ARTIST STATEMENT

Our glass art is influenced by ancient glass and architectural mosaics. Through the study of antique work we have learned to appreciate the movement and depth that a well-planned pattern provides. The result is a design that uses the vocabulary of pattern and color to complement the form. The glowing color and design on our blown glass expands and contract with the shape of the vessel. This is the movement we are looking for when we make our work.

We use the Venetian cane technique to create the complex patterns that are the signature of our blown glass pieces. The “cane” is produced by pulling colored glass into long rods. These are cooled, cut into smaller sizes, and then assembled on a ceramic plate. The plate is heated and the glass tiles fuse together as they get hot. The resulting sheet of glass is rolled up onto a blow- pipe and shaped into its final form. We draw upon the amazing artistry of the Venetian craftsmen for inspiration and guidance, building on their techniques and ideas to reach our specific ends. For example we apply various cold-working methods to the canes such as engraving, sandblasting, and miter cutting. This integration produces complex and structured patterns in line and color that sets our work apart.

The philosophy of our work is simple- we strive for the basic harmony and movement that reveals itself only when pattern, color, and shape are in agreement. Our original and inimitable designs are the result of complete immersion in a historical technique that is then translated into something fully our own.

Anthony Schafermeyer and Claire Kelly have been working collaboratively since 1997. They show their work at Dane Gallery, Kittrell Riffkind Gallery, and Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery. Anthony and Claire were demonstrating artists at the Amsterdam Glass Art Society conference, and have taught workshops at Penland School of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, and the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Most recently they have been granted the Energy Exchange fellowship in Burnsville, North Carolina, where they are the resident glass artists making their unique glass art.

Claire Kelly: Bachelor of Fine Art, Alfred University, 1996

Anthony Schafermeyer: Bachelor of Fine Art, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992

Anthony and Claire are the recipients of the North Carolina Artist Fellowship Grant

at the EnergyXchange in Burnsville, North Carolina. This residency is for three years beginning in September of 2004.

Began Schafermeyer Kelly Glass in New Orleans, LA 2000-2004 and continued at the EnergyXchange.

Selected honors:

-The Tacoma Glass Museum, Pilchuck Residency program August 2004.

-Guest Artists, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas 2003.

-Demonstrating Artists at the Glass Art Society conference in

Amsterdam, Holland 2002.

-Anthony was a visiting artist at Kitengela glass in Nairobi, Kenya where he has led workshops for the local glass workers and helped them to create new glass processes for their factory. 2002, 2003

Teaching Experience:

Instructors: Pilchuck Glass School Stanwood, WA 2004

Instructors: Penland School of Crafts Penland, NC 2002,2004

Instructors: Pittsburgh Glass Center Pittsburgh, PA 2002-2004

Awarded Grants:

Artists travel grant

United States Embassy

Den Haag The Netherlands

May, 2002

Resident Artist Grant

Louisiana Division of the Arts

Baton Rouge, LA 2002