Artist and glass sculptor Christopher Ries earned his Bachelors Degree in Fine Art at the Ohio State University in 1975. He received his Masters of Fine Art from The University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1978. During his time in Madison Ries was research assistant to the Founder of the American Studio Glass Movement, Harvey K. Littleton.
Ries founded the glass department at The Ohio State University and was its first instructor as an undergraduate student. He also ran a glass blowing studio for two summers at Mineral Point, Wisconsin while in graduate school. Mr. Ries opened a studio at 70 N. Monroe Avenue in Columbus, Ohio after graduate school and developed his cold working skills and understanding of optics.
It was in 1979 that Ries endeavored to find the ultimate glass sculpting material. His search led him to Schott Optical in Duryea, Pennsylvania. Ries experimented with many glass types produced at Schott over the next few years in his Columbus, Ohio studio. In 1986 Ries had earned the respect of Schott's President, Dr. Franz Herkt, and was offered studio space at the Pennsylvania factory. Mr. Ries has been a non paid, independent contractor there ever since, with the title “Artist-in-Residence.”
Christopher Ries has produced the largest whole, unassembled pieces of crystal sculpture known. The work is in many museums and fine art collections around the world.
Publications:
Tarsitano, Debbie, “Christopher Ries: Sculpture in Four Dimensions ( Length, Width, Height and Light),” Glass Art (July/ August 2007)
Lawrence, Lee, “Light Show,” American Style (Summer 2003).
Yood, James, “Christopher Ries: Crystal Logic,” Neues Glas/New Glass (Winter 2001).
Yood, James, “Crystal Logic,” The Glass Sculpture of Christopher Ries. Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio, 2001 (exhibition catalog).
Hause, Katherine, “Composed Light,” SCHOTT information, No. 96 (2000).
Paine, Janice T., “Clearly Inspired: Contemporary Glass and Its Origins,” American Craft (October/November 1999).
Chambers, Karen M., “Clearly Inspired,” Tampa Museum of Art (1999) (exhibition catalog).
Drake, Jeanette Wenig, “Splendor in the Glass," Alumni Magazine, The Ohio State University (November 1998).
Hawley, Henry, “Glass Today: American Studio Glass from Cleveland Collections,” Cleveland Museum of Art, (1997) (exhibition catalog).
Kapelke, Steven, “Focus: Christopher Ries,” American Craft, (December 1996/January 1997).
Waggoner, Shawn, “The Fourth Dimension: The Art Glass of Christopher Ries,” Glass Art (November/December 1996).
Crystal Illusions: The Sculpture of Christopher Ries, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum (1996) (exhibition catalog).
Glass & Light: The Sculpture of Christopher Ries, Everhart Museum (1996) (exhibition catalog)
Optical Illusions: Glass Sculpture by Christopher Ries, Headley-Whitney Museum (1995) (exhibition catalog).
Procelli, Joe, “Christopher Ries,” PSG’s Glass Artist (April/May 1995).
Briggs, Richard, Windows to a View: The Work of Glass Sculptor Christopher Ries, WVIA-TV (November 1993).
Cusick, Daniel L., “A Clear Look at Christopher Ries,” Art Today, Vol. V, No. 3 (1990).
Ellis, Anita J., Illusions I Glass: The Art of Christopher Ries, Cincinnati Art Museum (1988) (exhibition catalog).
Smith, Mary Polites, “Art is Alive and Well and Living in Columbus: Christopher Ries,” Columbus Homes and Lifestyles, (September/October 1985).
Art of Glass: Selections from Columbus Collections, Columbus Museum of Art (1981) (exhibition catalog).
Mulgrew, Susan Weiss, “A Master in Glass,” Columbus Monthly, (May 1981).
Art in Columbus: 50 Years, Columbus Museum of Art (1980) (exhibition catalog).
Holister, Paul, “Glass as Different as Can Be,” Collector Editions Quarterly (Spring 1979)
Awards:
2005 Artist as Hero, National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Distinguished Artist Award, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1990 Ohioana Citation for Distinguished Service to Ohio in the Field of Art.
1978-79 Aid to Individual Artists Fellowship, Ohio Arts Council
1974-75 Leo Yassenoff Scholarship
Public Collections:
Corporate Collections:
Private Collections:
