Josh Simpson
Born in 1949.
Josh Simpson is a superb designer, exuberant craftsman and aesthetic visionary. Drawn to the mysteries of the universe, the artist is seduced by images of secret universes and landscapes hidden beneath the sea's surface, held by the night's sky or veiled behind the vast vistas of space. From fire and sand, Simpson makes magic in his glass studio, creating small sculptural universes for other's exploration.On the occasion of the University Museums' 25th anniversary, Simpson was commissioned to create a signature object for the permanent collection. Simpson was inspired to begin leaving his "Planets" all over the world when he dug up some old marbles in his garden. Since then, he has hidden them in places as close as flower pots in his hometown to as far as glaciers, volcanoes, the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and underwater in the Galapago Islands, hoping that they will be uncovered and appreciated in the future. One of Simpson's "planets" has even traveled to outer space. Simpson is married to NASA Astronaut Catherine Coleman, who holds a BS in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts. Coleman has been involved in two missions of the Space Shuttle Columbia. During a 1995 mission, she took one of Simpson's "Planets" into space with her.
Received a BA at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, 1972. His teaching career includes: Kirkland College, Clinton, NY, 1973; Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT., 1974-76; Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, 1989; Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME., 1990; Tokyo Glass Art Institute, Tokyo, Japan, 1993; Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, 1997-1999; Wanganui Polytechnic, Wanganui, New Zealand, 1999. He was the President of the Board of Directors of the Glass Art Socitey, 1992-94; President and Boardmember of Craft Emergency Relief Fund, American Craft Council, Boardmember, 1998; The Greenfield Savings Bank, Associate Director, 1996 to present.
