William Morris
William Morris Biography
For more than twenty-five years, in a career that brought him to the forefront of the modern Studio Glass movement, William Morris perfected a repertoire of techniques that virtually no other American glass artist can equal. Internationally acclaimed for his compelling work with glass,
William Morris approached the demands of glassblowing and glass sculpting with an experimental eye and an innovative hand.
For Morris, glass is an endlessly intriguing material, fragile yet timeless, preserving the spontaneity
of the creative moment unlike any other medium. William Morris artworks in glass are widely admired by artists, sought by collectors, and praised by critics.
William Morris Description
William Morris (b. 1957, USA)
William Morris is an American glass artist who has been able to change the history of art within his lifetime. He was educated at California State University, Chico, California and Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington.
William Morris began his glass career as a truck driver for Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington, where he was first introduced to the material. He then learned the art of glass making and eventually became an instructor at Pilchuck Glass School. Early in his career (late 1970s to early 1980s) he was head gaffer for Dale Chihuly. By the mid 1980s, he bagan making work on his own. He has developed his work in collaboration with artists like Ross Richmond, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen, Jon Ormbrek, Rik Allen, Randy Walker and Trumaine Mason. Morris and his team maintained the William Morris Studio, WA, throughout its duration. Morris also spent time in the late 1980s in Italy learning from Venetian masters.
Morris’ work is an attempt to add to the archeological record of humankind. Instead of focusing on glass’s natural beauty, he uses the medium’s ability to transform into wood, bone, fiber, and sinew. He is inspired by ancient civilizations, such as Egyptian, Asian, Native American and Latin American. He also draws inspiration from the wilderness and the relationship between man and animal.
Morris achieved much success during his career and retired in 2007.
William Morris Resumé
EDUCATION
California State University, Chico, California
Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington
AWARDS
2007 Fellow of the American Craft Council, The American Craft Council College of
Fellows, New York, NY
Aileen Osborn Webb Award, The American Craft Council, New York, NY
2006 Jurors Award, 34th Annual International Glass Invitational, Habatat Galleries,
Royal Oak, MI
2005 Master of the Medium Award, James Renwick Alliance, Washington, DC
Jurors Award, 33rd Annual International Glass Invitational, Habatat Galleries,
Royal Oak, MI
2004 Jurors Award, 32nd Annual International Glass Invitational, Habatat Galleries,
Royal Oak, MI
2002 Artist as Hero Award, National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2001 Visionaries Award, American Craft Museum, New York, NY
1997 Outstanding Achievement in Glass, Urban Glass Third Annual Awards Dinner,
New York, NY
Distinguished Alumni Award, California State University, Chico, CA
Featured Artist, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Artists Series
1994 National Endowment for the Arts, Individual Artist Grant
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2010 “Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition, Fort Collins Museum of
Contemporary Art, Fort Collins, CO
2009 “Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition, Telfair Museum of
Art, Savannah, GA
“Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition, The Dayton Art Institute,
Dayton, OH
Holsten Gallery, Stockbridge, MA
2008 “Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition, Hunter Museum of
American Art, Chattanooga, TN
Holsten Gallery, Stockbridge, MA
Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
Friesen Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
2007 “Native Species – The George Stroemple Collection”, Traveling Exhibition;
Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
Habatat Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
Holsten Gallery, Stockbridge, MA
2006 “Native Species – The George Stroemple Collection”, Traveling Exhibition;
Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
“Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition, The Columbus Museum,
Columbus, GA
“Medicine Jars”, Ameringer Yohe Fine Art, New York, NY
Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
“William Morris: Selected Works 2000-2005”, Holsten Gallery,
Stockbridge, MA
2005 Donna Karan Showroom, New York, NY
Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“William Morris: Selected Works 1997-2004”, Holsten Gallery, Stockbridge, MA
“Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition;
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
International Museum of Glass, Tacoma WA
2004 “William Morris: Selected Works 1999-2004”, Holsten Gallery,
Stockbridge, MA
Habatat Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition;
Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA
Kimball Art Center, Park City, UT
“Past, Present, Future”, National Glass Centre, Sunderland, UK and
Westfalisches Industriemuseum Glashutte Gernheim, Petershagen,
Germany
2003 “Common Ceremony”, Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO
“Objects of Common Ceremony”, Friesen Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
“New Work”, Susan Duval Gallery, Aspen, CO
“Idolos Installation” William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA & Telluride Gallery of
Fine Art, CO
“Elegy”, Cinerary Urn Installation, Museum of Arts & Design, New York
“Past, Present, Future”, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Denmark
“Unearthed: The Glass Art of William Morris”, Pensacola Museum of Art,
Pensacola, FL
Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, Telluride, CO
“Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition;
Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA
Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN
“William Morris: Cinerary Urns”, Montgomery Museum of Art, Montgomery, AL
“Man Adorned”, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, OR
2002 “Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition;
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX
The Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
Updated: February 2012 2 of 27
Habatat Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
“Man Adorned”, Traveling Exhibition;
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA
Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA
“William Morris: Two Installations”, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA
2001 “Myth, Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition;
Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC
Riley Hawk Gallery, Cleveland, OH
Heller Gallery, New York, NY
2000 Heller Gallery, New York, NY
“Animals and Relics”, Guild.com online exhibition in conjunction with the
Heller Gallery, New York, NY
Maurine Littleton Gallery, Washington, DC
Susan Duval Gallery, Aspen, CO
Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
University Art Gallery, California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo, CA
1999 “Myth Object and the Animal”, Traveling Exhibition;
The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA
Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
Habatat Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
Lisa Sette Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
Marx Saunders Gallery, Chicago, IL
Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, WA
1998 Susan Duval Gallery, Aspen, CO
Friesen Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
Foster White Gallery, Seattle, WA
Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Riley Hawk Gallery, Columbus, OH
Please contact the gallery for a complete version of Morris' resume
