It’s Me!
I am a Kentucky boy, bred and raised.
From a long line of farmers, miners, carpenters, and mill workers. One twice widowed grandmother was the first woman to ever learn to drive in her family. One grandfather was a lineman for the TVA. Another was a Chemist, mechanic, carpenter, mason, lay preacher and rambler. My mother was the first to go to college, brought Family Planning to West Virginia and was the only one in her family to leave Ashland. My father played minor league baseball till he blew out his knee, ran moonshine for the county judge and left tiny Falcon, Kentucky as soon as he could. My family has lived in Appalachia for generations; I grew up in suburbia because my parents did not want me to be stuck in Ashland Kentucky working for Armco Steel, though I don’t think they envisioned a life as an artist as an option either. More likely and engineer, or chemist. I swear I tried.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION:
Illinois State University
MFA Glass, 2010
Thesis: Standing Upon Old Ways
Venerated Consanguinity: Mythmaking in the Claiming of Kin and Kith
Tulane University
BFA Glass, Sculpture and Painting, 2005
Thesis: Defining Motion
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
ACME Artworks
2016—Present
Co-owner, Wearer of Many Hats
Brazee Street Studios
January 2012—December 2015
Hot Shop Manager, Instructor, Studio Technician, Gaffer
Studio Inferno, New Orleans, LA
July 2005—May 2007
September 2010—December 2011
Studio Manager, Production Caster, Artist Assistant
Gaffer - Gene Koss Casting Crew
September 2003 – May 2007
Tulane University Shop Technician
May 2005 – May 2006
Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA
Maintenance Assistant, Summer 2007
Woods and Metals Shop Coordinator, Summer 2008
Casting Shop Coordinator, Summer 2009
Woods and Metals Shop Coordinator, Summer 2010
Demonstration/Residency Assistant:
Gene Koss, G.A.S, 2004
Mitchell Gaudet, Tacoma Museum of Glass, 2006
John Miller, G.A.S, 2008
John Miller, Tulane University, 2008
Devyn Baron and Amy Pender, G.A.S. 2010
Mathew Cummings, G.A.S 2010
Bertil Vallien, G.A.S. 2012; Tacoma Museum of Glass, 2012
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Classes Taught:
Introduction to Sculptural Processes II—Spalding University, 2019
Beginning Glass—Illinois State University, 2007-2010
Equipment Fabrication and Studio Maintenance—Illinois State University, 2008
Glass II—Illinois State University, 2009, 2010
Beginning Glassblowing—Brazee Street Studios
Introduction to Hot Casting—Brazee Street Studios
—The Ohio State University
—Urban Glass
—Illinois State University
—Salisbury University
—Tulane University
—California State University Chico
Teaching Assistantships:
Tulane University:
Introduction to Glass Sculpture—Gene Koss, 2003-2005
Introduction to Glass Sculpture—Althea Holden, 2003-2004
Intermediate Glass Casting—Gene Koss, 2003-2005
Advanced Glass—Gregory Geniusz, 2004
Advanced Glass Experimental Projects—Gene Koss, 2004-2005
Hot Glass Casting—Mitchell Gaudet – The Glass Furnace, Istanbul, Turkey, 2006
Hot Glass Casting—Mitchell Gaudet – Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, 2007
Hot Glass Casting—Mitchell Gaudet – Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA, 2008
Melting Pot Glassblowing—John Miller – Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, 2009
Glass II and Advanced Glass—John Miller – Illinois State University, 2007-2010
Advanced Hot Glass Casting—Gene Koss – Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, 2009
Advanced Hot Glass Casting—Gene Koss – Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, 2011
Glass and Metal—Mitchell Gaudet and Erica Larkin – Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, 2011
Containers of Light and Story—Bertil Vallien – Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, 2011
A Finely Crafted Idea—Ben Wright and Stine Bidstrup—Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood WA, 2014
Growing Weird—Ben Wright and Ian Burns—Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood WA, 2016
PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES:
California State University Chico, Chico, CA
The Talk—Surviving as an Artist, 2023
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
The Talk—Surviving as an Artist. 2022
Illinois State University, Normal, IL
Building Faith—The Design of the Gothic Cathedral as Metaphor for Religion, 2009
Loyola University, New Orleans. LA
Glass, Science and Art, Fall 2010, Spring/Fall 2011
HONORS:
Tulane University Distinguished Scholars Award Scholarship – 2001
Georges Lurcy Grant – Spring 2004, Fall and Spring 2005
Marjorie Clark Fergusson Award for Painting – 2004
Rusty Collier Memorial Award for Outstanding Studio Artist – 2005
Deans List, Tulane University – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Elected to Illinois State University, College of Fine Arts Council – 2008-2009
Robert Small Award for Writing in Art History, Illinois State University – 2009
EXHIBITIONS:
Southern Glass, Gulf Coast Community College, 2005
Glass Under Water, New Orleans Glass Artists, G.A.S 2006, St. Louis, MO - 2006
ISU Glass, Illinois State University – 2007
Illinois State University Student Annual – 2008, 2009 Best of Show – 2008
Glass, Transpace Gallery, Normal, IL – 2008
Illinois State University MFA Biennial – 2008
Midwestern Contemporary Glass, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point – 2008
Artists Against AIDS, Champaign, IL – 2008, 2009
Martinis For MARC, Bloomington IL – 2008, 2009
Marx-Saunders ISU Benefit, Chicago, IL – 2007, 2008, 2009
Hot Garbage, Transpace Gallery, Normal. IL – 2009
Hue Blue, Gallery 11, Cincinnati OH – 2012
Sculptural Glass, Gallery 11, Cincinnati OH—2012
Hue Red, Gallery 11, Cincinnati OH—2013
Mass, Flame Run Gallery, Louisville KY—2014
Come Together, Glass Axis, Columbus OH—2014
Essex Arts, Cincinnati OH—2014
Revelry, Louisville KY, 2016, 2018
First, Gallery 953, Louisville KY—2021
Faux, Forge, Facsimile, Fake, Gallery 953, Louisville KY—2023
COLLECTIONS:
Dean of Arts and Sciences, Northern Kentucky University