with the earth and its role as our planet, first through entertaining demonstrations for middle schoolers, then with art lovers worldwide. He has enthusiastically shared his glass art in much the same way the astronauts shared their experiences – with any man, woman or child whose heart fills with excitement just thinking of the possibilities.

Since the 1980s, Simpson has been hiding his glass Planets all over our Earth. In 2000 he launched the Infinity Project, which invites people around the world to hide Planets in exotic, mysterious, and sometimes even seemingly mundane – but personally meaningful – locations.

Simpson’s space-inspired glass art includes Planets, vases, platters, and sculpture. The artist has dedicated more than 50 years to inventing new glass formulas and making unique objects that embody his fascination with color, form, light, pattern, complexity, and the working of the universe. His iconic Planets evoke imaginary worlds that might exist in distant undiscovered galaxies. His New Mexico Glass suggests star-filled night skies and swirling blue seas, while Corona Glass evokes deep-space images captured by the Hubble Telescope.

Simpson’s work has been exhibited in the White House and numerous international museums. Select pieces are currently on permanent display at the Corning Museum of Glass, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum, Yale University Art Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and many more.

Says Simpson: “I am moved by the beauty of the night sky and other astronomical phenomena. Physics and cosmology fascinate me, as does high temperature chemistry, powered flight, and all things mechanical. I am mesmerized by color, form, contrast, iridescence, tessellating patterns, and complexity.”

Located in the rural hills of Western Massachusetts, Simpson’s studio can be found in a converted dairy barn beside his home. Every night, the last thing he does is walk from the house to his studio to check the furnaces. Seeing an aurora borealis, watching a storm develop down the valley, or looking at the sky on a perfect summer night, compels him to translate some of the wonder of the universe into his glass. This process doesn’t happen in any planned way, but gradually and unpredictably. He never tries to replicate what he sees around him, and in fact often doesn’t recognize the source of inspiration until someone points it out later.

Simpson states: “Molten glass consists of sand and metallic oxides combined with extraordinary, blinding heat. The result is a material that flows like honey. When it’s hot, glass is alive! It moves gracefully and inexorably in response to gravity and centripetal force. It possesses an inner light and transcendent radiant heat that make it simultaneously one of the most rewarding and one of the most frustrating materials for an artist to work with. Most of my work reflects a compromise between the molten material and me; each finished piece is a solidified moment when we both agree.”

In his most recent book, Josh Simpson 50 Years of Visionary Glass, 500 beautiful photos and informative (and humorous) narration by the artist, reveals the evolution of Simpson’s evocative glass art over the past 50 years. In-depth looks at his several signature series and experimental works illustrate how the artist has continually explored new ways to express—in glass—his fascination with outer space, the natural world, and the workings of the universe. Text and photo spreads narrate the story of Simpson’s glass, details of his life and process, and his contributions within the craft world. Text by experts in the glass world, including William Warmus, Tina Oldknow, Nezka Pfeifer, and others, supplies additional views. In addition, strategically placed comments from numerous museum curators, along with insights from astrophysicists and space flight professionals, present a unique perspective on the meanings and broad appeal of his unique glass.

From playing the spoons, to winning story slams and flying high performance planes to the wrong number that resulted in him marrying astronaut Cady Coleman – enjoy this fascinating conversation with Josh Simpson.

Wesley Fleming brings the fantastic realism of the microcosmos to life in glass. An ambassador for smaller denizens of the earth, his passion for nature sparks awe and curiosity in others. Growing up in the countryside, his favorite pastime was exploring beneath logs and rocks in the woods or reading science fiction and comic books. Hence the natural world and his own imagination became his muse.

Says Fleming: “I hope to rekindle awe and curiosity for nature with my fantastic realism. I’ve focused more than two decades honing my flameworking skills and trying to capture the essence of actual species with intricate detail of tiny stamen or antennae. Today, I conjure plants, animals and mystical beings by merging the fantastical with the real through choice of color palette and referencing familiar archetypes. Regardless of the end result, Ilovethe alchemical potential of sculpting glass – a brittle and cold substance transformed by fire into a pliable and molten material.”

In 2001, Fleming began working with glass, learning via apprenticeship under the tutelage of Italian maestros Vittorio Costantini and Lucio Bubacco in Venice, Italy. He subsequently gained valuable experience working for Josh Simpson and the MIT Glass Lab. His work has been included in numerous publications, exhibited around the United States and included in the permanent collections of the Corning Museum of Glass, Kobe Lampwork Museum, Tacoma Museum of Glass and Racine Art Museum.

