Red Fern Glass is the art glass studio of Ed Pennebaker. Ed makes Sculpture and Art Glass Lighting using traditional glassblowing techniques. All the glass is made by Ed in his Ozark woodlands studio. Ed believes in working incessantly, cultivating concepts, discrimination and technique.
The studio is in Clinton, Arkansas at 174 Lori Lane. Red Fern Glass was established in 1985-1991 in Salem, Arkansas. For 27 years the studio was in the woods near Osage, Arkansas. That studio started as a pottery studio built by Newt Lale of Osage Clayworks. The move to Clinton was completed in December of 2018.
Ed built his own furnaces, glory holes and annealers and some tools used in glassmaking. Glass is melted from the raw materials. Ed adds colorants like cobalt, iron, copper, and nickel to make batches of transparent colors. The latest color experiments have been made using silver, tin, zinc, and copper in a single batch called "Calcedonia". The heat treatment of the glass produces various colors that can be unpredictable. Some other colors are melted from "cullet", previously melted glass with the colorants already in the glass. Some of these cullets come from the old Southwestern Glass factory in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, some from just across the border in Oklahoma, and some from West Virginia glass factories.
I derive much on my inspiration from the environment, especially the garden and the woods surrounding my home and studio. My sculptures relate to the environmental concerns, climate change, and nature.
My chandeliers and lighting belong to a contemporary line of the "decorative arts" that developed from the arts and crafts movement where craftsmanship is of the utmost importance. Striving for the "perfect object" is the goal of the craftsman/designer and working directly with the materials at hand provides the greatest satisfaction for me.
Ed Pennebaker:
Born: Pratt,Kansas
Education: Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas-M.A., B.F.A.
Residence: Clinton, Arkansas
Work:
1985-present: Owner/Glassmaker at Red Fern Glass
1983-85: Employed by Hale Farm and Village, Bath, Ohio, glassworks assistant, produced replicas of early Midwestern glass c.1800-1850
1981-83: Introduced to glass by Chuck Watson, Liberal, Kansas
Workshops Attended:
2023: Mid South Sculpture Alliance Iron Pour, Norman, Oklahoma
2016-17: Artist Inc., Springdale, Arkansas
2009: Metal Casting, Hank Kaminsky, Art Experience, Fayetteville, Arkansas
2008: Metal Sculpture, Jim Wallace, Eureka Springs School of Art
2005: "Pewtersmithing" with William Derrevere, Eureka Springs School of Art
2004: "Bronze Casting" at Terra Studios, Fayetteville, Arkansas
2001: "Glass Casting" with Peter Keough, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
1995: "Marblemaking with Ro Purser" Appalachian Center for the Crafts
1982: "Summervail" with Sonja Blomdahl, Colorado Mountain College
1981: "Summervail" with Benjamin Moore, Colorado Mountain College
Permanent Public Commissions & Collections:
Al Sanbok Restaurants, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Argenta Library, North Little Rock, Arkansas
BKD, Springfield, Missouri
Cairo Restaurant and Lounge, Manhattan, New York
Central Arkansas Library System, Little Rock, Arkansas
Compton Gardens, Bentonville, Arkansas
Doane College, Crete, Nebraska
Eastern Shore Arts Center, Fairhope, Alabama
Ed Leamon Park, Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida
Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine, Iowa
Kansas State University, School of Leadership Studies, Manhattan, Kansas
Laman Library, North Little Rock, AR
Market Place Restaurant, Asheville, North Carolina
Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino, Aruba
St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, MO
Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
Stout Executive Search
Terra Studios, Fayetteville, Arkansas
University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Little Rock, AR
University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Temporary Public Installations:
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR
City of Olathe Downtown Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, Olathe, Kansas
Decatur Artway, Decatur, Georgia
Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, AR
Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, Fayetteville, AR
Bentonville Trail System, Bentonville, AR
Books:
"The Ozarks: The People, The Mountains, The Magic"
by George Oxford Miller 1996
"White House Collection of American Crafts"
by Michael Monroe 1995
"The Artful Home: A Source & Guide for Residential Art"
Guild Sourcebooks 2003
"Contemporary Marbles and Related Art Glass"
by Mark P. Block 2001
"Art and Artisans of the Ozarks, Vol. 2"
Teaching:
Arkansas Craft School
Eureka Springs School for the Arts
Garden City Community College
Arkansas State University, Mountain Home
-"Growth & Diminishment", Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith, AR, Aug. 31, 2024 - Jan. 19, 2025
-"MSA Open, Jayne and Hoe Buskuhl Gallery, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK, Oct. 6-7, 2023
-"Of the Land", The Lightwell Gallery, School of Visual Arts, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Sept. 4 - Oct. 7, 2023
-"Our Art, Our Region, Our Time", Joy Pratt Markham Gallery, Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, AR, Sept. 1 - Oct. 29, 2023
-"The Many Mixed Media of Carol Corning and Ed Pennebaker", American Shaman Kava Bar, Fayetteville, AR, Aug. 5 - 31, 2022
-"Variations & Mutations", Windgate Gallery at The Center for Humanities and Arts (CHARTS) at the Main Campus, Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock, AR, May 20 - June 30, 2022
-"Metamorphisis" RAM Invitational, Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, Ft. Smith, AR, February 2 - May 22, 2022 Second Place
-"City of Olathe Downtown Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit", Olathe, Kansas, June 1, 2022 - May 1, 2023
-"Neighbors Art Show", Conway Art Alliance Arts Fest, Conway, AR, Oct. 1-2, 2021 Best of Show
-"Radius", Bradbury Art Museum, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, September 10 - November 4, 2020
-"62nd Annual Delta Exhibition", Arkansas Arts Center (virtual exhibit), Little Rock, AR, June 19 - August 23, 2020
-"Lie, Cheat, Steal", Kresge Gallery, Lyons College, Batesville, AR, November-December 2019
-Decatur Artway, temporary public art installation, Decatur, GA, October 2019-October 2021
-"Our Universe", Fenix Gallery, Fayetteville, AR, June 6 - July 31, 2019
-"White House Crafts Collection 25th Anniversary Exhibition", Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, AR, Sept. 17, 2018 - March 31, 2019
-"Forms: Past and Present", Peel Mansion and Compton Gardens, Bentonville, AR , July 12 - August 31, 2018
-"Immersion", Fenix Gallery, Fayetteville, AR, June 7 - July 29, 2018
-"RAM Invitational", Regional Art Museum, Ft. Smith, AR, June 7- September 2, 2018
-"Delta de Refuses" - Butler Center and Cox Center, Little Rock, AR , June 8 - August 25, 2018
-"Fenix Summer Show", Walker - Stone House, Fayetteville, AR, July 6 - August 5, 2017
-"Lane Foster Fine Art", pop up show, Rogers, AR, July 28, 2017
-"North of South", group exhibition at Drawl Gallery, Little Rock, AR, Feb. 18-March 31
-"Fountain Fest", Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR, October 15, 2016 - January 15, 2017 temporary installation of sculpture “Ozark Topography” in fountain in front of Arts Center
-"Formations", William F. Laman Library, Little Rock, AR, September 12 - November 4, 2016
-"Masterpiece E-xhibit & Sale, American Craft Week", Featuring one exceptional craft artist from each of the fifty states, Oct. 2-11, 2015 for an online show and sale.
-"Seven State Biennial", University of Science and Arts, The Nesbitt Gallery, Chickasha, OK, Sept. 26 - Nov. 4, 2015, Charles B. Goddard Center, Ardmore, OK, Nov, 9 - 25, 2015, Museum of the Red River, Idabel, OK, Dec. 8, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016.
-"67th Annual RAM Invitational", Man vs. Machine: The Art of Expression in the Wired World, Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith, AR, July 30 - Nov. 1, 2015.
-"American Craft Week Masterpiece E-xhibit & Sale", AmericanCraftWeek.com, an online exhibit of one artist chosen from each state, Oct. 2-11, 2015.
-"2015 Rosenzweig Biennial Juried Exhibition", Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff, AR, Sept. 17 - Nov. 21, 2015.
-"Ozark Artistry: Traditional and Contemporary Craftsmanship", Fayetteville Underground, Fayetteville, AR, Sept. 3 - 27, 2015.
