As reported in an earlier Gazette there is now a Carder Steuben Exhibit in two locations at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana, running through September 13. A good example of how an exhibit can be developed is in pictorial form at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cardersteubenclub/sets/72157624350835912/detail/

University curator, Susan Sauls Colaricci, is to be congratulated for a beautifully orchestrated exhibit. In addition, she has researched and produced the below two story boards as companion and teaching tools for the exhibit. (Nicely done, Susan).

Frederick Carder’s Steuben Art Glass

The Alan and Susan Shovers Collection

Alan and Susan Shovers credit the start of their Carder Steuben glass collection to “luck, timing, and their relationships with dealers and collectors willing to part with a piece or two of their prized collections”.

The Shovers Collection encompasses a wide range of glass designed by British born artist and co-founder of Steuben Glass Works, Frederick Carder. This is not an idle collection. Each piece is either used or displayed; works are studied and admired; and new works are added then occasionally some are sold. These functional and decorative works fill their Evansville home, or as Mr. Shovers lovingly refers to it as their “glass museum”.

The Shovers collection is the subject of “Objects of Desire: The Art of Frederick Carder” written and illustrated by Alan Shovers. The Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science sponsored the publication of this book to accompany their 2005 exhibition that originated here in Evansville. “Objects of Desire” shares the Shovers’ selections that exemplify the best of the collection and many of those works are on display here at USI.

Mr. and Mrs. Shovers are active in the Carder Steuben Club and Mr. Shovers is a Life Director of the USI Foundation Board.

More glass art from The Shovers Collection is on display in

the McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries

located in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center.

Frederick Carder

(Stafford Shire, England, 1863- Corning, New York, 1963)

1863–1902

Frederick Carder is born in Staffordshire, England to the family that operates Leys Pottery, maker of salt-glazed stoneware. His grandfather advises him to “learn as much as he could about everything”. Despite leaving his formal education behind, Carder follows this advice by becoming a self-taught chemist, physicist and draftsman. The teen-age Carder leaves the family business after the death of his grandfather and takes a position at British glass manufacturer, Stevens & Williams, as draftsman and designer. While at Stevens & Williams his designs using cameo, colored, and engraved types of glass are placed in production. In 1902 Carder embarks on a life-changing trip that takes him to Austria, Germany, and later leads him to the United States

1903—Early 1920s

Thomas G. Hawkes, an American glass engraver, meets with Frederick Carder and offers to create a glass works for Carder to operate and have relative creative freedom. Steuben Glass Work is established and within the first year the operation is a success and Carder develops his patented gold iridescent glass, Aurene. He eventually adds cobalt to the mix to create Blue Aurene and creates other color inspired shimmering glasses. By 1915 Frederick Carder perfects a soft white glass named Calcite and it is popular for commercial and residential lighting. Additional glass effects and styles were soon to following, like cintra, cluthra, florentia , intarsia and millefiori. The Carder led Steuben Glass Works enjoyed a steady growth in production and facilities expansion during the first 15 years of its existence. The situation at Steuben began to change when World War I came to the US. Steuben was classified as a nonessential war industry and they faced closing their doors or becoming a Division of Corning Glass Works. Carder chose Corning and became the managing director of the Steuben Division.

Mid 1920s—1930s

The mid twenties brought about distaste for the winding lines and floral motifs of art nouveau designs and a desire for the stepped geometric patterns of Art Deco. Frederick Carder, although not an admirer of the new styles, produced patterns that satisfied the desire of the buying public. The Crash of 1929 greatly impacted the financial stability of Steuben and along with the growing popularity of clear colorless glass, Frederick Carder’s future was about to change.

In 1933 the 70 year old Carder moved into a semiretirement position as Art Director for Corning. During this time he returned to exploring and experimenting with glass technique including cire perdue. Cire perdue is a technique borrowed from metalworking and produces a molded cast for reproduction. Corning did not waste this senior glassmaker’s knowledge and he consulted in the designs of Pyrex glass applications. Two of these applications are the popular Pyrex top-of-stove cookware and the production of the artist Lee Lawrie’s Pyrex glass panel located at the former RCA Building at Rockefeller Center.

1940s—1960s

In 1943 Frederick Carder’s wife, Annie, passed away. The cire perdue technique yielded the fabrication of Diatreta. The Diatreta glass pieces were inspired by fourth century cups made in the Rhineland and were cast and carved exclusively by Carder. Finishing details were provided by the staff at Steuben. By 1959 the 96 year old glassmaker decided to really retire. He spent his time visiting with admirers; travelling to his daughter’s home in Ohio; documenting the history of Steuben; and rediscovering his love of painting. In December of 1963 Frederick Carder died in his sleep.