As an avid gardener I have a passionate interest in flowers. In the summer I spend each morning wandering amongst the new blooms to cut a flower from the chaos of the garden display for the bouquet in the house. During the winter months I focus on my imaginary garden, expressing the joy of flowers in my blown glass objects. The flower vase series capture the beauty of the bloom on a vessel that is both decorative and functional as they enhance the bouquet of fresh cut flowers when in use and return you to the thought of garden when empty. The flowering vine vessel series is my ongoing interpretation of life - beauty, colour, gesture, shadow, reflection, isolation, confinement, freedom and treasure. The pieces begin to breathe their own life once the shiny glass surface is removed, replaced with a dark textural surface and enhanced with paint. The richness of the colour speaks of the gardens both wild and tamed, from which they came. The garden has been my source of inspiration for many years now, to pay homage to this I have been working on a new series of large scale glass sculptural pieces to adorn the garden. We are all constantly surrounded by something. The landscape that surrounds us shapes us and influences us as we function within it. Born, Saskatchewan, 1959. SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 'Susan Rankin:valid objects of beauty’, The Ontario Craft Council Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2011 ‘Susan Rankin:valid objects of beauty’, The Eslanade Arts and Heritage Centre, Medicine Hat, Alberta.
2010 ‘Susan Rankin: valid objects of beauty’, Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Susan Rankin: valid objects of beauty’, Art Gallery of Swift Current, Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
2009 Susan Rankin: valid objects of beauty’, Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
‘Susan Rankin’ Hand Wave Gallery, Meacham, S.K.
2008 ‘Susan Rankin’, Studio 21 Fine Art, Halifax, N.S.
2007 ‘in bloom’, Nan Miller Gallery, Rochester, N.Y.
2006 about the garden’, Galerie Elena Lee, Montreal, Quebec.
2005 ‘epergne revisited’, Lafreniere & Pai Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario.
'Contained Glass’, Martin Arts Gallery, Bayfield, Ontario.
2004 ‘Epergne’, Uncommon Objects, York Quay Centre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
2003 ‘Wired Vessels’, Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
‘about garden’, Starfish Glassworks, Victoria, B.C.
Susan Rankin / Naoko Takenouchi, Galerie Elena Lee, Montreal, Quebec.
2000 Susan Rankin, Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida.
Sue Rankin / Naoko Takenouchi, Galerie Elena Lee Verre D'Art, Montreal , Quebec.
1999 Susan Rankin, Prime Gallery Toronto, Ontario
1998 ‘Glass as a Metaphor’ Russell Gallery, Peterborough, Ontario.
Susan Rankin, Studio 21 Fine Art, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1997 Sue Rankin / Claire Maunsell, Gallery Elena Lee Verre D'Art, Montreal, Quebec.
Susan Rankin, Studio 21 Fine Art, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1996 'Controlled Neglect', Russell Gallery, Peterborough, Ontario.
1995 'Flowers', Galerie Elena Lee Verre D'Art, Montreal, Quebec.
1994 Susan Rankin, Harbinger Gallery Inc., Waterloo, Ontario.
1993 Sue Rankin, Galerie Elena Lee Verre D'Art, Montreal, Quebec.
1992 Recent works in Glass’, Harbinger Gallery Inc., Waterloo, Ontario.
'Flower Vase Series', Gallery Lynda Greenberg, Ottawa, Ontario.
1991 'Essence', Saskatchewan Craft Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
'Migration', The Hand Wave, Meacham, Saskatchewan.
'Migration Series', Homer Watson House & Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario. EXHIBITIONS
2012 ‘Winterlude - Northern Passion’, Outdoor Sculptural installation, Ottawa, Ontario. 2011 ‘ArtPrize’, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids MI.
‘SOFA New York 2011 & SOFA Chicago’, Option Art.
‘Making Sense’, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
‘Prairie Scene’, Lafreniere & Pai Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario. 2010 ‘Teapots! 4th Invitational Exhibition’, Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, Pittsburgh PA.
‘SOFA New York 2010’ Option Art.
‘SOFA Chicago 2010’ – SOLO Booth, Option Art.
‘400 Years of Glass:’ Galerie Elena Lee, Montreal, Quebec.
‘Glass Factor:Luminaries in the Canadian Art Glass Scene’, Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario. 2009 ‘Tenuous Tenacity’, Glazen Huis, Flemish Centre for Contemporary Glass Art, Lommel, Belgium.
Floral Feature, Kuivato Gallery, Sedona, Arizona.
All Canadian Glass Show, Hodgell Gallery, Sarasota, Florida.
‘Glass Under Glass’, Royal Botanical Garden, Burlington, Ontario.
