Mark Matthews

Independent Glass Artist, studio located within Sauder Village, Archbold, Ohio.  Mining 5,000 years of glass history as a rich source of inspiration, Matthews has become internationally recognized for his mastery of the glass sphere.  He started handling molten glass for aesthetic purposes in 1974 while still an undergraduate at glorious Kent State University.   After receipt of  his MFA from Ohio University, he began working full time in glass, concentrating nearly exclusively on spheres in 1985.    “For me, the sphere is a device that unifies my radically diverse explorations in  glass”, says Matthews, who utilizes both modern and ancient techniques to create everything from traditional swirls and lutz marbles to realistic interpretations of animal pelts.

Artist Statement

My goal is to explore the ways radically different designs and techniques can be used within a well-defined category such as spheres. The sphere, with its minimal physicality, has become the one factor unifying all my explorations of color systems and diverse historical glass techniques. I work in a small studio with one 300 pound capacity glass tank, a glory hole, a small 100 pound capacity glass tank for color glass and 2 annealing ovens.  I create my pieces usually with the help of one assistant and  I have developed most of the tools and equipment used in their creation.

Selected Institutional Collections

The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London,

Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York

Miami University Art Museum, Oxford, Ohio

Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, Ohio