11th ANNUAL WORKHOUSE GLASS INTERNATIONAL

On View: October 11, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Reception: Saturday, December 13, 6 pm - 8 pm

Vulcan Gallery, Building W-16, 1st Floor

Blue glass bottle with a small silver cup inside, topped with a small gold teapot on the neck.

Challenging the boundaries of functional & sculptural glass art

Workhouse Arts Center proudly presents the 11th Annual Glass International, showcasing the beauty, breadth, and technical mastery in contemporary glass art.  This exhibition, juried by Susie J. Silbert, features a diverse range of techniques and creative visions, offering an opportunity to experience how artists challenge the boundaries of functional and sculptural glass art. The Workhouse Arts Center’s anticipated annual Glass International exhibition highlights the versatility that defines glass today.

This exhibition features 49 artworks by 32 artists from 13 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Japan, selected from a pool of 168 submissions.  

Participating Artists
Karen Abbott, Sherry Been, Laura Bertapelle, Lee Campbell (in collaboration with Jeanne Marie Ferraro), Madi Cano, Anthony D'Amico, Patricia De Poel Wilberg, Teddy Devereux, Candi Durusu, Deb Eldredge, Ruth Gowell, Tali Grinshpan, Jennifer Halvorson, Merrilee Harrigan, Shayna Heller, Mikelle Hickman-Romine, Sara Hitchcock, Benjamin Johnson, Natsuki Katsukawa, Ian Kessler-Gowell, David King, Hethre Larivee, Gregory Lastrapes, Paula Mandel, Kimberly McKinnis, Ellen Mead, Paul Messink, Bryan Ratcliffe, Rebecca Ravenal, Nicholas Ricci, Nadine Saylor, Sherry Selevan, Dori Settles, April Shelford, Carolyn Spears, Austin Turley, Karen Wilson, Katharine Wood, Huan Zhao

11th Workhouse Glass International

  • A green alien face emerging from a blue surface with an alien hand reaching out, and a pink and green flower on a green leaf nearby.

    Karen Abbott

  • Abstract sculpture made of crumpled white material with red and black paint splatters, mounted on a white wall.

    Sherry Been

  • Modern table with a marble-patterned top and a white metal frame.

    Laura Bertapelle

  • Blue glass bottle with a small gold teapot on top and a blue teacup inside the bottle.

    Lee Campbell & Jeanne Marie Ferraro

  • A pink glass decanter with a small matching cup inside, topped with a decorative golden lid, against a plain background.

    Lee Campbell & Jeanne Marie Ferraro

  • Green and yellow variegated plant in a textured white ceramic pot displayed on a white pedestal in an art gallery.

    Madi Cano

  • Reflection of a person taking a photo, seen on four reflective tiles arranged in a 2x2 grid, with a cloudy or smoky background.

    Anthony D'Amico

  • Mixed media art piece of a woman's face and upper shoulders with abstract background and decorative beads.

    Patricia de Poel Wilberg

  • Mixed media art piece depicting a penguin with a black and white body, sitting on snow with abstract blue background, natural elements, and a stylized crown.

    Teddy Devereux

  • Two colorful sugar masks, one resembling a superhero mask with red, blue, and yellow colors and the other resembling a tiger with orange, black, white, and yellow colors.

    Candi Durusu

  • A framed glass art piece depicting a colorful landscape with blue sky, white clouds, a body of water, and grassy land, enclosed in a rustic wooden frame.

    Deb Eldredge

  • Colorful mixed media artwork featuring vertical striped patterns and corrugated textures.

    Ruth Gowell

  • Ruth Gowell

  • Colorful beeswax candles of green, blue, and gray in a bark wooden holder filled with small purple crystals.

    Tali Grinshpan

  • A small, red and blue rubber toy jar with the words 'made in USA' on the bottom, wrapped in a large, coiled metal spring.

    Jennifer Halvorson

  • A framed abstract artwork featuring textured blue, bronze, and metallic elements that resemble trees and a forest scene.

    Merrilee Harrigan

  • A ceramic plate designed to resemble a bagel with a light-colored coating, brown stripe patterns, and gray accents, placed on a white surface.

    Shayna Heller

  • A wooden surface with a decorative butterfly on it, showcasing orange and black wings.

    Mikelle Hickman-Romine

  • Colorful landscape painting depicting the ocean, beach, and sky with stylized clouds.

    Sara Hitchcock

  • A tall glass vase with a rounded top, featuring a striped pattern with blue, purple, white, and black colors, set against a dark background.

    Benjamin Johnson

  • A white coral sculpture with textured and branching structures, placed on a plain surface against a light background.

    Natsuki Katsukawa

  • A glass sculpture of a yellow cartoonish elephant with exaggerated large eyes, a curved trunk, and small legs, set against a black background.

    Ian Kessler-Gowell

  • Black and brown outdoor hiking shoe inside a tall, clear glass jar with a lid and black strap.

    David King

  • A pink plastic ice cream cone sculpture inside a clear acrylic display case.

    David King

  • A vertical wall art piece featuring a neon light in the shape of a human face profile, surrounded by small glass orbs with plants inside, illuminated in green, blue, and white colors.

    Hethre Larivee

  • A decorative glass vase with a swirling, abstract pattern in shades of purple, blue, and white, set against a plain white background.

    Gregory Lastrapes

  • A decorative musical instrument resembling a violin, with a wooden body and a headstock. The body is filled with glass hand sculptures with intricately designed fingers. The instrument is mounted on a wooden stand.

    Paula Mandel

  • A clear glass dish with a floral and geometric pattern, shaped like a flower with multiple petals, set against a black background.