-"Eluvium and Formation: Abstracted Landscapes", recent work by Ed Pennebaker and LaDawna Whiteside, Argenta Gallery, April 16-May 9, 2015, North Little Rock, Arkansas
-"Sculpture at the River Market", Little Rock, Arkansas, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
-"Artists of Northwest Arkansas 20th Annual Regional Exhibition", Art Center of the Ozarks, August 6-29, 2014, Springdale, Arkansas
-"Thea Arts Festival" - North Little Rock, AR, April, 28, 2012, Best of Show
-"54th Annual Delta Exhibition" - Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR, Jan.27-March 28, 2012
-"Finer Things: A Juried Contemporary Craft Exhibit", sUgAR gallery, Bentonville, AR, Nov. 4 - Dec. 10, 2011
-"Glory of Glass", Karg Art Glass, Kechi, KS, Nov. 11-Dec. 31, 2011
-"Seven State Biennial" - University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Art Gallery, Chickasa, OK, Oct. 1- Nov. 7 and Charles B. Goddard Center, Ardmore, OK, Nov. 15-Dec. 17, 2011, Honorable Mention and Purchase Award
-"Concatenations, Connections" - E Street Gallery, Fayetteville, AR, August, 2011
-"Group Show" - Leopold Gallery, Kansas City, MO, June 2011
-"MOAK 4-State Regional Exhibition 2010" - , Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO Nov.-Jan. 2011
-"Fifth Annual Arkansas Sculpture Invitational Show & Sale" - Morrilton, AR, June 2010
-"Featured Artist" - E Street Gallery, Fayetteville Underground, Fayetteville, AR, May 2010
-"Architectural Digest Home Design Show" - NY, NY, March 2010 (represented by Patrajdas Contemporary)
"52nd Annual Delta Exhibition" - Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR, Jan. 29-March 14, 2010.
"Exploring the Works of Arkansas Sculptors" - Arkansas Studies Institute, Little Rock, AR, Oct. 9-Dec.11, 2009
"Engaging Minds-Creative Hands" - Fresh Air Gallery, Clinton, AR, Nov. 20, 2009-March 15, 2010
"Color And Light" - Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL, March-April 2009
"Springfield Hot Glass" - First Friday Gallery Walk, Springfield, MO, October 3, 2008
"Reconstructing Art Walk" - Crystal Bridges at the Massey, Bentonville, AR, May 15-July 27, 2008
"Double Feature" - Hot Glass by Pennebaker and Karg, Zarks, Eureka Springs, AR, May 17, 2008
"Fire and Form: The Magic of Glass" - June-October 2007, Corning, New York, The Glass Menagerie
"Seeing Things In A Different Light" - Oct. 22-Dec. 31, 2004, River Market Artspace, Little Rock, Arkansas
"Fire & Ice" - Karg Art Glass, Kechi, Kansas, October 2006-January 2007
"SOFA Chicago" - October 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Chicago, Illinois, represented by Function+Art Gallery
"Glass Invitational '04" - February 2004, Chicago, Illinois, Function + Art Gallery
"The Eclectic Electric" - Function + Art Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, Sep. 5- Oct. 4, 2003
"White House Collection of American Crafts" - Jul. 17-Aug. 24, 2003
The Mary and Leight Block Museum of Art - Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (and other venues)
Guild.com Sourcebook "The Artful Home, Furniture,Sculpture, and Objects"
"A Glass Act 2003" - Function+Art Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, March 2003
Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings Show - April 2002, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, awarded "Excellence in Lighting Award"
"2002 Invitational" - Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, awarded "Best of Show" for Cluster #51, "The Inherent Energy of the Earth and Sky"
"2001 Hsinchu International Glass Art Festival & Symposium" - Hsinchu Municipal Glass Art Museum, Hsinchu, Taiwan
"Chandelier Show" - Arte Bella Fine Art Gallery, Fayetteville, Arkansas
"A Glass Act 2001" - Prism Contemporary Glass, New Pontiac, Michigan
"Hot & Cool"Mid America Arts Alliance - a traveling exhibit of contemporary glass through 2001
"A Glass Act 2000" - FunctionArt/Prism Contemporary Glass, Pontiac, MI in conjunction with Michigan Glass Month
"The Arkansas Exhibition" - Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, July 1999-February 2000
"White House Crafts Collection" - 1993 (traveling exhibit at various museums)
Resume of exhibits, two dimensional work of Ed Pennebaker
View some of Ed's two-d work.