Stuart Abelman (Born 1949)/Tom Philabaum (Born 1947) American, (2) Glass Paperweights. The larger pink one is signed and dated 1990 by Philabaum, and the smaller see-through one is signed and dated 1989 by Abelman. Both are stellar examples from important artists in the history of American studio glass.
Condition: Both excellent.
Size: (largest) 3 x 3 in.
Stuart Abelman was born in 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A quick learner, he showed an early fascination with painting and sculpture, and was accepted to Carnegie Mellon University when he was 17. In his senior year a new art glass department was formed, and he immediately shifted focus to the medium, receiving his BFA and starting his MFA in Glassblowing. He transferred to UCLA, finishing his MFA there in 1976. For one year he taught at El Camino College, before leaving to open Abelman Art Glass Studio in Los Angeles. Along with David Hopper, John Leighton, and Arthur Stern, he is considered one of the pioneer artists and instructors that gave birth to the California glassworks scene. His work never uses paint, but instead creates colors and opacity from specific combinations of metals and alloys, often generating stunning cobalt-hued or iridescent shapes. He was also one of the first to incorporate figurative shapes into glassblowing, including his highly sought after collaboration with Murano on a series of clown figurines. In addition to exhibitions at museums and local Renaissance Faires, Abelman continues to work and teach from his studio, informing a new generation of glass artists.
Thomas A. Philabaum was born on April 12th, 1947 in Toledo, Ohio. As a child he was immediately drawn to art and music, first drawing and playing the cornet while at the Toledo Museum School of Art in the late 1950s and early 60s. While obtaining his Bachelors at Southern Illinois University he was introduced to clay sculpting, and after graduating in 1969 he worked as an art teacher for various public schools near St. Louis, Missouri while taking evening courses in ceramics. After his teacher suggested he explore glass instead he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he studied under Harvey Littleton, known as Father of the Modern Studio Glass Movement. Littleton had built a small furnace in the parking lot of the Toledo School and he and Philabaum bonded over this connection, although it was Littleton’s key disciple Eriks Rudans who had the biggest influence on Philabaum’s work after he took over hot glass operations in the early 1970s. He obtained his Masters from the University of Wisconsin in 1973 and devoted himself to finding a successful way to fuse clay and glass sculpting together, a journey which brought him accolades for his innovative process and led him to obtain another Masters at the University of Arizona in 1983. He took over a pottery school in Tucson, named it Philabaum Studios, and ran it until 2025 when he retired and sold it to former employees Alison and Dylan Harvey. His work is credited with significantly boosting Tucson’s status in the art world, and can be found in corporate, private, and public collections on multiple continents.
Both excellent.
