Michael Mangiafico is a glass artist and teacher working in Pittsburgh, PA.
He graduated with a BFA in glass art from Carnegie Mellon University in
1985, and has continued his education by attending as well as teaching glass
art seminars across the U.S. In 1996 Michael built a glass studio FiG
Studios Forms in Glass. He designs, creates sculptures and craft items
from glass by blowing, casting, torch working, and cold working. Michaeląs
specialty is making glass insects such as spiders, wasps, ants, scorpions
and many others. FiG Studios has work in fine art galleries around the
country.
Artistic Statement by Michael Mangiafico
I believe the art of glass craft is based in technique. Each task from
gathering glass at the furnace and blowing a bubble, to gathering on a rod
of glass at the torch and fashioning a marble; represent a world for the
taking. Even my inspirations are based in process. In the daily grind of
life from cooking, gardening, reading, teaching and dreaming, in these I
find my muse. Just the task of observing, looking at nature, other artists,
as well as those who came before me; not to mention watching what I am doing
while I work, this molds me and shapes my art. For a while I used to think
what I made defined who I was. That was just my ego talking. Now I found it
doesnąt matter what I make, but how I make it that counts. By making
something truly well it makes me.
