Kathleen Andersen

Initially drawn to glass for its color, flexibility, and physicality, artist Kathleen Andersen has stuck with it for the material’s seemingly endless range of possibilities. Through a mix of traditional glassblowing and gem-cutting techniques, Andersen created the “Jewel” collection on view at Specific Gravity. The “jewels” are first blown and then cold-worked to cut and polish the individual facets. Andersen’s resulting glass vessels share the rich color of the gemstones for which they’re named. 

Andersen earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Alfred University (Alfred, NY), where she specialized in glassblowing. Over the next two decades, Andersen honed her craft in the studio at Hudson Beach Glass and in the renowned workshop of Davide Fuin in Murano, Venice. Andersen joined Brooklyn Metal Works as a student in the Lapidary Workshop, which eventually inspired the artist to introduce gem-cutting techniques into their glass practice. Currently based in Beacon, NY, Andersen regularly teaches glass blowing workshops at Hudson Valley studios Hudson Beach Glass and Woodstock Art Exchange.