The Stamelos Gallery Center is proud to present the special guest lecture American Studio Glass and Reflection on International Influence presented by renowned Detroit glass artist Herb Babcock. This lecture expands on the themes of the glass exhibition currently on display in the Stamelos Gallery Center: Infinite Variety: Selections from the UM- Dearborn Glass Collection.

In the early 1960’s, Harvey Littleton set out to make glass blowing a creative experience
for craftspeople and artists in a small studio environment. This was the beginning of the
American Studio Glass Movement that transformed glass from a factory-made product
into an independent art form created in private studios. Glass is a medium of transitions.
Most American participants were working in another medium before coming to work in
glass as a primary material, many times, adding it to the repertory of their total art
expression. As the movement grew, reaching out for international influence also
assisted the artists’ endeavors.

Herb Babcock is a sculptor working in glass, metal, stone and other materials. He is
Professor Emeritus from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. He was
Chair of the Glass Department and taught for 40 years until 2013. Babcock’s current
studio is in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

For further information and disability accommodation, please contact Laura Cotton, Art Curator and Gallery Manager at lacotton@umich.edu and check the website www.umdearborn.edu/stamelos.