‘SOFA New York’ & ‘SOFA Chicago’, Option Art. 2008 ‘Palmbeach 3’, Option Art, West Palm Beach, Florida.
‘Glass Under Glass’, Royal Botanical Garden, Burlington, Ontario.
Interior Design Show 08, Design Live – Cubic Yard Design & A.K. Collings Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
‘SOFA New York & SOFA Chicago 2008’, Option Art.
‘Women’s Glass Invitational’, Dane Gallery, Nantucket, MA.
‘Verandah and Garden’, A.K. Collings Gallery, Rice Lake, Ontario.
‘The Artful Garden’, Bracebridge, Ontario.
‘OBJECToronto 2008’, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Ontario. 2007 ‘Palmbeach 3’, Option Art, West Palm Beach, Florida.
‘A Vital Mix’, Ontario Craft Council 30th Aniversary, Toronto, Ontario.
‘Susan Rankin – wired forms, Alice Burton – Paintings’ A.K. Collings Gallery, Port Hope, Ontario.
‘Art in the Garden’ Kiwi Gardens, Perth, Ontario.
‘SOFA New York & Chicago 2007’, Option Art.
‘OBJECToronto’, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Ontario. 2006 ‘Susan Rankin – Glass, Kelvin Britton – Paintings’, A.K. Collings Gallery, Port Hope, Ontario.
‘Architectural Digest Interior Design Show – New York’, Option Art.
‘OBJECToronto’, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Ontario.
‘SOFA New York & Chicago 2006’, Option Art.
‘Art in the Garden’, Kiwi Gardens, Perth, Ontario.
‘Le Verre Hot’, Materia, Quebec City, Quebec. 2005 ‘SOFA Chicago 2005’, Option Art.
‘SOFA Palm Beach 2005’, Option Art.
‘SOFA New York 2005’, Option Art. 2004 ‘Fragile Nature’, Habatat Galleries Michigan, Birmingham, Michigan.
‘32nd Annual International Glass Invitational, Habatat Galleries Michigan, Royal Oak Michigan.
‘North of the Border’, Habatat Galleries Michigan, Royal Oak Michigan.
‘SOFA New York 2004’, Galerie Elena Lee.
‘Contemporary Glassworks’, The Guild Shop, Toronto, Ontario.
’20 year anniversary’, Shelley Tadman Gallery, Featured artist, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
‘3 night stand’, Gladston Hotel, Toronto, Ontario. 2003 ‘six artits’, Myers/Roschar Studio on Stony Lake, Woodview, Ontario.
‘Person to Person’, Uncommon Objects, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
‘Ten North’, Sandra Ainsley Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. 2002 ‘Expressions 2002’, Quinte Arts Council, ”Festival of the Arts”, Belleville Public Library, Belleville, Ontario.
SOFA New York 2002, Galerie Elena Lee.
2002 Glass Exhibition: All That Glitters, The Guild Shop, Toronto, Ontario.
SOFA Chicago 2002, Galerie Elena Lee.
‘Seven Artists’, Myers/Roschar Gallery, Woodview, Ontario. 2001 ‘19th International Glass Invitational’, Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida.
‘Ten North’, Starfish Glassworks, Victoria, B.C.
‘Images of Summer’, The Glass Gallery, Bethesda, MD.
‘All That Glitters’, 8th Annual Invitational Glass Exhibition, The Guild Shop, Toronto, Ontario.
‘Glass Lovers Weekend’, Galerie Elena Lee, Wheaton Village, Millville, NJ.
‘Canadian Glass Event’, Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass, Dallas, Texas. 2000 18th International Glass Invitational, Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida.
Feature, Harbinger Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario.
'Ten North', John Elder Gallery, New York City, New York.
'All That Glitters', The Guild Shop, Toronto, Ontario. 1999 17th International Glass Invitational, Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida.
'Efflorescence' - Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, B.C.
'The Timeless Garden, Glass Art in Bloom', Chappell Gallery, Boston, MA.
'Ten North', Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
'EXPO G.A.S. International' - Ten North, 29th Annual G.A.S. Conference, Tampa, Florida.
SOFA Chicago 1999, Sheridan College. 1998 16th International Glass Invitational, Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida.
SOFA Chicago 1998, The Glass Gallery.
'15th Annual Scent Bottle Invitational', Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass, Dallas, Texas.
'Essence II', Circle Craft, Vancouver, B.C.
'Ten North', Belvetro Glass Gallery, Miami Beach, Florida.
'Featured Artist', Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass, Dallas, Texas.
'2nd Annual Canadian Glass Show', West End Gallery, Victoria, B.C. 1997 '15th International Glass Invitational', Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida.
Ten North', Chappell Gallery, Boston, MA.
