William Morris

(American, b. 1957)

“Although my work is shaped by the influences of contemporary life and technology,
it contemplates fragments from the past; reinventing the narrative of the hunt,
stories, and rituals which continue to live on in the artifacts which remain.”
— William Morris

William Morris is a contemporary American glass artist most famous for his ability to incorporate historical imagery and unexpected materials into his unique glasswork. Morris transforms the innately beautiful medium into masterpieces that often appear to be anything but glass. Inspired by various ancient civilizations, archaeology, and nature, Morris creates glass reimaginations of various subjects such as bones, animals, artifacts, symbols, woodcarvings, stone, etc. His works reflect historical imagery from groups of the Native and Latin Americas, Asia, and Egypt. Through his timeless pieces, he seeks to reinforce the relationship between nature and man without cultural limitations. Morris’ works are undoubtedly admired, sought after, and praised in the world of glass art.

Morris was born on July 25, 1957 in Carmel, California, unbeknown to him that his passion for glassblowing would develop 20 years later. He attended California State University before moving to Washington, where he continued his education at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. In 1977, he began working as a truck driver for the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington where he would first be introduced to glass. He found success in his early work, such that renowned glass artist and Pilchuck co-founder, Dale Chihuly, appointed Morris as lead glassblower in his studio. He worked under Chihuly throughout the early 1980’s until he began making his own work. Morris formed his studio in Everett, Washington, and by the 1990’s, he would develop his own reminiscent style and create his symbolic works for over 25 years.

Morris’ techniques were revolutionary in the world of glass art. After working with Italian artist Pino Signoretto, Morris developed a new method of using propane torches to directly heat specific areas of a piece, allowing for the incredible level of detail that his works contain. He would also implement various naturalistic methods for creating texture such as acid washing, etching, and using powdered glass. Morris plays with both traditional and non-traditional methods in order to execute his vision, pushing the glass medium further than he ever expected.

Morris has had a very successful career in glasswork with an extensive history of solo and group exhibitions, as well as teaching experience and recognition. His first solo exhibition took place at Foster/White Gallery in Seattle, Washington in 1980. Following, he would have several exhibitions annually in galleries across the world such as: Betsy Rosenfield Gallery in Chicago, IL (1985); Glass Art Gallery of Toronto, Canada (1988); Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC (1990); Lisa Sette Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ (1995); Heller Gallery in New York, NY (2001); Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark (2003); Habatat Gallery in Boca Raton, FL (2007); and countless more. Morris work was displayed in multiple exhibitions alongside Chihuly, including “Dale Chihuly, William Morris Show”, at Hokin Gallery in Palm Beach, FL (1981) and “Chihuly and Morris at The Works”, at The Works Gallery in Philadelphia, PA (1983). Morris’ works have been viewed in over 300 group exhibitions and 150 solo exhibitions throughout his career, highlighting his impact as a glass artist of the 20th and into the 21st centuries. Morris has shared his skill and passion for glass through many demonstrations and lectures. He continues to teach at the Pilchuck Glass School, where he first found his passion for glass. Over 50 demonstrations have taken place in various locations such as: Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA (1984); Niijima Art Glass Center in Tokyo, Japan (1992); the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in Scottsdale, AZ (1999); and many more. Public collections that hold Morris works include that at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Musee Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, Corning Museum of Glass in New York, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art in Japan, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In 1994, Morris received his first award, an Individual Artist Grant, from the National Endowment for the Arts. Since then, he has received other awards such as the Visionaries Award from American Craft Museum in New York in 2001, the Jurors Award at both the 32nd and 33rd Annual International Glass Invitational at Habatat Galleries in Royal Oak, MI in 2004 and 2005, and the Fellow of the American Craft Council in 2007. Morris retired from actively creating glasswork in 2007, but has since then reopened his studio to display an evolution of works from 1984 to 2007. His inspiration to reopen arose after the designation of 2022 as “The International Year of Glass” by the United Nations. Morris announced the reopening of his studio space in collaboration with his daughter, Jackie Morris-Shchuka, as studio manager. As of the reopening, 10% of the gallery’s proceeds are contributed to programs listed in the United Nations Declaration.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of William Morris. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.