Illinois State University’s Glass Program in Studio Arts sees students meticulously laboring over sweltering furnaces and molten glass as they learn to craft masterpieces through glass blowing, sculpting, casting and coldworking. It takes a steady hand and perfect concentration to literally breathe life into an endless list of creations.
College of Fine Arts Associate Professor John Miller, the University’s resident glass art expert, oversees what is one of only three glass programs in Illinois. He helps students realize their visions. With 28 years of experience working with glass, Miller recognizes the importance of introducing students to artists, designers, and craftspeople in the field—which is why he makes it a priority to bring experts to campus for demonstrations and lectures.
“You’re in a little bubble at ISU,” Miller said. “Once you get input from another glass person or a mixed media sculptor who uses glass, students can grow.”
Because private dollars are available through the Glass Fund, Miller can provide travel, lodging and a stipend for artists he invites to campus from across the globe. These artists vary in experience. Often Miller will invite graduate students who have just finished their M.F.A. and are looking to become private artists or teachers. He also draws seasoned veterans of the trade who can shed light on an entire career in contemporary glass.
Regardless of the field of study, invaluable lessons are learned when programs are enhanced through donor support. Faculty are able to enrich the curriculum and take their teaching far beyond the textbook because individuals provide dollars for equipment, class projects, travel, and interaction with experts.
The most recent guest artist in the glass house was Jack Schmidt, M.S. ’73, one of the first graduates of Illinois State’s program. Schmidt has been called a trailblazer in the glass-making community. He has had an exemplary career, teaching at universities across the nation and displaying his art around the world. The lessons students learn from artists like Schmidt, however, are deeper than how to produce gorgeous art.
“First students are in awe, whether it’s over experience or technique,” Miller said. “Then they realize these artists are just great people, which is generally what you come across in the glass world—a certain type of personality that helps you be successful in the glass movement. We work as a team. If you can’t work as a team, then generally it is difficult to survive.”
