Artist of the Month
July 2025
Amber Cowan
Philadelphia-based artist Amber Cowan creates elegant glass sculptures using recycled, upcycled, and second-life American pressed glass. She combines flameworking, hot sculpting, and glassblowing to create dioramas that tell stories of self-discovery, escapism, and the power of the feminine. Amber is represented by Momentum Gallery, Asheville, North Carolina.
Click each picture for a full photo.
Bunny with Basket in River and Jade; 12 x 21-1/2 x 10 inches; glass and mixed media
Harvest Grape in Portieux Blue; 7 x 4-1/4 x 4-1/4 inches; glass and mixed media
Periwinkle Fall Cluster; 14-1/2 x 13-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches; glass and mixed media
Paisley Clusters in Chocolate, 47 x 18 x 7 inches; glass and mixed media
Swans in Portieux Blue; 9-3/4 x 6 x 6 inches; glass and mixed media
Toltec Bouquet in Milk; 24 x 16-1/2 x 8 inches; glass and mixed media
Amber Cowan
Artist Statement:
“My current pieces are made by re-working discarded, up-cycled or unwanted pressed glassware produced by some of the best known, but now defunct glass factories in America. I reincarnate them into ornate abstractions that pay homage to the object itself but with a reminiscent sentimentality for times past. I believe that the glass I use can act as a catalyst, connecting current generations to the past and creating new fresh memories through the nostalgia of object culture.”
– Amber Cowan
About Amber Cowan
Amber Cowan has been sculpting glass for over 15 years. Utilizing the processes of flame-working, blowing, and hot-sculpting recycled, up-cycled, and second-life American pressed glass from the 1940s to the 1980s, she creates elegantly detailed glass sculptures that combine a vintage aesthetic with a contemporary flair, connecting past with present. She sources glass cullet from scrap yards supplied by now defunct pressed glass factories as well as flea markets, antique stores, and donations of broken antiques from households across the country.
Her recent diorama-style pieces tell stories of self discovery, escapism, and the power of the feminine by utilizing figurines and animals found in collected antique glass pieces. These figurines become recurring symbols in the evolving narrative and simultaneously pay homage to the history of US glassmaking.
Cowan lives and works in Philadelphia where she received an MFA in ceramics/glass from Tyler School of Art and Architecture of Temple University. Cowan's work has garnered international attention and is featured in numerous museum collections across the country, including the Corning Museum of Glass (2014 Rakow Commission recipient); the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; The Toledo Museum of Art, OH; The RISD Museum,Providence, RI; and the Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY.
Click here for an artist's resume.
Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Momentum Gallery, Asheville, North Carolina, for providing the Artist of the Month.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) is a not-for-profit organization and leading resource for glass collectors, art enthusiasts, artists, gallerists, museum personnel, and educators on all things related to glass art. AACG provides a collaborative place for robust conversations about glass art, including its production, techniques, and trends. We also encourage and support the glass community through annual grants and artist scholarships.
