"In a small studio off Pine Street, Burlington, Vermont, in the basement of an old broom manufacturing building sits a unique business that makes rare, hand-beveled, one-of-a-kind glass pieces to treasure as a unique family heirloom.
A native New Englander, Ruth Murphy was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, learned to ski in Vermont, and spent her childhood summers in Maine. Ruth has traveled internationally and lived many places in the United States. She eventually returned to New England permanently – specifically Vermont.
A librarian by previous profession, Ruth was immersed in the arts in her first year of college at Boston University’s, Fine and Applied Arts program. Although her education ultimately took her along a different path than fine arts, Ruth took many art and museum courses during the time of her undergraduate and graduate degrees. One of those courses was an introduction to stained glass.
For the last eighteen years Ruth has been seriously working with glass. All of her designs are original and solely handcrafted by Ruth. The creative genius of Frank Lloyd Wright greatly influences much of her work -- clean lines in simple geometry. Ruth prefers to work with mouth-blown cathedral glass, antique bottles, mirror, and/or minerals (i.e., agate slices) that offer a special energy for her beveled art hangings. Her work includes hand beveling that she crafts herself, as well as those in standard bevels. She works in both the Tiffany (copper foil) process and came – all lead-free techniques. It is a meticulous process. Between the prismatic effect of the beveling and the fractured light of the cathedrals and minerals, her two-dimensional designs offer greater depth and can appear multidimensional.
In 2006, the 43rd Year of Art on the Mountain, Wilmington, Vermont, awarded Ruth the prestigious “Art and Vine” monetary award for her work called “The Good Wine.” She received another blue ribbon monetary award in “Fine Craft – Glass” for her overall body of work. Ruth sells her work in craft shows and galleries throughout New England and New York."
