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Nancy Callan

Nancy Callan grew up near Boston, MA, working as a pizza-maker, band roadie and graphic designer before attending the Massachusetts College of Art (BFA 1996). A chance peek into the hot glass studio changed the trajectory of her life; she was entranced by the fluid, glowing material and the demanding choreography of working at the furnace. In 1996 she relocated to Seattle, WA to join maestro Lino Tagliapietra’s glassblowing team, rising to a key position as his assistant and travelling internationally to teach and demonstrate the craft. Through this nineteen-year apprenticeship, Callan mastered the traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques that are the foundation of her innovative work with line, pattern and color.
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Callan has blazed a trail as an LGBTQ woman, helping to inspire, teach and mentor the next generation of diverse artists in glass. Residencies, workshops and collaborations continue to feed her practice and create space for experimentation. Callan brings a contemporary sensibility and distinctive approach to the material and processes of hot glass working.

Nancy Callan is represented by galleries throughout North America and her work is in the collections of the Museum of Glass (WA), Microsoft Collection, Chrysler Museum (VA), The Mint Museum (NC), Peabody-Essex Museum (MA), Barry Museum (VA), Corning Museum of Glass (NY) and the Shanghai Museum of Glass (China). A solo exhibition, “Nancy Callan: Forces At Play”, was presented at the Museum of Glass (Tacoma, WA) in 2024-25.
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Selected Exhibitions

Use Me, I'm Fragile Exhibition

Use Me, I'm Fragile

September 16 - October 23, 2026

C.V.

Education

1996   BFA – Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA
1996   Advanced Glassblowing Workshop – Lino Tagliapietra, The Studio, Corning, NY

Select Exhibitions

2026   “Use Me, I’m Fragile” – The Future Perfect, New York, NY

2025   â€œNancy Callan: Forces At Play” – Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

2025   â€œThe Clown In Me Loves You” – Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA

2024   â€œCounterpoint” – Sandra Ainsley Gallery, Toronto, CAN

2024   â€œLA Art Fair” – Montague Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2024   â€œThe Pforzheimer Collection of Studio Glass” – Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

2024   â€œFor the Love of Glass: From the Collection of Chris Rifkin” – Sandwich Glass Museum, Sandwich, MA

2023   â€œThis is Becoming a Pattern” – Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA

2023   â€œCraft Across Continents” – Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC

2023   â€œConfluence: Nancy Callan and Mel Douglas” – Centre de Verre Contemporaire, Biot, FR

2023   â€œConnections” – Schack Art Center, Everett, WA

2023   â€œThe Clown In Me Loves You” – Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art at Cal State San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA

2022   â€œBeyond The Ceiling” – Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art + Design

2022   â€œNancy Callan: Phenomena” – Montague Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2022   â€œFired Up: Glass Today” – Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT

2021   â€œThe Clown In Me Loves You” – Bainbridge Island Art Museum, Bainbridge, WA

2021   â€œIn Her Voice: Influential Women in Glass” – Sandwich Glass Museum, Sandwich, MA

2021   â€œMelting Point” – Heller Gallery, NY, NY / Ferrin Contemporary Gallery, North Adams, MA

2021   â€œFluid Formations: The Legacy of Glass in the Pacific Northwest” – Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA

2020   â€œVenice and American Studio Glass” – Le Stanze del Vetro, Venice, Italy

2020   â€œNancy Callan: Dialogues” – Heller Gallery, NY, NY

2019   â€œTransparency: An LGBTQ+ Glass Art Exhibition” – Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

2019   â€œSpin,Weave,Gather” – Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC

2019   â€œSecret Admirer” – Pilchuck Glass Gallery, Seattle, WA

2019   â€œFeatured Artist” – SOFA Chicago, Duane Reed Gallery, Chicago, IL

2018   â€œInner Visions” – Hawk Galleries, Columbus, OH

2018   â€œFeatured Artist” – TEFAF, Michele Beiny Gallery, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2018   â€œFeatured Artist” – Masterpiece, Michele Beiny Gallery, London, England

2018   â€œInfinite Patterns” – Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO

2017   â€œAnemones” – Duncan McClellan Glass, St. Petersburg, FL

2017   â€œNo Glass Ceiling: Women Working in Glass Part 1” – Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA

2016   â€œFrom Here to Infinity” – Solo Exhibition, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA

2016   â€œNancy Callan: Snowmen” – Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

2016   â€œHotspot: Contemporary Glass from Private Collections” – Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH

2015   â€œGroup Show” – Chihuly Collection, St. Petersburg, FL

2015   â€œOver the Top” – Duncan McClellan Glass, St. Petersburg, FL

2015   â€œNancy Callan / Steve Jensen” – Hawk Galleries, Columbus, OH

2015   â€œGlass Works” – Museo, Langley, WA

2014   â€œFeatured Artist” – Schantz Galleries, Stockbridge, MA

2014   â€œMasters of Glass” – Napua Gallery, Waimea, HI

2014   â€œGroup Show” – Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA

2014   â€œTotem” – The Future Perfect, San Francisco, CA

2013   â€œCuriosity Vessels” – Carwan Gallery, Katara Art Center, Doha, Qatar

2013   â€œeXpose” – Habatat Galleries, Royal Oaks, MI

2013   â€œNancy Callan: Snowmen” – The Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

