2008 International Flameworking Conference
Friday, March 28 - Sunday, March 30
Conference Artists and Presenters
Conference Presenters | Preconference Program Presenters
Carmen Lozar, Featured Artist
Sweet Sleep by Carmen Lozar, 2006. 3.25” h x 5” w x 4” d.
Girl Honey by Carmen Lozar, 2005. 7” h x 3.5” w x 4” d.
Menagerie by Carmen Lozar, 2006. Largest animal: 3.25” h x 5.25” w x 5” d.
Reliquary for My Everyday III by Carmen Lozar, 2007. 11.5” h x 8” circle diameter.
Carmen Lozar’s work includes diminutive celebrations of the everyday, small pieces that venerate daily life. Taking a hot bath, sleeping alongside a loved one, eating voraciously out of a garden -- there is nothing particularly unusual about any of these events, yet the documentation of small, pleasurable occurrences serves to provide stable ground in an often pessimistic and jaded world. An icon that reveres the taste of last year’s sun-ripened tomatoes also serves to remind us of the potential of future summers. These accounts often present improbable interactions with nature, appearing innocuous or even charming; they are full of the faith which accompanies hopeful idealism.
The pieces are created through the process of flameworking. Using a torch, Carmen manipulates hollow tubing and solid rods of glass to construct figures and objects that are then sandblasted and oil painted. The pieces may lose some of their “glassy” qualities, but for the artist, the most important attributes of the material remain: a sense of movement retained from the molten stage and a sense of fragility. Flameworking lends itself to the creation of delicate and intimate portraits, which, in turn, highlight the overall intention of the work.
Born in Illinois in 1975, Carmen uses glass as a means of manifesting emotional perception in a physical form. During her undergraduate career at the University of Illinois, she interned at Bullseye Glass Factory in Portland, Ore. and attended the Pilchuck Glass School as a Saxe Award recipient. After completing her B.F.A., she ventured to China, Indonesia, Thailand and India to explore Eastern traditional art. Upon her return, she moved to the Southwest and opened a casting and flameworking facility in Tucson, Ariz.
In October 2000, Carmen accepted a residency from The Corning Museum of Glass and went on to earn an M.F.A. from Alfred University in 2003. She shows regularly across the country and was a demonstrator at the International Flameworking Conference in 2005 as well as the Glass Art Society Conference in St. Louis. She resides in Bloomington-Normal where she is a faculty member at Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University.
Suellen Fowler
Owl in a Tree by Suellen Fowler, 2002. 8.75" tall. Photo by George Post.
Suellen Fowler has blown and sculpted glass for over 35 years. She is the foremost practitioner of a method of flameworking developed by the late John Burton, characterized by working off the end of a glass blowpipe, building successive layers of clear and colored glass, and forming the result into a finished vessel.
Fowler considers herself primarily a colorist, and has devoted much time and energy to developing and refining various oxide formulas to color borosilicate glass. She has an instantly recognizable style of working intricate patterns onto the surface of her blown bottles using her exquisite palette of colored cane, every piece of which she mixes and hand pulls herself.
Suellen’s work stands out because of her unique palette of hand-mixed colors, the absolute precision of her skills and her uncompromising aesthetic quality.
Eric Goldschmidt
Autumn Evening Cage Cup by Eric Goldschmidt, 2007. 14" x 8".
While Eric Goldschmidt worked as a candle maker, his interest in molten media was born in 1993. After three years of working with wax, flameworking found him. In 1996, Eric’s roommate set up a torch in their garage and Eric became captivated by the processes and results of flameworking. Throughout the past 12 years, he has devoted his efforts to practicing and developing the techniques of several well-known glass instructors, while studying and assisting with many of the world’s most talented glass artists. These experiences have given him a vast skill set from which to draw. He combines this wealth of knowledge with his own interests in holistic living, nature, delicate forms, and intricate color applications, to create his work.
Eric held the position of resident flameworker at The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass for six years, where he was able to share his knowledge and passion for glass with thousands of students and museum visitors. He now works with Arribas Brothers Co., where he designs, develops and produces works at Walt Disney World. Eric’s primary focus will always be the expression of his own voice through his favorite medium of glass. He continues to exhibit his work and teach in the United States and abroad.
Milissa Montini
Silvery Moon by Milissa Montini, 2005. 8" diameter x 1.5" deep.
Milissa Montini earned a B.F.A. in ceramics and glass from Penn State University. For the past 29 years, she has developed her skills in glass by taking classes, as well as teaching different methods of glass working, from stained glass to flameworking, kiln forming, murrini, cold working and engraving. Her work in contemporary glass art is based on exploring form and color in glass, with the interaction of light. She strives to create timeless designs, reminiscent of an ancient allure.
Through the love of murrini and the desire to make larger work, Milissa developed her own process, combining techniques to create unique pieces of glass. Her murrini work reflects a fascination with specific subject matter selected from personal encounters that have shaped her work and life. The patterns are abstracted designs found in nature.
Her work has been exhibited extensively worldwide. It is in many prestigious private and public collections, including The Corning Museum of Glass and El Museo del Vidrio, La Granja, Spain.
Margaret Neher
Invitation to Eden by Margaret Neher, 2007. 26" x 18" x 7".
