Studio Glass Movement
Studio Glass refers to the creation of glass art in a studio workshop, with the focus on the artist as the designer and maker. Another key difference to the production of glass art in factories is the sharing of technique and ideas among artists. There are many glass working techniques used in studio glass – see Glass Techniques.
The Studio Glass Movement is generally considered to be the renaissance of artistic glassmaking that grew from the 1960’s. The movement started in USA, Harvey Littleton of Corning, New York, is considered to be the father of the Studio Glass Movement with the establishment of glass blowing workshops that moved the study of glass into the US education system. Dale Chihuly was one of Harvey Littleton’s early students.
The Studio Glass Movement became established in New Zealand in the mid 1970’s. Tony Kuepfer set up a glass studio in Taranaki in 1974, Keith Mahy started a glass blowing studio in Northland in 1975, John Croucher and James Walker started Sunbeam Glass in Auckland, and Mel Simpson established glass facilities at the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland in the late 1970’s.
The 1980’s was a strong growth period for the New Zealand Studio Glass Movement. Garry Nash and Ann Robinson became partners in Sunbeam Glass and both rose to prominence in the NZ art scene. Peter Viesnik and Peter Raos started Hot Glass Company in Devonport, national glass exhibitions kicked off, and Polytechnics across the country began offering formal education for glass art. By the 90’s the Studio Glass Movement in New Zealand had hit the mainstream, reaching recognition nationally and internationally.
Auckland Museum has a good overview of the history of the NZ Studio Glass Movement from the Crafting Aotearoa book - link here.
This Wikipedia article describes the Studio Glass Movement from an international perspective - link here.