Meet Rob Stern

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Stern.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rob. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Miami and as an infant moved to Atlanta. My parents were both artists and introduced me to ways of being creative from early childhood. I attended a high school for performing arts in Atlanta, GA, then went on to study art in California. I found glassblowing as my signature medium during this time and immediately attended the premier Pilchuck Glass School in Washington state where I had the opportunity to study and work with the top international figures in the field. This would give me the opportunity to travel, live, and work abroad with the world’s greatest masters in glass centers of Italy, Czech Republic, and Scandinavia. After years of apprenticeships, I would eventually teach with many of my mentors at the top institutions for glass where I now continue to lead workshops annually.

I returned to Miami in 1997 to complete my MFA at the University of Miami. Upon finishing my degree, I helped develop and eventually ran their glass sculpture program for several years. I also held a professor position at the University of Texas Arlington for some time.

I founded Rob Stern Art Glass Inc. in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami in 2000 where my team and I have been creating original work, lighting design, and site-specific architectural installations internationally. My time is now divided between teaching, creating signature works, residencies, and demonstrating at renown centers for glass worldwide.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey has been quite exciting and enchanted. I have had unmeasurable experiences across the globe that were accompanied by education, adventure, professional projects, and most importantly fun. Being a professional artist is always a difficult path but there are some unique challenges that are specific to glass art. Glass is extremely difficult to create, takes a lifetime to master, and is increasingly taxing on the body. As I have gotten older I’m not able to push myself to the same extremes that I did in previous years and have had to develop ways of working smarter rather than stronger.

The knowledge and relationships I have acquired from over thirty years of making glass has been the key to pursuing a direction which strives to produce my art at the highest level. This represents a constant challenge as the market has shifted over the years and requires a constant reevaluation of the platform and purpose of my art.

The personal connections cultivated throughout years in the industry provide me with the great fortune of a strong team which utilizes glassmakers which come from a vast global community allowing me to execute projects virtually anywhere in the world. We have grown into a connected family of makers and enthusiasts with a deep understanding of the material. This combined with a supportive community is the most valuable asset to help overcome adversity and push our creations to the next level.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rob Stern Art Glass story. Tell us more about it.
My aesthetic resides at the crossroads where humans and nature intersect. Between organic and angular, a space, which connects the temporary man-made to the pre-existing and eternal cosmos. Here we begin to measure our perspective and contemplate the perception of our place in the world as it is one that is always changing with evolution, light and time. I venture to capture moments with materials that speak to a fleeting sensibility of the permanence or importance of this concept. Color and form dictate emotion and humanity is transcended as we constantly reflect the rhythm and patterning in this natural world. My attention to detail is an attempt to mimic the complexity of this relationship and my sculptures are mere stepping stones towards my search for a connection to truth. Harmonic instances between what I sense and do are the signals which guide me through the process and prompt creative decisions. My works act as a communicative device which seeks to connect my thoughts and my actions to the collective human consciousness.

So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
I will be working on large site-specific architectural installations and sculptural chandeliers, as well as continuing to refine my own original sculpture series which Ive been developing throughout my career. I plan to utilize larger teams to create exceptional works and use upcoming residencies in Europe, Asia, and the US to develop these new ideas.

I will continue to pursue teaching opportunities at top institutions where my enthusiasm and knowledge of the material will help inspire and lead young new artists to uncharted territories and discover, not just new ways to create special things from glass but to learn about themselves and their place in the world. As an artist that has been very fortunate to know and work with top glass masters throughout my career, I am committed to giving back to our artist community and ensuring that the glass medium continues to advance and look forward to being an integral part of this evolution.

Pricing:

• My work ranges from $1000 – $75,000 (from object to large commissions)

Contact Info:

• Address: Rob Stern Art Glass Inc.
  2341 N. Miami Ave.
  Miami, Fl 33127
• Website: robsternartglass.com
• Phone: 3059038566
• Email: info@robsternartglass.com
• Instagram: @robsternartglass
• Facebook: robsternartglass

Image Credit:
Rob Stern, Steven Best, Peter Debe

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