Vitrix Hot Glass Studio Op Art Paperweight, New York Art Glass

The paperweight is signed and dated by the artist in etching on the bottom.

Thomas Kelly is an established glass artist working in Vitrix Hot Glass studio in Corning, New York. He started in the glass studios of Alex Brand and Thomas Buechner where he had the opportunity to learn from two distinctly different artists, each having their own unique talents; Kelly worked for 10 years with Thomas Buechner III at Vitrix Hot Glass Studio, developing his glass working skills and aesthetic sensitivity. At Vitrix, visiting artists such as Lino Tagliapietra and Fritz Dreisbach educated and influenced him. When Buechner made the decision to leave glass to grow in another direction, Kelly was ready to take over ownership of Vitrix.

Founded in 1979 by brothers Matthew and Thomas Buechner III in Corning’s Market Street District, Vitrix Hot Glass Studio is regarded among America’s prominent contemporary glass studios. Kelly’s work has been published and exhibited internationally and can be found in fine stores and galleries across the United States and in Canada, Europe, and Japan. Museum collections include the Corning Museum of Glass, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum fur Kunst and Gewerbe, High Museum of Art, and others.