Artists selected for the 2009 BIGG: Breakthrough Ideas in Global Glass are:

Artist Statement
My sculptural glass explores the rich implications of objects in everyday life. The central focus is domestic visions presented through 20th Century culture as well as Victorian sensibilities. These works illuminate, and are limited by, the interior worlds offered by the juxtaposition of these eras. This work evokes aspects of the Victorian Decorative Arts period such as orderliness, ornamentation, and a mixture of Gothic, Tudor and Elizabethan stylistic eras. The Victorian curio, an intriguing object presented for contemplation, provides an ideal context for the relationship between the viewer and my repurposed objects.These pseudo-Victorian objects are connected to the 20th Century through commercially produced ceramic decals as well as the use of Vitrolite architectural glass. Decals from the 1960s and 70s consisting of prints, patterns and reproductions evoke nostalgia; Vitrolite, produced mostly in the 1920s and 30s, adds another visual and historical dimension when used as a base for the works. The medium of glass provides unique sculptural opportunities, especially optics that allow dynamic presentation of the decals. These optics are also combined with traditional Italian glass patterning techniques such as zanfirico and reticello. This body of work allows viewers opportunities to experience objects, as well as to confront our motives in appropriating and enjoying works of art.

Biography
Amy Rueffert has worked in glass since 1994. She earned her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art in and her MFA at Mills College in Oakland where she studied with Ron Nagle. She exhibits at William Traver Gallery, with a recent exhibition in June 2008. Her work is included in the collections of the Corning Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Museum of Glass. Amy’s work has been recognized in New Glass Review (1995,1998, 2006, 2007, 2008), and she was awarded a merit prize in the Elizabeth R. Rafael Founder’s Exhibition. Her work has been selected for the 2007 International Exhibition of glass in Kanazawa, Japan. Amy has taught at The Studio at The Corning Museum of Glass, Pilchuck Glass School, The Glass Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. She ran the glass department at San Jose State University during the 2006-07 school year and currently lectures at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal.

Resume
Education  
2006    Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art, Mills College; Oakland, CA
1991-1998    Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass, Massachusetts College of Art; Boston, MA

Professional Experience
2009    Instructor, “Thinking in the Bubble”, Ox-Bow School of Crafts; Saugatuck, MI.
2008    Program Assistant to the Artistic Director. Pilchuck Glass School. Stanwood, WA

Solo Exhibitions  
2009    Solo Exhibition, Wakeley Gallery, Illinois Wesleyan University; Bloomington, IL
2008     Time Passes, The Souvenir Remains. William Traver Gallery; Seattle WA
2003     Amy Rueffert/Nest. Bellevue Art Museum; Bellevue, WA

Selected Group Exhibitions
2010    Botanical, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft; Denmark
2009    Floral Essence - Expressions in Glass, Chappell Gallery, NY
    Next Iconoclasts, Hoffman Gallery, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts; OR
    Looking Forward, William Traver Gallery; WA   
2008         Environments, Form and Space, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; TX
    HOT COLOR, cool glass. Arkansas Art Center; AK
2007    Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize Exhibition. Society for Contemporary Craft; PA
    The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa 2007. Design Center Ishikawa; Japan
    Ongoing Invention. California State University at San Bernadino; CA
2005 - 2006         San Francisco Contemporary Glass. San Francisco Airport Museum; CA

Collections
Corning Museum of Glass; Corning, NY
 Tacoma Museum of Glass; Tacoma, WA
 Arkansas Art Center; Little Rock, AK
 Design Center Ishikawa; Kanazawa, Japan

Awards and Honors
2008  Artist in Residence, The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY
Featured Artist, Tacoma Museum of Glass; Tacoma, WA
2007  Artist in Residence, Ox-Bow School of Art; Saugatuck, MI
Merit Prize, Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize Exhibition, Society for Contemporary Craft; Pittsburgh, PA

Selected Publications
 2009 American Craft, “Hot Spots, Show Time” p. 33, show information and image
 2008 Corning Museum of Glass. New Glass Review 29, Corning, NY.
 2007 Rice, Robin. “Transparency”. In Transformation 6: Contemporary works in glass, the
Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize Exhibition. Society for Contemporary Craft.

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