Viewing articles by Sahana Ramakrishnan

The exterior of the National Glass Centre, as viewed from the towpath along the waterfront in 2023. photo: jo howell

Friday April 17, 2026 | by Sahana Ramakrishnan

After three decades, a final exhibition at the UK's National Glass Centre is looking like it will be its last

For nearly three decades, the National Glass Centre in Sunderland, England, has stood on the banks of the River Wear as both a cultural landmark and a living tribute to one of Britain’s oldest crafts in a region that for centuries hosted a range of glass production that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Now, as its final show approaches ahead of a planned closure in July 2026, the building’s story is no longer just about art and heritage, but a possible bittersweet final chapter in a two-year battle to save this British outpost for glass art.

Friday June 20, 2025 | by Sahana Ramakrishnan

Support Glass Quarterly and Receive a Hand Printed Tote Bag!

If you're reading this, chances are you're already familiar with the work we do at Glass: The UrbanGlass Art Quarterly. For over 40 years, Glass Quarterly has served as a critical voice and visual archive, presenting serious discourse about glass as a medium for contemporary art.

Friday December 6, 2024 | by Sahana Ramakrishnan

EASE UP ON YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT STRESS WITH THE GLASS QUARTERLY HOLIDAY BUNDLE!

Running out of gift ideas this holiday season? Does a magazine gift subscription seem like the gift is coming in too late? We have the perfect solution! Sign your friend or loved one up for our specially-priced holiday offer, and we will rush them a beautifully wrapped bundle of all the amazing issues of Glass from 2024 -- including our Fall issue that comes shrink-wrapped with New Glass Review as well as our Winter 2024 issue which comes with our annual directory to Glass Education and Suppliers. The magazines will arrive with a hand-addressed card announcing your generosity.

Work by 2018 Chrysalis award winner Dean Allison. Breakdown, 2016. Cast glass, steel, and paint. H 18, W 17, d 10 in. courtesy: james renwick alliance

Thursday August 1, 2024 | by Sahana Ramakrishnan

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2024 Chrysalis Award for Emerging Artists

Among the various activities of the James Renwick Alliance for Craft (JRACraft) -- an independent national nonprofit that supports scholarship, education and public appreciation of craft art -- is an annual award the group presents to an emerging artist working in a craft material. The JRA's Chrysalis Award, started in 2016, includes a $5,000 prize to promote and inspire US-based craft artists. If you're just starting out or have a few years of experience, the criteria to apply is that you haven't had your work featured in a major museum such as the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which the JRA works closely with to support its programs. Chrysalis applicants are reuquired to have completed a four-year academic program or equivalent training within the past five years.

Portrait of Makoto Ito

Tuesday July 23, 2024 | by Sahana Ramakrishnan

IN MEMORIAM: Makoto Ito (1955- 2024) who launched the first university glass program in Japan and championed the material of glass

Makoto Ito, a central figure in Japan's studio glass movement and glass art education in the country, passed away on June 4, 2024, at the age of 84. Ito started as a painter, graduating from the painting department of Tama Art University. However, after a six-year stint as a glassblower at the Kagami Crystal factory, he decided to pursue glass art after seeing a European glass exhibition. Dedicated to advancing the material at home, Ito helped build the foundations for the studio glass movement in Japan.