SCC’s Stankard featured in book on history of prominent American artists
Salem Community College Distinguished Alumnus Paul J. Stankard, who has established an international reputation for interpreting nature in glass with his floral art, is among twenty 19th and 20th century American glass artists featured in Makers: A History of American Studio Craft.
Co-authored by Janet Koplos and Bruce Metcalf, the college textbook is the first comprehensive survey of modern craft -- objects in fiber, clay, glass, wood and metal -- in the United States, according to publisher University of North Carolina Press. Makers follows the development of American studio craft from its roots in 19th-century reform movements to the rich diversity of expression at the end of the 20th century. Featuring more than 400 photographs, the book is a project of The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design at the University of North Carolina Ashville.
Metcalf, who has spoken at Salem Community College several times, is a studio jeweler and writer based in Philadelphia. He has taught at Kent State University and the University of the Arts and has exhibited his jewelry, sculpture and drawings internationally. Koplos is a longtime writer and editor for Art in America magazine who recently served as guest editor of American Craft magazine. She is the author of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture and other books.
Being featured in Makers is "one of the most touching professional credits that I’ve received," said Stankard, a Mantua resident. “The book will be an indispensable resource for students, educators, craftspeople, collectors and curators.”
Stankard, SCC's artist in residence, will teach two courses this fall at the Samuel H. Jones Glass Education Center in Alloway: Introduction to Flameworking and Sculptural Approaches to Flameworked Glass. The latter course guides second-year students in their creative journey to make their work personal, according to Stankard.
Assistant Professor of Glass Art Rika Hawes said that Stankard’s instruction offers SCC students a special opportunity to learn from a pioneer in the studio-glass movement. "Paul's unique style of mentorship and instruction is warm, inviting and an inspiration to students,” she said. “He shares stories about his life, stories that outline the parallels between Paul's beginnings in glass and their own."
“The Glass Education Center is wonderfully rewarding,” said Stankard. “It is creatively stimulating to be around such talented educators and students in a truly world-class facility.”
Last year, Stankard and his wife established the Paul and Patricia Stankard Contemporary Glass Art Collection at the Glass Education Center through a donation consisting of works by 30 nationally and internationally respected artists working in glass.
Stankard chairs the International Flameworking Conference (IFC), sponsored annually by the SCC Foundation. The IFC marked its 10th anniversary in March.
SCC’s glass programs attract students from throughout the region and across the nation. For admissions information, visit www.salemcc.edu or call (856) 351-2703.
Photo by Carol Bates