Glass Awards

A handsomely detailed 2-foot glass eagle is frozen in graceful motion with its wings and talons extended, each feather in translucent detail as it lands upon a branch in the corporate headquarters of the Quaker Oats Co. A sparkling crescent, intricately etched with the faces of the 1988 winning Indy 500 team now resides in the Indy 500 Hall of Fame. And the strength and vulnerability of a man in a wheelchair are caught in fluid detail as a corporate "thank you" at a wheelchair design company.

These three creations are a few of the many awards created by Hooper Studios in Atascadero, Calif. However, when the Hooper family decided to form the studio, their focus was on glass fantasy and nature sculptures that were suitable for art gallery exhibition. Since 1978, Bob, Maria, Warren, Jane and Matt Hooper have extended their gallery art into a growing glass awards position.

"Our goal has been to elevate glass sculpture from a craft to a recognized form of fine art," Warren says. "With the combination of sculptured crystal and waterjet cut crystal, there is an unlimited potential for the blend of fine art with awards." By combining sculpture and waterjet cut glass techniques, the Hoopers carved out a new niche for themselves with high-end awards and advertising specialties. "This form of art is ideal for awards," says Bob. "Glass is quickly adaptable and it doesn't require molds. With glass, anything can be created from an idea or a photograph."

From Art Gallery to Awards Market

Animation is the vibrant and unexpected quality that emerges when light strikes the fixed shape of glass. The glass can appear inflexible, unyielding and brittle, yet light adds warmth and gives it life.

These qualities of glass lured the brothers into a medium that appropriately expressed their unique flair for art. Bob's imagination triggered a menagerie of fantasy creations including dragons, wizards and genies, while scenes of wildlife and the early American West became Warren's specialty. Matt is developing his own repertoire of subjects, which include floral and aquatic sculptures. The objective was to achieve animated motion that would stimulate an emotion in the viewer, says Warren.

The artists' sculptures appeared in art galleries across the United States and soon viewers began making personal requests. One such request from a man involved in thoroughbred horse racing led to a commission for glass sculptures to be used as trophies. University programs followed suit for their recognition pieces. And in the mid-1980s, the studio received its first major commercial account. An advertising specialty consultant knew Mazda Motors of America was on the lookout for an award that utilized the image of Japanese bonsai artistry. When the consultant saw the glass bonsai tree exhibited in a gallery, he linked Mazda with the artists. The result was a commission to produce glass bonsai sculptures for the company’s top executive sales awards.

Glass Awards Continued