Judith Schaechter (b. 1961)
Fine Example, 2000
Stained, cut, polished
and engraved glass
Photo courtesy of Judith Schaechter

Ginny Ruffner (1952-2025)
Toys of Art History, 1989
Flameworked glass, mixed media

Tim Tate (b. 1960)
A Map of the Human Heart, 2007
Blown, cast, glass vials, flameworked, diamond point engraving
Photo credit: Pete Duvall

The Museum of American Glass at WheatonArts is excited to unveil an unprecedented gift of almost 60 artworks selected from the Linda and Henry Wasserstein collection of contemporary glass. The Wasserstein’s generous donation features work by the artists who first transformed glass into a medium for functional, sculptural, and conceptual art, as well as those who are leading the field today.

Many pioneers of the American Studio Glass Movement, such as Harvey Littleton, Richard Marquis, Toots Zynsky, and Ginny Ruffner are represented in the exhibition. With unbridled enthusiasm, this generation of artists  pursued their own unique approaches to glass, often taking the material in new directions and pushing the perceived limits of traditional techniques. 

The Wasserstein collection is also notable for the number of works depicting some aspect of the human form. Sculptures by Dean Allison, Christina Bothwell, Lucy Lyon, and others explore the strength, vulnerability, and potential of the human spirit. Many pieces in the exhibition invite serious contemplation and introspection; others are playful and humorous.  

Transformations: The Wasserstein Collection of Contemporary Glass speaks to the energizing symbiotic relationships between collectors, gallerists, curators, and artists that made studio glass a worldwide phenomenon in the last decades of the twentieth century. Organizations like the Glass Art Society and the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, as well as the biennial GlassWeekend events at WheatonArts provided fertile ground for this network to grow into a vital community. The Wassersteins were at the center of this activity as WheatonArts evolved into a haven for creativity.

Transformations presents the Wasserstein’s gift in its entirety. We invite visitors viewing the exhibition to imagine themselves in the role of the collector. What do you love enough to live with? There is truly something for everyone.