Biography: Caitlin Hyde

Caitlin Hyde has been working with glass and other materials for more than 20 years, exploring a lifelong curiosity about our relationship with nature, social history, human creativity, and meaningful communication. “The desire to create and tell stories binds us together across time and space and culture,” says Hyde. “So, I make art about stories; not always overt in their meaning, but with the implication of narrative.”
Hyde earned a bachelor’s degree in animation and a master’s degree in fiber arts before making her way to glassmaking. “Flamework appeals to me as a way to work very close up with hot glass to create complex forms and fine details,” said Hyde. She has been making flameworked glass beads and small sculptures since 1996, teaching techniques in workshops at The Studio and across the country. Hyde’s background in illustration, textile design, and love of high-contrast, rhythmic pattern are evident in her pictorial beads and assembled figurative work. She began working as a Properties of Glass demonstrator at the Museum in 2008 before becoming the Properties of Glass Programs Team Leader in 2016, where she continues to give demonstrations in flameworking, glass breaking, and optical fiber.