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Heart of Glass - Blenko Glass

Blenko Glass is a West Virginia treasure that spans generations. Nothing symbolizes the state of West Virginia better or more beautifully than Blenko Glass. We will discuss current and former craftsmen and designers and how important it is that Blenko and West Virginia glass be appreciated and valued by the younger generation.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Blenko Glass - Hank Adams.

Hank Murta Adams




1988 - 1994 BLENKO GLASS DESIGNER
Hank was a student of Dale Chihuly at the Rhode Island School of Design. He graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a B.F.A. in painting in 1978, and continued his education at Tennessee Technological University, Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina and Pilchuck Glass School in Washington. Continuing to work as an independent artist, Hank also served as head designer for the Blenko Glass Company for six years.
Hank has also worked consistently over the years as an educator at schools and universities ranging from the Toledo Museum School; UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, NY; U. of Hawaii; the Center for Creative Studies, in Detroit; the Ox-Bow School, Chicago Art Institute, in Saugatuck, MI; and the Pilchuck School, in Stanwood, WA. Adams has been awarded three Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and is a recent recipient of a fellowship award from the New York State Arts Council. Hank also currently sits on the Creative Glass Center of America Advisory Board.
His work has been featured in numerous one-man exhibitions ranging from J&L Lobmeyr Glass in Vienna, Austria; Remnant: Hank Adams , at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY; the Elliot Brown Gallery in Seattle; Dorothy Weiss Gallery in San Francisco; Heller Gallery in NYC; Marx-Saunders Gallery in Ohio, and the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI. Adams’ work was also selected for Creativity and Collaboration: Pilchuck Glass School at 30 in Seattle, WA, in 2000. Other group shows range from the triennial traveling exhibition, Americans in Glass , to World Glass Now , held in 1988 at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo, Japan; and the Glass Skin , a traveling exhibit organized by the Corning Museum of Glass. Hank also worked on Fellowship at the Creative Glass Center of America in 2001.
http://www.marxsaunders.com/ (for photos of his art).

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

lOOKED AT THE SANDERS HAND ADAMS
FORMS AND THEY WERE MORE ELABORATE
AND LOOKED MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
WAS THIS ONE BLENKO?
HOW MUCH IS HIS WORK GOING FOR NOW?
WHAT WOULD THIS ONE COST?
THE SANDERS PIECES WERE SEVERAL K EACH , UP TO 20K.
BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL WORK
THIS HANK ADAMS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW HE BECAME INTERESTED IN DOING THE HUMAN FORM?
WVUGUY07
SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS/ IPHONE

Anonymous said...

Hillary just thought I would point out that the photo of the piece you have posted for Hank is actually by former Blenko Desiner Matt Carter.

Anonymous said...

Hillary just wanted to point out that the photo you have posted attributed to Hank is actually by former Blenko desinger Matt Carter

Anonymous said...

nice to see a picture of one of my early pieces before I joined blenko. Piece was made right after I met Hank. Sincerely, Matt Carter

Heart of Glass said...

Matt
Please contact me at
theblenkoproject@aol.com
I've been trying to get in touch with you for months. The email I have doesn't work.
I apologize we uploaded wrong photo.
This is an awesome piece you did - it was on EBAY and I ask the owner for a photo.
I had a Hank Adams piece from Sanders Gallery to run with the Hank Adams article.
When I goof I goof big time!
Thank you for writing!
Hillary

WV Janis said...

One day, I was at the Blenko factory with WH Blenko, Jr. As we rounded the corner near the sorting area where finished pieces are sorted for their journeys to new owners, Mr. Blenko picked up a couple of pieces that were human forms. He smiled and commented, “Wonder what these are?” The pieces appeared to be “end of the day” creations where workers doodle around with leftover glass.

The human-form pieces I saw that day were in no way as elegant or as well designed as the Adams [sic] Carter piece that you have uploaded. However, my anecdote sheds light on the environment from which these pieces emerge. Mr. Blenko seemed so proud of the fact that his workers were being creative. He was beaming with pride, as opposed to questioning the workers’ use of time and resources. It must be wonderful to work in such an environment.

By the way, has anyone else noticed that the Carter piece actually LOOKS like Hank Adams? LOL

(West Virginia) Janis

Unknown said...

wow I checked marxsaunders gallery and Hank Adams profile thats is really very impressive. Very accomplished & seasoned artist. His glasswork reflects that.

Ram

Anonymous said...

Awesome post. Do you mind if I ask what your source is for this information?