Shawn E. Messenger (B 1954) American, Millefiori Modern Vase. Signed and dated 1994 on bottom. From her "Landscape" Series.

Size: 6 x 6 x 10 in. 

#2414 . 

Shawn E. Messenger was born in Auburn, Indiana in 1954. Interested in light refraction and glass from a young age, she enrolled at the Cleveland Institute of Art as a glassblowing major in 1974. It was here that she met her husband and life-long collaborator, Jack Schmidt, who had previously studied under Carl Hall, a disciple of Harvey Littleton, at his Bowling Green studio. In 1978, at the invitation of mutual friend David Hopper, they moved to California to work at Oriental Flume Glass, connecting with Dale Chihuly and many others in the blossoming glass art scene. In 1982, with home prices rising astronomically, they moved to Toledo, Ohio, eventually purchasing an entire block of buildings and turning them into an artists enclave with their own glass studio as the anchor. To this day they continue to craft contemporary glass sculptures and functional glass dishware, as well as nurturing new artists, offering them insight they cannot find in art classes and opportunities to hone their craft in collaboration with local galleries and museums. Their work is on permanent display in museums in Switzerland, New York, and Washington, and their children Zach and Ian have grown up to be artists as well.