'Incandescence - Contemporary Hot Glass', Blyth Festival Art Gallery, Seaforth, Ontario.
'4th Annual Invitational Glass Show', The Guild Shop, Toronto, Ontario.
'Canadian Glass', West End Gallery, Victoria, B.C.
'EXPO G.A.S. International' - Ten North, 27th Annual G.A.S. Conference, Tucson, Arizona.
'North of the Border: Contemporary Canadian Glass', Dinnerware contemporary Art, Tucson, AZ. 1996 'Anniversary Exhibition: 20 Years', Galerie Elena Lee Verre D'Art, Montréal, Québec.
'Box', Du Verre, Toronto, Ontario.
'Of Gardens', Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
'Members Show', GAAC Conference, Montréal, Québec.
'Sandscript, the Language of Glass - Interpretation 1996', Ariana Gallery, Michigan.
2 pers., Gallery Lynda Greenberg, Ottawa, Ontario.
'Those Golden Days of Summer', Uncommon Objects, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto.
'3rd Annual Invitational Glass Show', The Guild Shop, Toronto. 1995 'Holiday Collection', Ontario Craft Council, Toronto, Ontario.
'A Woman’s Touch', Ariana Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan.
'Couplings', Uncommon Objects, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
'Spring Glass Show' Du Verre, Toronto, Ontario. 1994 'Movement, Moment, Gesture', The John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2 pers., Gallery Lynda Greenberg, Ottawa, Ontario.
1994 'Refractions/Directions:', Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario.
'Canadian Glass', Du Verre, Toronto, Ontario.
'Vessel Makers, '94', Philabaum Glass Gallery, Tucson, Arizona. 1993 'Selected Treasures; A Treasury of Canadian Craft', Travelling exhibition in Asia, USA.
'The Celebratory Bowl', Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Inaugural exhibition. 2 pers., Shelley Tadman Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
2 pers., Gallery Lynda Greenberg, Ottawa, Ontario.
'Winters Harvest 1993', Visual Arts Centre of Newcastle, Newcastle, Ontario, Juried exhibition.
Susan Rankin, Irene Frolic, 'Recession Glass', Uncommon Objects, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario. 1992 'A treasury of Canadian Craft', Inaugural invitational exhibition, The Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, B.C.
'My House My Garden' Galerie Elena Lee, Montreal, Quebec.
'Face To Face', York Quay Gallery & Uncommon Objects, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario.
The Ninth Annual Capitol Glass Invitational, The Glass Gallery, Bethesda, Maryland.
'25th Anniversary Exhibition – Just a taste of the Claridge Collection', Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal, Que. 1991 'Rights of Spring', York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario. 1990 Forge Studio Gallery, Terra Cotta, Ontario.
'International Exhibition of Glass 90', Juried Exhibition, Kanazawa Japan.
'Curiosa Felicitas', York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario. 1989/1991 'Ontario Craft', Juried Exhibition, Ontario Craft Council, Toronto, Ontario. 1989 'Objects eighty 9', Graduate Show, Sheridan College, Oakville Ontario. 1988/1989 'Vitrix', Ontario Craft Council & Royal Canadian Academy, Juried, Toronto, Ontario.
'Dimensions ', Juried Exhibition., Sask. Craft Council, North Battleford, Saskatchewan.
Sheridan College Student Exhibition, Shelly Tadman Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 1987/88-91 Sheridan College Student & Faculty Show, Galerie Elena Lee Verre D'Art, Montreal, Quebec. RELATED EXPERIENCE
2005 - 2012 Instructor, Glass Certificate Program, Haliburton School of the Arts, Haliburton , Ontario.
2008 President, Apsley and District Studio Tour Group, Apsley, Onatio.
2006 One month Artist in Resident, Harbourfront Glass Studio, Toronto, Ontario. - Instructor, week long intensive workshop, Haliburton Summer School of the Arts, Haliburton, Onariao.
2005 Instructor, Intermediate Glass, con-ed. Summer workshop, Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario.
2003 - 2004 Advisory committee member to the new glass program at the Haliburton School of the Arts, Haliburton, Ont.
2003 Instructor, Week long course – glass blowing & bit work, Haliburton School of the Arts, Haliburton, Ontario.
2002 Craft Advisory Committee member to the Ontario Crafts Council.
2001 Instructor, Week long intensive workshop, Alberta College of Art & Design, Calgary, Alberta.
2000 Artists Garden, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
2000 Juror, Saidye Bronfman Award, Canada Council for the Arts.
1999 2006 Advisor to the Glass Studio at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
1999 Lecture Series, Glass@Sheridan : A Northern Perspective - SOFA, Chicago.
1998 Instructor, Summer School of the Visual Arts, Hot Glass, Red Deer College, Alberta.
1997 Juror, Ontario Arts Council, Craft Grants.
1995 - present - Partner in White Dog Studio, Apsley, Ontario.
