Window Craftivation April 2025: Ethan Stern

The Craft in America Center is launching Window Craftivation, a dynamic art showcase series placing more craft in the public eye, spotlighting local craft artists and organizations through our readily visible and universally accessible streetfront display windows. This accompaniment to our regularly rotating exhibitions provides an opportunity to present selected works by additional artists, easily seen at any time of day, even from outside our Third Street location. We invite passers-by to look, stop, ponder, admire, take inspiration, and enjoy the work of the diverse Craftivation artists we feature. Window Craftivations range from artwork displays, to performances and demonstrations. 

Ethan Stern pushes form beyond the expected anatomy of the vessel, using glass to investigate the emotive potential of objects. Each piece begins with the creation of a blown, geometric form composed of multiple layers of color and pattern. After the piece has cooled, he carves into the surface, creating patterns and textures through engraving. This process, while reductive, allows him to shift the glass’s inherent reflective qualities, creating a richer, more luminous effect. The engraved marks, like the stroke of a paintbrush on canvas, leave evidence of the artist’s hand and create a sense of motion, rhythm, weight, and depth. The act of carving—removing material—demands careful consideration, and each choice shapes the relationship between the surface and form, adding an emotional resonance to the work.