James Yood Talks Glass

A recent article titled "Glassblowing's gotten easier for amateurs to learn" written by the Associated Press features Associate Professor of Art History, Theory, and Criticism and regular contributor to GLASS Magazine James Yood. In the article, which was picked up by the Daily Herald and Washington Post among several other publications, Yood provided expert insight into the history of glass blowing in the United States. Thanks to the studio glass movement of the 1960s, glass blowing has blown up in popularity in recent years. The development of smaller furnaces has enabled colleges and emerging artists to dabble in the previously inaccessible medium. “It started being taught at colleges because it was so accessible,” said Yood. “It left the manufacturer and went into the artists’ studios.”

He also credits glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, for the spike in interest, deeming him the “pied piper” of glass. Chihuly learned his craft at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s glass program, the very first of its kind, and went on to create his own glass program at the Rhode Island School of Design. “Every significant American city has a place where people could go and blow glass,” said Yood.