Recently, Fleming was commissioned by Wes Anderson to make glass flowers, which wereanimated by a studio in London for his 2023 movieAsteroid City. Along with his wife, Rebecca, the artist demonstrated his techniques at Denizli Glass Bienali in Denizli, Turkey, where she played her composed pieces on the cello while Fleming worked at the torch. In March 2020, his first solo museum exhibit was scheduled to open at Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in Brattleboro, Vermont. Sadly, opening day the museum was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

Says Fleming: “Insects have been my main focus for many years, but recently I have been very inspired by the Blaschka Glass Flowers at Harvard and have been working on developing my plants and flowers. This was what was so exciting for me about the Brattleboro exhibit – that I was given trust and free rein to make my new passion and to focus on local wildflowers, which I see on the regular hikes I do around my home.”

In 2024, Fleming will co-teach “Bugs, Figures, Plants, & Beyond” with Emilio Santiniat Penland School of Crafts, April 28 – May 3. He will also co-teach “Collaborative Soft Glass Sculpture” with MichaelMangiaficoat Touchstone Center for Crafts, August 5 -9 .

Physically and metaphorically Robin and Julia Rogers put their minds, hearts and hands together to create sculptural works in glass – their chosen material because of its inherent qualities of luminosity, viscosity, and seductive flow. Their inspiration is drawn from the natural world, personal experience, family life, music, psychology, and science.

Robin and Julia state: “Complex and mystifying, the human mind drives us, but the subtle inner workings remain, to certain extent, unknown.Delving into the psyche, our work explores the human mind to reveal a metaphorical interior of ideas, emotions, and mystery. Floating in the vast sea of our own thought we are alone.This solitude, both deeply haunting and beautiful, is ours to contemplate, conquer, and call our own. Our minds never stop imagining the possibilities of what can be explored, discovered, shared, and executed.”

In their series,Architecture of the Mind, heads are turned into buildings whose history and occupancy is contemplated.Each building has its own unique story, a background different from the one living next door.Community is formed, despite the differences, allowing life to thrive in this modern, fast-paced world. Thoughts from day-to-day life, memories, or even multiple personalities are reflected in these works.

Animaliais also a driving and important theme in the narrative of the Rogers’ work. Since the advent of human expression, animals have been ever present. The artists feel that animals have a certain wisdom and intuition that brings alignment with the natural world. There is something to be learned from the animal spirit; especially in today’s fast paced digital life where it is easy to forget that we, ourselves, are inseparable from nature.

Human Hybrids (Bioengineered) is a series of anthropomorphic humans, where animal and human DNA have been melded together. Imagine the possibilities of a not- so-distant future, where rapid breakthroughs in genetic research, advances in molecular biology, and new reproductive technologies, allow scientists to manipulate human DNA at the gene level to cure inheritable diseases. In this plausible future, parents can choose which of their own genes to share with their children and which to omit. One can even imagine how animal genes could be introduced to give heightened senses and new abilities to these superhuman species.

Discovering how to translate their ideas into glass can be both challenging and rewarding. After scale drawings are made, Robin and Julia decide who will make which parts of the sculpture and hot work begins. Once all the parts are made, they work with a skilled team of assistants for the final assembly. The finished glass is often combined with other materials such as fur, wood, and steel to complete the sculpture.

Currently, Robin and Julia both work at the Chrysler Museum of Art, where Robin is the Glass Studio Program Director and Julia is the Higher Education and Outreach Coordinator.They met in a small hot glass studio in Western Montana in 2001 at a glass shop called Cloud Cap Glass. As their friendship grew, their glass practices began to overlap. They both became part owners of the studio and worked together, operating the small business and creating glass works.

In pursuit of Master of Fine Art degrees, the couple decided to leave their beloved Montana in 2005. They re-envisioned their glass studio and created a trailer-mounted portable shop. With their tools, dogs and one-year-old son, they set out for Southern Illinois. Following professional opportunities, the glassy family has lived in Carbondale, Illinois; Bowling Green, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; and Norfolk, Virginia.

In 2010, after nearly 10 years of working together and assisting with each other’s work, the duo decided to start creating artwork collaboratively. In these bodies of work, every step of the process, from conception to installing, is completed by both artists. This method of working has led to the creation of artwork that Julia and Robin are excited to make and proud to exhibit. Through the synergy of this collaboration, the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts.

The couple iscurrently working on new pieces to be shown in the Habatat International Exhibition in April 2024 at Habatat Gallery in Michigan. They are also starting a collaboration with Fabiano Zanchi, teaching at UrbanGlass in June, and will be the featured artists at the International Glass Symposium in Novy Bor, Czechia in October. Additionally, the studio atthe Chrysler Museum of Art,where they make most of their work, is currently tripling in size. Phase 1 of the project ends in May 2024 and phase 2 will be completed by the end of 2024.