A native of Richmond, Virginia, Emily received her BFA in Sculpture from VCU in Richmond, Virginia. She received her MFA in Sculpture from Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri. Emily has shown her sculpture throughout the United States in art museums and galleries.
By using small hand torches I can explore the movement, structure, and pattern found in coral reef life.
Emily Williams
Building a Glass Reef
In her Glass Reef project she has been exploring marine life unique to coral reefs. By using small hand torches she can explore the movement, structure, and pattern found in coral reef life. Many coral reefs are threatened and under attack. Through this Glass Reef project she draws attention to this hidden, fragile world. In addition, she has been developing special glass working techniques for this project. Using these unique glass methods, she can create detailed brain corals and seaweeds patterns.
Exhibitions and Auctions
Emily has shown her work nationally in solo and invitational exhibitions. Recently her work was included in the Habatat Gallery Aquatica-Glass Beneath the Waves in Sarasota, Florida and the Glass 50 Exhibition-Celebrating the Year of Glass in Royal Oak, Michigan. Emily’s ocean-inspired glass sculptures were included in Lifeforms 2016 traveling to the Pittsburgh Glass Center and the Cedar Art Center in Corning, New York. Emily has participated in many high-profile glass auctions. Her work has sold in the Glass Art Society Silent Auction at the Palmer House in Chicago, as well as, selling at the UrbanGlass Gala Auction at UrbanGlass in New York, and the Gala Auction at the Liberty Glass Museum in Philadelphia.
Teaching and Awards
Emily remains active in teaching college lecture courses in art. She offers glass instruction through public glass demonstrations and has an online glass course. Emily Williams began her teaching career as Assistant Professor of Art at Clarion University of Pennsylvania where she taught all levels of sculpture, design, and art lecture courses. From 2002-present, she began teaching online art courses at Troy University Online. Recently she received her MAED in Instructional Design at Virginia Tech and currently offers a unique online course Hand Torched Glass. During her career, Emily has received numerous awards such as the Fulbright Hays grant to Italy, several fellowships in art and purchase awards from several museums.