Mary Shaffer is recognized as one of the founding artists of the American Studio Glass Movement. She studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she developed a unique technique adapted from the auto industry, which she calls "mid-air slumping." It allows her to use gravity to soften plate glass into a form, which she often combines with metal tools. Her sculptures range in scale from small objects to room-size installations and public works.
Portrait photo courtesy Saarin Keck
Red Square, 1999; photo courtesy the artist
External Links
Awards & Recognitions
- Visionary. Museum of Art & Design, New York, NY
- Fellowship for Individual Artists. National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C.
- Fellowship for Individual Artists. D.C. Commission of Arts and Humanities
- Huber Grant. Wellesley College, Wellesly MA
- Glass in Architecture Award. National Endowment for the Arts through the RISD
- Innovative Use of Glass in Sculpture, Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY
- Glaspris '81. Kassel Competition, West Germany
- Citation of Excellence. U.S. Labor Department. For directing inner-city manpower program, '72
- Award of Excellence, Corning Museum Curator’s award, Habatat International Royal Oak, MI 2007
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