Each summer at the Chihuly Collection, we highlight the work of an artist who creates and/or teaches at the Morean Glass Studio. The purpose of this exhibition series is to demonstrate that extraordinary glass art is made not only in the Pacific Northwest (where Dale Chihuly is from) but also right here in our backyard.  This year’s featured Morean Glass Studio artist is Dan Alexander, who, along with Chihuly, is inspired by the rhythms and intricacies of the natural world.

Dan has been affiliated with the Morean since 2022 when he was brought on to assist with teaching workshops, conducting public glassblowing demonstrations, and educating museum guests about the history of glass and the artists’ creative process. During this time, he has also utilized the Morean’s studio to create his signature product lines and one-of-a-kind works of art.

Dan states, “my work investigates the intersection of pattern, sculpture, and form through the transformative medium of glass. Inspired by organic structures, historical artifacts, architectural motifs, global textiles, and the textures discovered in nature discovered during my international travels, I reinterpret the environments around me with a focus on the hidden elegance of repetition and the quiet power of small, overlooked details.

“Glass, with its fluidity, translucence, and ability to capture both light and movement, becomes a conduit for these explorations. The repetition of intricate lines, the layering of colors, and the subtle variations across a surface become meditations on time, labor, and the invisible forces that shape our world. My work seeks to blur the line between the organic and the constructed, inviting viewers to see the familiar anew—as if peering into a tide pool, a tapestry, or a ruin, and discovering an unexpected universe within.

“Ultimately, my practice is an ongoing dialogue between observation and transformation—a way to honor the details that often go unnoticed, and to celebrate the beauty found in the act of accumulation, rhythm, nature, architecture and creating.”

About the artist:

Dan Alexander grew up in a small town in Northeast Ohio, where he developed a deep interest in art, history, nature, and the creative process. From the moment he first witnessed glass being made, he knew it was a craft he had to master.

He pursued his passion by earning a BFA with a concentration in glass from Kent State University. During his time there, he explored glass as a creative medium while studying color theory, composition, art history, and other materials.

After graduation, Dan continued honing his craft by studying under some of the top glass artists working today. He spent time in Murano, Italy, apprenticing with Maestro Davide Salvadore to create large-scale blown glass artworks. He also worked for the Corning Museum of Glass as Lead Gaffer, spending six years traveling internationally and educating audiences about the science and history of glassmaking.

Dan later served as Studio Director at a glass factory in St. Louis and as an adjunct professor at Washington University. In these roles, he oversaw studio operations and production, created site-specific installations, and taught glassblowing and design.

Since 2016, Dan has focused on establishing himself as an independent artist. His work has earned recognition through prestigious residencies, including the Emerging Artist Residency at Duncan McClellan Gallery (St. Petersburg, FL), the AACG Professional Artist Residency at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts (Reading, PA), and the Empire of Glass residency and exhibition in Vienna, Austria. He was also nominated for the Glass Art Society’s Saxe Emerging Artist Award and received an International Exhibiting Artist Award from the Effect, Dream, Transform exhibition in Üsküdar, Türkiye.

Dan Alexander’s glass art can be found in collections and galleries around the world.

Home – Dan Alexander Glassworks