Sarah Blood
MA Design 2003
Fellow glass artist Sarah Blood’s post-graduate career has seen her exhibit work across Europe, the Middle East and USA. She is currently passing on her expertise in her role as Visiting Professor of Glass and Light in the Sculptural and Dimensional Studies Department at Alfred University, New York.
“I loved the atmosphere at the University of Sunderland and I was given free rein to explore ideas. I was also surrounded by passionate people who lived and breathed art all the time. This really helped me to create my own style and I went on to specialise in art works encompassing neon, which is quite nice.
“National Glass Centre is important for Sunderland because of the historic connections and crucially it also helps to influence glass artists for the future. An awful lot of students come through the University and go on to stay in the region because of the experience they have had and also because of the strength of the artistic community in the North East.”
Thousands of visitors to 2013’s Lumiere festival in Durham saw Sarah’s work, Sanctuary, at the four-day festival of light which illuminates the city’s buildings, streets and bridges with the installations and projections of local and international artists.
Sunderland’s international reputation in glass continues to shine thanks to its many graduates working in far corners of the globe.