John Nygren Glass Artist

BFA, 1965

Nygren is a senior member of the North Carolina glass art community and a renowned American master. He received his B.F.A. from the University of Nebraska– Lincoln in 1965, where he received the Vreeland Award. His interest in glass was peaked by his professor and printmaker Jean Richards.

John continued his studies at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1967, where he received his Master of Fine Arts. He attended a three-week glassblowing course at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, which changed his life. He gained the basic skills and confidence he needed to dedicate his creative energy to glass art.

The central theme reflected in his glass art has always been a deep-felt reverence toward nature. He was named the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Artist of the Year in 2000, and his work has been shown in more than 350 exhibitions throughout the U.S.

Collections that feature his work include:
• The Corning Museum of Glass
• The Smithsonian Institution
• The Mint Museum
• Asheville Art Museum
• Sheldon Museum of Art
• R.J. Reynolds Collection