In 1962, UW–Madison became the first university in the nation to offer a glassblowing program, a move pioneered by Harvey Littleton. At the time, glassblowing was done almost exclusively in factories and remained a largely industrial practice. Today, glass is a versatile and fascinating material for artists.

Lee discovered glassblowing at an art camp she attended in Massachusetts as a teenager. She recalls being immediately drawn to the practice, telling the Isthmus that “it was mesmerizing and so other worldly. Glass moves in a way no other material moves.”

She went on to receive a degree in architecture design from MIT and a master of fine arts in glass from the Rhode Island School of Design, eventually leaving private sector design to become a faculty member at UW–Madison in 2013, an offer she “couldn’t say no” to.

She continues to blow glass at UW–Madison’s Glass Lab, and enjoys it as much as ever. The Isthmus describes her and her assistant working as a “choreographed dance,” a process often occurring for several hours at a time.

Her assistant, Anna Lehner, who is a third-year MFA graduate student, comments on their “dance,” saying her “body feels connected to the material. … I’m more aware of gravity here (in the Glass Lab) than anywhere else.”

To learn more check out the Isthmus report.