SAYLOR IS FEATURED IN THE 2024 NEW FRONTIERS MAGAZINE
In the cozy corners of UNK’s Art and Design Department, assistant professor Nadine Saylor is doing something cool with glass. She takes everyday items – think buttons, watering cans and oil cans – and turns them into stunning glass art.
These aren’t just pretty pieces; they’re a nod to a simpler time when handmade crafts were the norm, not factory-produced stuff. Saylor’s work, like her oversized glass pincushions with detailed patterns, not only looks great but also sparks conversations about traditional “women’s work” and the roles we expect genders to play.
Beyond her creations, Saylor is a mentor at heart. She’s all about giving her students real-world experiences, helping them land opportunities at prestigious places such as Pilchuck Glass School and the Corning Museum of Glass.
It’s a big deal – it means her students get to learn from the best, expand their skills and think bigger. Through her art and teaching, Saylor is not just keeping old traditions alive; she’s making sure they evolve and inspire the next bunch of artists.
PHOTOS BY ERIKA PRITCHARD, UNK COMMUNICATIONS
NADINE SAYLOR
Title: Assistant Professor, Glass/3D
College: Arts and Sciences
Education: Master of Fine Arts in sculpture dimensional studies, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, 2007; Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual arts and photography, University of the Arts, 1996.
Years at UNK: 3
Areas of Research/Specialization: My work transforms ordinary objects like buttons, thimbles, oil cans, watering cans and other domestic icons into glass with sandblasted imagery or vintage ceramic decals attached. I recreate antiques to illustrate our vanishing heritage as handmade objects are being replaced by poor-quality, mass-produced objects. I have been working on a series of objects that relate to the idea of possession and gender, as I am interested in how gender plays a part in our world today. My series of larger-than-life pincushions have sandblasted patterns on the surface to celebrate the idea of women’s work. It was what my family did at the time. Additionally, I have started a series of fishing bobbers, gas cans and oil cans that have imagery of my local surroundings. These objects are reminiscent of things that my grandfather had in his shed. I have been thinking about gender and how it relates to the objects that we have around us.
Courses Taught: Glass 1-5, Independent problems in glass.
Recent Published Articles/Exhibitions: “2024 Toyama Glass Exhibition,” Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan, 2024. “Demystifying the Process; Your Guide to Proposal Writing,” International Glass Art Society Journal, 2023. “Degrees of Commitment: Climate, Ecosystems, and Society,” Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 2023.
