I became fascinated by glass in my early teens. My mother was then doing her creative work in stained glass, and I watched as she cut and assembled intricate panels to go in homes and public installations in central Iowa. My interest truly grew, however, when I discovered that I could learn to gather hot glass and create simple forms as a recreational glassblower at the Materials Science & Engineering Department at Iowa State University. At their simple furnace, I first learned how to handle the tools of a blower. Then, in 1994, I had an opportunity to take a short course at Corning's Studio Access to Glass and was hooked. I took a second glass course at the Corning Glass Studio in 1996, with Eddie Bernard and Pamina Traylor.
Life took many interesting turns in the next decade, but glass was always in my mind. I worked part-time at Touchstone Glass while attending Winona State University and then, following graduation in 2006, became a full-time member of the studio.
I am intrigued by botanical forms, by the incredible variety of colors, shapes, and textures in plant life. As I have begun creating my own designs for vacuum-encased paperweights, therefore, I have turned to flowers and fruit for inspiration. My still-life assemblages, captured in clear glass, are an attempt to express both the intricate details of plant structure and the simple beauty of outward form.
| Study in Glass | Also |
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Studio Access to Glass, Corning NY (1994) Corning Glass Studio, Corning NY (1996) Private study - Chris Buzzini (2008) |
B.S., Winona State University (2006) in Professional Studies (English and Psychology) |
| Recent Shows | |
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"Worlds Within" Corning Museum of Glass 2006-07 "One of a Kind:18th Anniversary Show" Kittrell/Riffkind Gallery, Dallas TX 2008 "Big Ideas/Small Packages" Bergstrom-Mahler Museum 2008 I have work in the permanent collection at Corning Museum of Glass, Corning NY |