Charles Shepard, President & CEO
I’m just back from Royal Oak, Michigan where the renown Habatat Gallery unveiled the vast annual glass sculpture exposition known as the “International” opened to the public. This iteration of the International was the 53rd Annual and it was breathtaking!
Brit Micho, our Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, and I were part of the jury that was charged with selecting the twenty-four artists who would be recognized as the “best of show” group for 2025. This historically significant and much celebrated sensory overload of superlative glass from all over the world drew thousands of visitors to Habatat Gallery in the first week. My role was simply to oversee the jury process while Brit joined in with fellow jurists Brent Cole, Director of the Studio Glass Program at the Marilyn K. Glick Glass Center for Glass, and Robert Wojtowicz, Interim Executive Director of the Barry Museum at Old Dominion University, to make the tough choices of who would get selected as this year’s award winners. All the award winners will be included in a fabulous exhibition this summer at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Just looking at all the works in the expansive Habatat’s many galleries took the jurists close to two hours. The daunting process of selecting work by just twenty-four artists took still longer. Their final selections were all stunners – the best of the best!
The winners were announced just as lunch was served and artists, collectors, local press, and Habatat fans all gathered to feast and celebrate all the participants in this year’s International. Over eighty artists participated in the 53rd International and each artist was represented by several works so the exhibition, in total, presented some 500+ pieces of the world’s most dazzling art in glass. For we who collect, the array of beautiful objects was overwhelming. I selected several very special pieces for the Museum’s glass collection but, in my mind, my shopping list ran into the dozens! Happily, there were a high number of works that were very affordable, as well as some that were at the higher ends of the price spectrum. That any interested buyer could meet and talk with most of the artists in the exhibition certainly enhanced the experience and, often, led potential buyers to be a little bolder in their selections.
From a strictly aesthetic perspective, I will say that the 53rd International was proof that the glass artworld in 2025 is visually robust and worthy of our attention. Every artist I talked to spoke of their energetic commitment to pushing themselves to take their work to new levels and realms. And the results of that collective effort were evident as I moved from room to room of Habatat’s capacious gallery space. Like many of you, I receive a number of art publications every couple of months and I really seldom see or read about any contemporary two- or three-dimensional work that excites me to the degree that contemporary glass regularly does. Continually, I see work in glass that I can’t wait to exhibit to the public or purchase for our Museum’s collection.
With regard to seeing in person a huge trove of glass from all over the world, Habatat’s International truly has no peer. If you haven’t yet visited the gallery to participate in the International (or any of their other year ‘round exhibits) you should seriously think about making plans to visit. In your plans, make sure to earmark a little time for the Henry Ford Museum, the Detroit Institute of the Arts, and Cranbrook Academy after your eyes have been sufficiently dazzled by the glass!
To see some of our favorite pieces, visit the Glass Wing at FWMoA to find a variety of glass techniques and styles on display!
It was such an honor to have Charles Shepard and Brit Micho serve as jurors and supporters of our 53rd Annual International Glass Invitational in Michigan. Their ongoing contributions to the world of art glass continue to shape, elevate, and inspire the field. We are deeply grateful for their time, insight, and passion.
I also attended, and it was Unbelievable. Beyond first class. The whole experience was very enlightening. Habatat is The best I have attended. Everyone was so friendly as well. If anyone wants to learn in detail about glass , Corey and Aaron really are the ones you should contact. They don’t just simply sell glass. They want to make everyone happy and are extremely accommodating. If anyone is not knowledgeable about a certain artist they will take the time to explain all details. Debbie is so pleasant, and the guys in the warehouse are simply great. The entire operation is First Class.I will not miss another event. Keep up the good work. William J. Catalfina.