Sociology Professor Erin O’Connor to Give Lecture on Glassblowing at Bard

From the event page:

In the mid-twentieth century, American artists turned to glass as a medium of expression, distinguishing themselves from factory glassworkers. Left out of this history—which is rich with artist biographies and aesthetic analyses of glass objects—is the material life of silica mines. In this lecture, Erin E. O’Connor connects the formation of glass objects to the ongoing formation of the earth, seeing them as two sides of one artistic process. Drawing from anthropological fieldwork at mines and a glassmaking facility in Appalachia to explore these intertwined yet unconnected realms, she aims to overcome a deep-seated dualism between human creativity and natural science that polarizes glassmaking (mixing ingredients) and glassblowing (making objects). In doing so, she addresses how the human experience of self-determination and creativity intersects with the living (and dying) ecological world.

Though Dr. O’Connor’s primary teaching focus is within the field of sociology, she is a globally recognized expert in craft studies and received the Rakow Grant to study glassblowing last year. As an associate professor at MMC, Dr. O’Connor has spent years teaching courses such as EcoCulture and Sustainability, Anthropology at Museums in NYC, Radical Labor and Artisan Movements, and Great Social Thinkers. She is also the Department chair for Politics & Human Rights.

This lecture is free for anyone with a college ID!

Published: August 26, 2024