Joseph began his career as an art director for GQ and People Magazine. He incorporates graphic design skills and tricks from the magazine world into his current stained glass work, and shares these techniques and secrets in his classes. Stained glass always enticed him, since attending church as a child through visiting European cathedrals as an adult. It was when he took classes at UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, New York that he became truly hooked. Now as a full-time glass artist and educator, Joseph operates out of his Manhattan studio in the East Village and teaches, exhibits and attends residencies all over the world. Notably, Joseph has taught at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, held a residency at North Lands Creative Glass in Scotland and created a permanent installation for MTA New York City Arts at the Metro North Philipse Manor Station on the Hudson Line. Most recently, Joseph spent two months at the Sacatar Foundation in Bahia, Brazil giving locals and fellow residents a hands-on experience in the wonders of stained glass.
Beyond incredible skill, Joseph’s sense of humor attracts attention to his art. His clever style pays homage to a historical, devotional vernacular with fresh imagery that causes you to look twice. In 2010, he collaborated with underground comic book legend Robert Crumb to produce a series of stained glass panels. Many of these pieces were created during Joseph’s residency at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design, which gained him a online exclusive article on American Craft Council’s website. His 2009-10 “Missing Episode” series of panels features characters from The Simpsons in macabre scenes. One of these panels now belongs to a writer for the television show, and hangs in The Simpson’s offices in Los Angeles. Joseph’s work even made an on-air cameo in “Simpson’s 20th Anniversary Special.”
Joseph will bring his wit and artistic eye to BCC’s Glass Studio for a long weekend workshop for all skill levels August 3-5, 2012. The course will cover the basics of cutting, copper foiling and soldering stained glass, as well as techniques of hand painting, air brushing, collage and silk screening onto glass. Fair warning to students: “No butterfly sun catchers will materialize in this workshop,” jokes Joseph. “Instead, I will expose everyone to works of contemporary stained glass artists and encourage students to push the boundaries of their own design concepts, and have lots of fun at the same time.” We look forward to having Joseph and his Masters Series workshop on campus, and cannot wait to see the resulting student projects.
Find more information on Joseph Cavalieri and his work at www.cavaglass.com, and his BCC workshop at brookfieldcraft.org.
