Sam Herman
Encyclopedia
Sam Herman is a contemporary glass artist. An early student of Harvey Littleton
, Herman is credited as one of the founders of the Studio Glass movement in Great Britain. He was seminal in spreading the idea of the movement through his teaching positions in England, (at the Royal College of Art and the Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education), and Australia (at the Jam Factory Workshops in Adelaide) and through the exhibition of his own sculpture in glass. Through the years the artist has resided and established his personal studio in London, England (1979–90), South Australia (1974–79). From 1993 to the present he has maintained studios in Spain and London.
in Bellingham, Washington where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1962. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he studied under Professor Harvey Littleton. He was awarded the MFA from that institution in 1965. Upon receipt of a scholarship, Herman afterward traveled to Great Britain for study at the Edinburgh College of Art
from 1965 to 1966. After this he studied at the Royal College of Art
(RCA) in London from 1966 to 1967, when he was appointed the head of the Glass Department.
. It was Australia's first hot glass studio. In 1979 Herman returned to England and set up his own glass studio in London, where he worked until 1990.
(1970), the University of California at Berkeley (1971) and California College of Arts and Crafts (1972–73).
in Adelaide; the National Gallery of Victoria
, in Melbourne; the Art Gallery of Western Australia
in Perth; Viennese Glass Museum in Vienna, Austria; Glasmuseum Frauenau (Sammlung Wolfgang Kermer), Germany; the Düsseldorf Art Museum in Ehrenhof, Düsseldorf, Germany; the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh; the Victoria and Albert Museum
, London; The Art Institute of Chicago; The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, the Chazen Museum of Art
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and the National Museum of American History
, Smithsonian Institution
, Washington, DC.
Harvey Littleton
Harvey Littleton is an American educator and glass artist. Born in Corning, New York, he grew up in the shadow of Corning Glassworks, where his father headed Research and Development during the 1930s...
, Herman is credited as one of the founders of the Studio Glass movement in Great Britain. He was seminal in spreading the idea of the movement through his teaching positions in England, (at the Royal College of Art and the Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education), and Australia (at the Jam Factory Workshops in Adelaide) and through the exhibition of his own sculpture in glass. Through the years the artist has resided and established his personal studio in London, England (1979–90), South Australia (1974–79). From 1993 to the present he has maintained studios in Spain and London.
Early life
Samuel J. Herman was born in Mexico City in 1936; his family moved to the United States when he was nine years old. From 1955 to 1959 Herman served in the U.S. Navy. He became a US citizen in the early 1960s.Education
Herman’s art education was first taken at Western Washington UniversityWestern Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
in Bellingham, Washington where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1962. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he studied under Professor Harvey Littleton. He was awarded the MFA from that institution in 1965. Upon receipt of a scholarship, Herman afterward traveled to Great Britain for study at the Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
from 1965 to 1966. After this he studied at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
(RCA) in London from 1966 to 1967, when he was appointed the head of the Glass Department.
Founder
In 1969 Herman established a workshop, The Glasshouse, in London. It was the first glass studio of its kind in Great Britain. In 1974 he traveled to Australia, where, in cooperation with the South Australian Craft Authority, he set up the glass area at Jam Factory Workshops, Inc. in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. It was Australia's first hot glass studio. In 1979 Herman returned to England and set up his own glass studio in London, where he worked until 1990.
Educator
Herman headed the Glass Department at the Royal College of Art (RCA) for 1967 to 1974. His former students include Pauline Solven, Annette Meech, Steven Newell and Jiri Suhajek. Herman left the RCA when he was invited by the South Australian government to found the glass studio at Jam Factory Workshops. He spent the next five years in Australia, creating glass sculpture, exhibiting and conducting workshops. When he returned to London in 1979, he took a position as head of the glass area at the Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education (now Buckinghamshire New University), which later named him head of the Ceramics and Glass Department at the school. His tenure ended in 1990, when he took a consulting position with the Cristalleries Val Saint Lambert in Belgium. In addition to his teaching positions in England, Herman taught workshops in the United States at Haystack Mountain School of CraftsHaystack Mountain School of Crafts
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, commonly called "Haystack," is a craft school located on the coast of Deer Isle, Maine.Haystack was founded in 1950. It took its name from its original location near Haystack Mountain, in Montville, Maine...
(1970), the University of California at Berkeley (1971) and California College of Arts and Crafts (1972–73).
Collections
Herman’s work has been collected by the Art Gallery of South AustraliaArt Gallery of South Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia , located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in Adelaide, is the premier visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of over 35,000 works of art, making it, after the National Gallery of Victoria, the largest state...
in Adelaide; the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
, in Melbourne; the Art Gallery of Western Australia
Art Gallery of Western Australia
The Art Gallery of Western Australia is a public gallery that is part of the Perth Cultural Centre, in Perth, Western Australia. It is located near the Western Australian Museum and State Library of Western Australia...
in Perth; Viennese Glass Museum in Vienna, Austria; Glasmuseum Frauenau (Sammlung Wolfgang Kermer), Germany; the Düsseldorf Art Museum in Ehrenhof, Düsseldorf, Germany; the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh; the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, London; The Art Institute of Chicago; The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, the Chazen Museum of Art
Chazen Museum of Art
The Chazen Museum of Art is an art museum accredited by the American Association of Museums located at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. It was known as the Elvehjem Museum of Art until 2005...
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and the National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
, Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, Washington, DC.