stephen skillitzi

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Bio

Whilst differing perspectives exist, the artist Stephen Skillitzi has often been credited with being "the Father of Australian Studio Glass". His artistic aspiration: become an innovative solo maker in the Crafts Movement, focusing firstly on Clay then Glass, was initiated 59 uninterrupted years ago in 1960 at age 13 via his homemade solo-use electric-kiln and ceramics studio. His diverse ongoing career has embraced both Academia and Glass - studying//lecturing/demonstrating/course initiating/mentoring, both in USA (1967-1970) and Australia 1970 to present - and Glass (blown and/or cast: for exhibition, corporate, home-wares projects and commissions); and Non-commercial artistic outputs: - (street theatre/performance, environmental installations, playable mixed-media games).

Crucial to the narrative of the Friends of the School of Art was his involvement in initiating, from 1976, the Glass Art program with the art school's Stanley Street campus principle, Des Bettany, from March 1972.