    Kimberly McKinnis

  • Broken clear glass candy wrapper with intricate patterns on a black surface.

    Kimberly McKinnis

  • A jewelry display case featuring a necklace and earrings with white flower designs and green leaves, crafted from Venetian Murano glass with seed pearls and micro-faceted beads.

    Ellen Mead

  • A rectangular optical illusion artwork featuring black squares and lines creating a three-dimensional tunnel effect.

    Paul Messink

  • Colorful glass water pipe with a wooden base, on a black background.

    Bryan Ratcliffe

  • A colorful stained glass-style still life scene featuring a potted plant with orange and purple flowers, a banana, and watermelon slices on a plate, with a window in the background showing a green, yellow, and blue landscape.

    Rebecca Ravenal

  • A colorful glass art piece with a blue background and yellow circular patterns, created with a glassblowing technique, displayed on a white surface.

    Nicholas Ricci

  • Black glass vase decorated with red roses, white tulips, and white butterflies.

    Nadine Saylor

  • A decorative lace embroidery piece featuring a circular floral pattern with black outlines, and a small square embroidery swatch with a colorful flower design attached to the top left.

    Sherry Selevan

  • A pair of they shoes, one black and the other white, with visible wear and yellow stitching marks, placed on a white background.

    Dori Settles

  • Close-up of cracked metal surface with black lines outlining the fractures, showing a rough, textured appearance.

    April Shelford

  • Close-up of a blue ice sculpture with a smooth, glossy surface and textured details, set against a dark background.

    Carolyn Spears

  • Close-up of a segmented ice cube with cracks and bubbles inside, illuminated against a black background.

    Carolyn Spears

  • Six framed abstract black and gray art pieces arranged in a 2x3 grid.

    Austin Turley

  • Colorful mosaic art piece with intricate patterns and vibrant colors, displayed on a stand.

    Karen Wilson

  • Round, iridescent, and colorful glass piece with concentric circles and abstract patterns

    Katharine Wood

  • A glass object shaped like a flame, with glowing pink, purple, and orange light illuminating its internal structure against a dark background.

    Huan Zhao

  • A black ceramic mug with an artistic design of a black panther's face, featuring piercing light blue eyes and a sleek, glossy finish.

    Huan Zhao

Portrait of a young woman with curly hair, wearing red earrings and a black top, smiling against a neutral background.

Juror
Susie Silbert

Susie J. Silbert is a curator, writer, and speaker known for her innovative approaches to interpreting the built world and her thought leadership on contemporary glass. She is a champion of new ways of thinking, a teller of stories that haven’t been told, and an advocate for artists and the creatively engaged.

Juror Statement
Because the threat of breakage is never far away, glass requires a special kind of perseverance, a willingness to walk the tightrope of success over the churning seas of failure. To fall and pick oneself up, over and over again.

And if it weren’t for the incredible results the material can give—ebullient, rich, and sometimes transcendent—it would seem a fool’s errand to keep butting one’s head against the limits of process, skill, chemistry, and physics that glassworking requires. And yet, for those who are drawn to it, glass offers the most fulfilling engagement: activating all of the intelligences in service of concept, form, and beauty.

We, the viewers, are better for their persistence. We get to bask in the beauty they have created and with any luck, gain courage to walk our own tightropes just a little more confidently. I am always inspired by the ingenuity of artists that work in this challenging material.

Juror Awards, 2025

  • Close-up of two ice cubes with intricate cracks inside, illuminated against a black background.

    First place

    Carolyn Spears
    Wisconsin

    Impact, 2022, Solid glass, 6”x9” 
    This work was made by pressing local lake ice into the surface of hot glass leaving behind an impression of its fleeting presence.

  • Pink plastic Eskimo snow slide inside a clear acrylic snowbank

    Second Place

    David King 
    Ohio

    Echo (pink), 2024, sheet glass and silicone glue construction, 6”x9”
    Echo is a series of investigations into the architecture of everyday objects. I encase colorful ambiguously useful items in a glass box which elevates, protects, and echoes the form into a slightly less resolved glass shape.

  • A black ceramic mug with a painted tiger's face and piercing blue eyes.

    Third Place

    Huan Zhao 
    New York 

    Black Cat with Teal Eyes, 2025, Glassblowing Stuffed Cup, Sandblasting, 18x14cm. 
    Created through a complex “stuffed cup” process using three layers of colored glass, the piece was meticulously sandblasted in stages to reveal shifting tones each interacting to create subtle depth and dimension.

  • Six framed black and white abstract artworks arranged in a 3x2 grid.

    Honorable Mention

    Austin Turley
    Wisconsin

    Coupler (gray 6 panels), 2025, Kiln formed cold worked, 23”x17”

    Spontaneity improvisation and techniques of the bricoleur are the result of keen observations which can lead to finding relevancy in the unexpected.

  • Modern side table with a marble-like top featuring swirling blue and white patterns and a thin metal frame.

    Honorable Mention

    Laura Bertapelle
    Pennsylvania

    Imelda End Table, 2023, Cast Glass, millwork, metal, 21”x17”

    End table featuring custom tapered steel legs and stretchers adding a delicate geometric detail that plays with the reflective qualities of metal while providing a nonintrusive border around the cast glass.

This exhibition was generously sponsored by:

Close-up of a glass artist shaping glass with tools in a workshop.

Our awards have generously been sponsored by:

Graphic with large blue text 'BLOW MORE GLOSS' and smaller white text 'ABR IMAGERY'. Includes a red lipstick, spray bottle, and makeup brush.
Logo of Paul Wissmach Glass Co. with a circular design, blue and yellow colors, the text 'PAUL WISSMACH GLASS CO.', '1904', and the location 'PADEN CITY WV'.