Paul Stankard
“By blending mysticism with magical realism, I work to express organic credibility through my botanical interpretations. Crafted in glass, I reference the continuum of nature and celebrate on an intimate level her primal beauty. I am influenced by the poetry of Walt Whitman.” — Paul J. Stankard
Paul Stankard is an internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer in the studio glass movement. He is considered a living master in the art of the paperweight, and his work is represented in more than 60 museums around the world. In 1961, he enrolled in Salem County Vocational Technical Institute’s scientific glassblowing program (now Salem Community College). During his ten-year scientific glassblowing career, he became a master of fabricating complex instruments. In 1972, Paul left the industry to pursue his dream of being creative in glass fulltime.
Over his forty-year artistic journey, he has received two honorary doctorate degrees, one honorary associate’s degree and many awards within the glass community, most recently the Masters of the Medium Award from Smithsonian’s The James Renwick Alliance, Glass Art Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and American Craft Council College of Fellows. He is an Artist-in-Resident and Honorary Professor at Salem Community College.
Stankard divides his time between flameworking and writing. He is the author of three books; an autobiography No Green Berries or Leaves: The Creative Journey of an Artist in Glass, an educational resource Spark the Creative Flame: Making the Journey from Craft to Art and most recently Studio Craft as Career: A Guide to Achieving Excellence in Art-making.
Paul Stankard has been indispensable to our 50 year-long explorations of creativity. Instructing at the WheatonArts Glass Studio and being the focus of multiple exhibits in the Museum of American Glass, Stankard has brought his joy and enthusiasm for glass and paperweights to many visitors and artists over the years. A modern master of paperweights and pioneer of the studio glass movement, he was integral to establishing the Creative Glass Fellowship program.
50th Anniversary Visiting Artists
Stankard blends botanical and magical in the worlds he creates inside glass. Fusing his experience with scientific glassblowing from Salem Community College, Stankard creates orbs and paperweights that hold a sublime universe. The careful observer notices the minuscule words and tiny figures entangled among the plant roots, symbolizing the vital forces that flow through all living things for the artist. His paperweights on display show how he can capture and recreate a world of nature and suspend it inside glass.
Receive This Glass
Receive this glass
it holds my memories
crafted blossoms
suspended
in stillness
to be pollinated
by your sight anticipating
your touch through time
— Paul J. Stankard
