Glass Faculty & Administrators within the Department of Three-Dimensional Arts (3D Arts).
MassArt Glass student Elise Riddell shares her MassArt story, her dreams for her career as a glassblower, and how scholarship support makes that possible.
Glassblowing isn’t a very solo career path, so having a community at MassArt is setting us up for success… we’re sharing ideas, sharing resources, sharing techniques.Elise Riddell BFA ’26
The scholarship support Elise receives from generous donors not only allows her to pay tuition and purchase supplies, but it also supports her emotionally and professionally—knowing that her art holds as much worth to others as it does to herself.
Explore the sports photography journey of Dennis Theoharidis, BFA ‘28 Photography.
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How MassArt student Kailey Caballero is growing her animation career and making a difference as a community leader.
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Nicole Chesney has been an active participant in the MassArt Auction since 1997– since her first print in the silent auction her senior year, she has donated 20 artworks in support of current and future MassArt students.
Nicole Chesney '97 BFA, a longtime supporter of the MassArt Auction, transforms glass into luminous works while fostering connections and opportunities for future generations of artists.
The MassArt Auction is the College’s largest fundraising event, and since 2015, it has raised over $1 million annually for student scholarships and academic programs. Nicole Chesney has been an active participant since 1997, donating artwork in support of current and future MassArt students.
Nicole Chesney, Candeo, 2023
Oil on acid-etched and mirrored glass
60 × 60 × 1 1/2 in | 152.4 × 152.4 × 3.8 cm
The MassArt Auction has had an enormous impact on me. When I was a senior, I sold a print in the silent auction—it was the first or maybe second piece I ever sold. A work of art doesn’t exist without a viewer, so knowing that someone wanted my work enough to live with it, let alone part with any money, just felt amazing. And it was so affirming to see it included in such an exciting exhibition.
Over the years, I’ve given at least 20 pieces, and I’ve come to meet many people who’ve collected my work or discovered it for the first time through the Auction. If someone’s interested in your work—even if they’re not buying it—they come and find you. And that’s incredibly important because there’s no substitute for having a conversation in front of your work with someone curious about it. Many of the relationships I made through the Auction have become very meaningful and important to me. It’s the difference between meeting a consumer, someone who purchases an object for the sake of possession, versus a collector who’s more interested in a sense of stewardship or a patron who wants to get to know the artist. They see those acquisitions as an investment in the future work of the artist. And making those connections is invaluable.
The Auction is a fun party, but it isn’t just about the event itself, or even the exhibition of work. It’s about the collective understanding that everything there is made by people who have a deep connection to the school, whether they’re current students, alumni, or faculty. And it’s about investing in students’ education, and by extension, investing in the work they’re making. The artists participating in the Auction believe in that mission as deeply as anyone, and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to take part and give artwork that has translated into resources for students.
The MassArt Auction raises over $1 million for scholarships and programs each year. Learn how to join the fun.
Learn MoreThe MassArt community came together this Fall at the public opening of The Clown in Me Loves You at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, featuring the work of Alumna Nancy Callan BFA ‘96 Glass.
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Agata Stadnik, BFA' 04, MFA '09, recently wrote and illustrated her first children’s book, Walking to School Adventure.
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