Liesl Schubel was born in Ontario, Canada in 1990, and currently lives in Trenton, NJ. As a queer person, the complexity of identity, home, and familial histories and relationships inspire their practice. Liesl is trained as a glassblower, having worked with glass for over 12 years. They are drawn to the fluidity and sensitivity of the material, and they pair glass with other media, such as textiles and found objects, to form new tactile narratives. Liesl is a founding member of the art collective Flock the Optic, a group formed to explore the meeting place of glass, performance, installation, entertainment, and happening.
Liesl received their BFA in Glass from Rhode Island School of Design in 2012. They have since continued traveling, pursuing opportunities to expand their understanding of art and craft at institutions such as WheatonArts and Cultural Center in Millville, NJ, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, ME, the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA, Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA, and Ox-Bow School of Art in Saugatuck, MI. Liesl has worked extensively as an arts administrator in glass-focused, non-profit organizations, and from 2019-2023 held the position of Education Director at UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, NY. They currently live in Trenton with their wife and dog.
