Voices in Studio Glass History

Voices in Studio Glass History: Art and Craft, Maker and Place, and the Critical Writings and Photography of Paul Hollister rethinks and reinterprets the history of postwar American studio glass. This project builds upon the work of critic and historian Paul Hollister, who published over eighty essays and reviews in the field. Concurrently, he recorded candid interviews with artists and photographed them at work. Both an exhibition and an archive, Voices in Studio Glass History unites these materials for the first time, including unseen images, recently transcribed interviews, and a fully annotated bibliography with linked and downloadable articles. Extensive original research informs this reinterpretation of what became known as the studio glass movement, grounded in unprecedented opportunities to create work outside of factory settings from the 1960s onwards. In new interviews, over fifty artists, curators, critics, historians, and gallerists reflect upon the movement’s past and discuss its future. What emerges are themes of experimentation, shared knowledge, community building, international exchange, critical debate, the impact of museums and galleries, and fluidities among the categories of art, craft, and design. Co-created at Bard Graduate Center by Associate Professor Catherine Whalen; Barb Elam, Digital Collections Metadata Librarian; and Jesse Merandy, Director of Digital Humanities/Exhibitions.