Jude Schlotzhauer has a very storied relationship with the studio glass movement that traces its roots back to the very beginning with its founder, Harvey Littleton.

Schlotzhauer has been associated with VisArts for more than 30 years and has taught glass here for the better part of the last decade. As a student, she studied glasswork near the factory where Littleton would blow glass, and that community of artists all spent a lot of time together.   She came to know Littleton and his work. “Harvey was so friendly, open and inclusive—just a wonderful guy.  He was always interested in what the students were doing with glasswork,” said Schlotzhauer.

Littleton was born and raised in Corning, New York, the son of the physicist who developed Pyrex for Corning Glass Works. Littleton initially followed in his father’s footsteps, studying physics and industrial design, before he ultimately earned a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Littleton taught ceramics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later established the first studio glass curriculum in the United States.

“Harvey started with this one class, and he built a little furnace for it.  It was the first time anyone had taught glassworking outside of the factory.  It had been confined to the factory, and Harvey put it in the University setting,” said Schlotzhauer.  Many of Littleton’s first students in the glass program at Wisconsin—Dale Chihuly, Fritz Dreisbach, Sam Herman, Kent Ipsen, Marvin Lipofsky, Tom McGlauchlin, Christopher Ries, and Michael Taylor—became leaders in the studio glass movement, inspiring and educating the next generation of glassmakers across the country and around the world.

Dale Chihuly remembers making glass with Littleton, “Harvey had seminars for us every week and we learned so much about how the art world works and what it was like to be an artist.  Harvey encouraged us to do whatever we felt we needed to do.  The thing I appreciate about Harvey is that from the start, he was interested in making glass without molds and with as few tools as possible.”

Schlotzhauer received her MFA under the training of another of Littleton’s student, Kent Ipsen, who was a much-respected glass instructor at VCU for many years.  “Kent built a furnace behind the president’s house and started teaching a glass class.  His teaching methods were very similar to Harvey’s.  We built our own equipment.  We blew our own glass.  We experimented!  It was a very open, experimental environment,“ said Schlothauer. “All this affected me greatly, I have that same attitude. I am always pushing the boundaries, and I always encourage my students to do the same.”

Schlotzhauer’s student, Deborah Bass, can’t get enough of the experimenting.  She’s taken Schlotzhauer’s class at VisArts for more than five years and loves the versatility of the medium and how light intersects and plays off of it.  “The only limitation is your imagination,” Bass shared.

It’s fair to say that Littleton has inspired countless glass artists since he first brought glass out of the factory 50 years ago.  “He is without a doubt the father of the studio glass movement,” said Chihuly.

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Littleton’s work is in the collections of museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Corning Museum of Glass, Museum of Arts & Design, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

November 9 – January 21, Visual Arts Center of Richmond proudly presents work spanning five decades of Littleton’s momentous career. This exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the American studio glass movement and Littleton’s remarkable legacy as one of the leading artistic innovators and visionary educators of the 20th century.

November 9, 6 – 9PM will be the opening reception for Harvey K. Littleton:  A Legacy in Glass.  Come see this fabulous exhibit!  VisArts Instructor Ryan Gothrup will be glassblowing in the courtyard.

Inspired by all the glass in town?  VisArts offers classes to quench your creative thirst!  Check them out at visarts.org!