2013   â€œGlass Today” – Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2013   â€œContemporary Glass from the Kaplan/Ostergaard Collection” – Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA

2013   â€œRobert Lepper & Nancy Callan” – Concept Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA

2012   â€œNancy Callan: Elemental” – Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2012   â€œDuality: Nancy Callan and Ethan Stern” – Hawk Galleries, Columbus, OH

2012   â€œStrong Presence” – Hodgell Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2012   â€œ50 x 50: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Studio Glass” – Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI

2011   â€œClouds” – Davis and Cline Gallery, Ashland, OR

2011   â€œHomage to Bornholm” – Gronbechs Gard, Hasle, Denmark

2011   â€œFeatured Artist” – Schantz Gallery Glass Tour, Seattle, WA (Catalog)

2011   â€œGlass Quake” – Group Exhibition, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA

2011   â€œConvergence Zone” – Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA

2010   â€œNancy Callan: Glass Fantastic” – The Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA

2010   â€œNancy Callan: Blown Glass Sculpture” – Dane Gallery, Nantucket, MA

2010   â€œThe Secret Garden” – The Future Perfect, NY, NY

2010   â€œNancy Callan: Summer Series” – Schantz Galleries, Stockbridge, MA

2010   â€œGlass Arts Society Group Exhibition” – Zephyr Gallery, Louisville, KY

2010   â€œShe Said, She Said” – Traver Gallery, Tacoma, WA

2009   â€œNew Work by Nancy Callan” – Hawk Galleries, SOFA, Chicago, IL

2009   â€œNancy Callan: Seventh-Inning Stretch” – The Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI

2009   â€œNancy Callan: Seventh-Inning Stretch” – The Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA

2009   â€œCome On, Get Happy!” – Hawk Galleries, Columbus, OH

2009   â€œThe Blue Room” – New Glass Art and Photography, Berlin, Germany

2009   â€œBlue Rain Gallery and the New Glass Art Movement of the Southwest” – Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2008   â€œNeoNature” – Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA

2008   â€œNancy Callan” – Davis and Cline Gallery, Ashland, OR

2008   â€œClear Your Mind: Contemporary Glass Invitational” – Figge Museum, Davenport, IA

2008   â€œHomage to a Maestro” – The Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

2007   â€œOngoing Invention” – The Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum, San Bernardino, CA

2007   â€œWobble and Bob” – The Daniel Kany Gallery, Portland, ME

2007   â€œBehind Glass: Creativity and Collaboration” – The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL

2007   â€œSummer Exhibition” – Holsten Gallery, Stockbridge, MA

2006   â€œWoolgathering” – William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA

2006   â€œNew Work” – Alysia Duckler Gallery, Portland, OR

2006   â€œSeattle Artists Exhibition” – D&A Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA

2006   â€œBurning Ideas: Contemporary Visions in Glass” – The River Tree Center for the Arts, Kennebunk, ME

2006   â€œMade at the Museum” – The Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

2005   â€œNew Work” – Alysia Duckler Gallery, Portland, OR

2005   â€œTopsy Turvy” – Hawk Gallery, Columbus, OH

2005   â€œContemporary Glass” – Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT

2005   â€œNancy Callan” – The Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

2004   â€œThe Italian Influence in Contemporary Glass” – Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY

2004   â€œFall for Glass ‘04” – Morgan Contemporary Glass, Pittsburgh, PA

2004   â€œObjects of Diversion” – William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA

2004   â€œA New Vanguard” – Chappell Gallery, New York, NY

2004   â€œLong Live the Lamplighters” – Priceless Works Gallery, Seattle, WA

2004   â€œFiery Influences” – Hanson Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2004   â€œThe Language of Color” – Morgan Contemporary Glass, Pittsburgh, PA

2004   â€œGlass Invitational” – Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA

2003   â€œNew Work” – Alysia Duckler Gallery, Portland, OR

2003   â€œChroma” – Friesen Gallery, Sun Valley, ID

2003   â€œMoxie” – William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA

2003   â€œEchoes” – Solomon Fine Art, Seattle, WA

2003   â€œArtists of My Area/Era Working Drawings” – Bubba-Mavis Presentation, Seattle, WA

2002   â€œToyland” – Alysia Duckler Gallery, Portland, OR

2002   â€œNew Artists” – William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA

2002   â€œIntroductions” – Alysia Duckler Gallery, Portland, OR

2001   â€œNancy Callan” – Vetri International Glass, Seattle, WA

2001   â€œThe White Exhibition” – Portfolio Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2000   â€œPratt Instructors Show” – CoCA Gallery, Seattle, WA

1996   â€œGlass: The Cutting Edge” – The Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA

1996   â€œMaster and Students” – The Grohe Gallery, Boston, MA

1996   â€œMass Glass” – The Bakalar Gallery, Boston, MA

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