Flameworker Margaret Neher began working with glass in 1984, and since 1991 has dedicated her work to expressions of her lifelong fascination with the art found in nature. An eight-time NICHE Award finalist and two-time winner, she is best known for her finely detailed orchids and botanicals, which are sold in shops and galleries throughout the country. Margaret’s work has been featured in numerous books and magazines, and on a 2005 episode of the “Carol Duvall Show” on HGTV. She holds a bachelor of applied music degree in vocal performance from Ithaca College, and has taught flameworking classes at The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass, and Glass Craft, in Colorado. She lives and works in Ithaca, N.Y.
Ariel Rom
Ariel Rom is a scientific glassblower with a passion for the arts as well. His glassblowing career began on his 22nd birthday at Salem Community College from which he graduated in 2007. After a year of school and production experience, he began working at H.S. Martin, which specializes in custom distillation systems. He has incorporated glass apparatus into his beer brewing system as well as his music. You may encounter Ari’s Glassblowing Safari at one of the local music festivals in New Jersey.
Milon Townsend
Tawny Dragon (horizontal detail) by Milon Townsend, 2007. 8" x 6" x 6".
Milon Townsend, an artist working in glass for over 35 years, has created and designed a vast body of work, from production pieces to one-of-a-kind sculptures. His training in classical music was instrumental in his tendency to create objects with form, balance and harmony. Milon is the author of seven books, a board member of the Arts Business Institute, and a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars around the world. He teaches regularly at The Corning Museum of Glass, and is a staff writer for five magazines in the fields of glass technique, art thought and the marketing of artwork.
A former member of the Salmagundi Club in New York City, Milon is a member of the Glass Art Society, the International Society of Glass Beadmakers and the National Sculpture Society.
Dr. Burton Wasserman
After 44 years of service, Burton Wasserman retired as professor of art at Rowan University in 2004. Author of five books and hundreds of magazine articles about artists and their work, he regularly contributes monthly columns of criticism and commentary to Prime Time Arts and Entertainment and the journal devoted to the art scene of the greater Delaware Valley, Art Matters.
In the gallery and exhibition world, Burt has long been committed to the pursuit of his own creative efforts. In this regard, he has participated in many regional and national exhibitions where his artwork has earned an assortment of honors and awards. In addition, he has held more than 40 solo shows. To date, his paintings, relief constructions and original graphic prints are numbered among the holdings of 35 museum and other institutional settings in the United States and abroad.
Burt earned a bachelor of art with honors in art from Brooklyn College (of the City University of New York). In addition, he holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in art education from Teachers College at Columbia University.
Lewis C. Wilson
Nautilus Woman by Lewis C. Wilson, 2007. 10" long.
Lewis C. Wilson began his career in glass in 1973. He borrowed an old book on scientific glassblowing from a library and taught himself how to make small glass figurines by using the Bunsen burners in a medical lab. He later approached the Arribas Brothers who hold the concessions for the glassblowing at Walt Disney World, and worked for them for three months under a transition program from the Air Force.
Lewis is the founder of his own glass business, Crystal Myths, which has produced artwork that the state of New Mexico has presented to King Juan Carlos of Spain, President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. Lewis’ business has also produced more than 20 videos on glassworking. Crystal Myths promoted its first show, The Best Bead Show, in Tucson, Ariz. in 1996. This was the same year that Robert Lui, an editor from Ornament magazine, called Lewis the “P.T. Barnum of beadmakers.” In a later issue, the editor dubbed him the “Impresario of Beads.”
In 2002, Lewis promoted the Albuquerque Flame-Off, the world’s largest hot-glass competition. Three hundred glassworkers from the U.S. and Canada attended the two-day event. In 2005, Lewis demonstrated at Japan’s Kobe International Lampworking Festival. He taught himself Japanese and only spoke that language during the demo. One of the highlights in Lewis’ career was the dedication of a building named in his honor at Art Glass Invitational in September 2005. A founding member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, Lewis belongs to the Glass Art Society and the Paperweight Collectors Association.
Paul J. Stankard, Conference Chair
A pioneer in the studio-glass movement, Paul Stankard’s career has spanned more than four decades. He has established an international reputation for interpreting nature in glass with his floral art. Paul maintains an active career in the studio, while teaching at institutions like the Penland School of Crafts, The Studio at The Corning Museum of Glass, Urban Glass and Salem Community College. He has been active in promoting flameworking throughout his career.
Paul recently authored his autobiography, No Green Berries or Leaves: The Creative Journey of an Artist in Glass (McDonald & Woodward, 2007). Born in North Attleboro, Mass., in 1943, he and his wife, Pat, now live in Mantua, N.J. They have five children and six grandchildren. In addition to continuing his own work, Paul is mentoring the efforts of his children and glass artist David Graeber as the next generation by establishing Stankard Studio.
His work is represented in more than 40 museums worldwide, including the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.; the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris; the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art in Sapporo, Japan; the Tittot Glass Art Museum in Taipei, Taiwan; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; The Corning Museum of Glass; and the Museum of American Glass at WheatonArts in Millville, N.J.
Paul was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Craft Council in 2000. He has received an Artist as Hero Award from the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia; a Lifetime of Innovative Achievements in Art Award from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass in Chicago; and an Urban Glass Award for Innovation in a Glassworking Technique from Urban Glass in New York City. He has received honorary doctorates from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, and Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J.