Leslie Rowe-Israelson

Leslie Rowe-Israelson is an internationally recognized glass artist. She has spent the last 40 years working primarily in the cast / fused glass genre. Leslie has developed and refined innovative techniques that now give her an artistic "voice" that is stylistically unique around the globe. Her diverse portfolio of world class glass art includes exquisitely delicate sculptures, bold and brilliantly colorful panels, and a broad range of intricate open face vessels and plates. Much of her fused work is constructed through a complex process involving detailed glass cutting and multiple kiln firings. The work is often combined with or presented on, elements of hand forged steel and hand carved and polished stone that she has collected from the western slopes of the Canadian Rockies near her home.

Leslie possesses a deep and very personal appreciation for mountain landscapes and understands the strong link between "place" and the people who chose to visit or live there. She married in 1980 and over the next three decades, with the help of her Park Warden husband Gerry, raised two wonderful children while stationed in Jasper National Park. As a family they travelled through remote backcountry on foot, on skis and horseback and experienced national park wilderness firsthand. It is no surprise then that the mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes are her inspiration and a common theme expressed beautifully in much of her work.

Leslie's modest studio is now located in the Columbia Valley in the southeast corner of British Columbia. She calls the "valley" her home, still hikes, skis, and paddles a beat-up old canoe .... and has no desire to live anywhere else. It is her wish to continue to evolve as an artist and create work that is meaningful. Work that in some small way moves you, creates inspiration, triggers emotion, or serves as a touchstone for special personal memories. Glass creations that capture the heart and nurture the soul.

High lights of Curriculum Vita include:

Selected Commissions:

Government of Canada, Governor General Arts Award, Cast glass hands
Banff School of Fine Arts, Mountain Film and Book Festivals: Awards 1996 - 2014
Government of Canada, Secretary of State for External Affairs: International Gifts 1990
Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Acquisition for Permanent Exhibition

Course Instructor and Technical Presentations:

Corning Museum of Glass, Corning New York, USA
Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood Washington USA
Alberta College of Art
Red Deer College of Art, Red Deer Alberta Canada

Awards:

1st place for: BC Glass Artists Association Exhibition 2005; International Glass Exhibition, Waterloo ON 1996; An International Exhibition - Invitational Show, Portland WA 1992
Artist in Residence: Uroboros Glass Co 2006; Pilchuck Glass School 2005; Glav Union Czech Republic 1995
Major Projects Grant, Glass Art Association of Canada 2009