17 Facts About Christopher Ries

Christopher Ries was born on 1952 and is an American glass artist and sculptor.

Christopher Ries refined his skills during the height of American studio glass movement under the mentorship of its principal founder, Harvey Littleton.

Christopher Ries's work includes the largest non-assembled glass forms in existence, and is collected in museums worldwide.

Christopher Ries was born to florists Raymond and Mildred Ries and was raised in a log cabin on a farm near Columbus, Ohio.

Christopher Ries soon became more interested in the glass used to glaze pottery than the pottery itself.

Christopher Ries spent the next several years blowing glass and investigating glass types, chemical compositions, and properties.

Christopher Ries accepted the offer and enrolled at the institute the following autumn.

Christopher Ries spent the next two years under the mentorship of Littleton.

Tools to sculpt large blocks of glass weren't available at the time, so Christopher Ries independently developed much of the equipment he needed during his spare time.

Christopher Ries's search ended when he discovered the lead crystal manufactured by Schott Optical.

Christopher Ries accepted the distinction and in 1986 signed an agreement which allowed him to work within the Duryea facility.

Christopher Ries created a body of work which Schott and Ries co-produced and co-owned.

Christopher Ries established a private studio in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, which he has used to explore concepts in glass and occasionally other media including wood and paint.

Christopher Ries's sculptures are noted for their changing internal optical compositions and technical proficiency.

Christopher Ries begins with large blocks of optical glass and reduces them to the desired form by cutting, carving, grinding, and polishing them.

Christopher Ries's Opus was at the time of its creation the world's largest monolithic glass sculpture.

Christopher Ries's works have won numerous awards and are exhibited in major collections and museums throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, including the Corning Museum of Glass, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the National Heisey Glass Museum, the National Liberty Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Tampa Museum of Art.