Corning Museum of Glass

Eric Meek has worked to become a versatile glass artist, able to execute ideas in glass with fluency in the material. When working, Meek likes to draw upon tradition and fine craftsmanship to realize modern, elegant forms. As a process-oriented artist, his personal style has often taken a back seat to his desire to become an accomplished technician. “I’ve been inspired by passionate makers I have met and their relationship to the material,” said Meek. “Their passion comes through the technique to give their work a special quality.”

After earning a degree from Bowling Green State University, Meek worked at the production studio at the Henry Ford Museum. He went on to earn his MFA from Kent State University and taught at the Glasfachschule Kramsach in Austria for six years. Meek first came to Corning, N.Y., to take classes, before starting as demonstrator and then teaching classes in glassblowing himself. A gaffer at the Museum since 2002, he has traveled extensively with the Museum through numerous outreach engagements and now manages the Museum's hot glass programs. Recently, Meek has relied on his experience as a glassmaker to design both the Amphitheater Hot Shop and the Mobile Hot Shop. He served as a guest evaluator on the season finale of Blown Away, the first-ever TV competition series featuring the art of glassblowing, to help select the winner of the competition.

As an artist who values dedication, Meek appreciates the community of glass enthusiasts who continue to support the Museum and its mission. “It has been the passionate people working here who have made this place a treasure,” Meek said.