1989-1995 Instructor glass blowing, Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario.
1989-1992 Artist in Resident, Harbourfront Glass Studio, Toronto, Ontario.
1989 Assistant, Hot Glass Workshop, University of Industrial Design, Helsinki, Finland.
1988-1995 Production Editor, 'The Glass Gazette', publication of The Glass Art Association of Canada, Toronto, Ontario.
1988-1989 Treasurer, Glass Art Association of Canada, Toronto, Ontario.
1981-1987 Co-owner/operator/instructor 'Glass Spinners' stained glass studio/gallery, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. EDUCATION
2002 Penland School, Penland, North Carolina, Session 4, Glass, Katherine Gray.
2000 Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle Maine, Session 6, Blacksmithing - Steve Yusko.
1996 Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle Maine, Session 6, Glass - Ruth King.
1994 Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Session 4, Glass - Karen Willenbrink/Flora Mace.
1987-1989 Sheridan College School of Craft & Design, Oakville, Ontario, Glass Major.
1989 Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington. Session 1, Flora Mace/Joey Kirkpatrick - advanced glassblowing.
1989 Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington. Session 2, Flora Mace/Joey Kirkpatrick, Session 3, Willy Dexter & Jim Harmon.
1984 Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington. Session 2, Klaus Moje. AWARDS/GRANTS
2010 Ontario Arts Council, National & International Touring project grant.
Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Touring project grant.
Ontario Arts Council, exhibition assistance grant. 2009 Ontario Arts Council, Individual Craft Grant. 2006 Ontario Arts Council, Individual Craft Grant. 2003 Canada Council Crafts Grant. 2002 Ontario Arts Council, Individual Craft Grant.
County of Peterborough Recognition Award for Leadership in the Arts Community. 1999 Canada Council Travel Grant. 1994-1995 Ontario Arts Council, Individual Craft Grant. 1993 Creativity Award, Winters Harvest 1993, Visual Arts Centre of Newcastle. 1992 Honorable Mention, Capitol Glass Invitational, The Glass Gallery, Bethesda, Maryland. 1991 Ontario Crafts '91, M. Joan Chalmers Award for Glass. 1990-1992 Ontario Arts Council, Individual Craft Grant. 1989-1991 Harbourfront Glass Studio Residency, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON. 1989 Harbourfront Glass Studio, 1yr scholarship residency. 1st Prize, Vessel Category, GAS Conference Student Exhibition. Ontario Crafts Council, Set-Up grant. Indusmin Glass Award. Sheridan College Alumni Award, Silver metal of achievement. 1988 Harbourfront Glass Studio, Summer Residency.
Battleford 'Peace Award', Dimensions '88 Exhibition.
Dom Glass Award. 1987 Saskatchewan Arts Board C Grant . PUBLICATIONS
2010 Catalogue, ‘Studio Glass, Anna & Joe Mendel Collection’, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. 2009 Cinzia Corella ‘Susan Rankin Valid Objects of Beauty’, Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, Moose Jaw, Sask.
Catalogue, ‘tenuous tenacity (teer & taai)’ Contemporary Canadian Glass, Glazen Huis, Flemish Centre for Contemporary Glass Art, Lommel, Belgium. 2008 Sally McCubbin, ‘A day in the life in Apsley, Ontario’, Contemporary Canadian Glass, Winter, 2007 2007 Jill Culora, ‘A Garden in Glass’, World Art Glass Quarterly Magazine, Volume 2, 2007
Cinzia Corella, ‘about the garden: an invitation to dialogue’, Contemporarty Canadian Glass, Spring 2007
Catalogue, ‘palmbeach 3’, Option Art, West Palm Beach, Florida. 2006 ‘500 Glass Objects’, Lark Books, 2004 Catalogue, ‘Epergne’, Uncommon Objects, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto , Ontario.
New Glass Review 25, The Corning Museum of Glass.
Agatha Cinader, ‘Review – Epergne-Sue Rankin’, Contemporary Canadian Glass, Vol. 4 - #56, Spring 2004 2003 Richard Yelle, ‘Glass Art : International 2003’. 2002 Catalogue, '19th International Glass Invitational', Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida. 2001 Ellen Wieske, ‘Wirework’, Lark Books.
Catalogue, '18th International Glass Invitational', Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida. 1999 James Strecker, 'Sheridan The Cutting Edge In Crafts', Boston Mills Press.
Deena Waisberg, 'Profile - Artist cultivates a garden of glass', The Toronto Star, Sunday September 26, 1999.
Catalogue, '17th International Glass Invitational', Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida. 1997 New Glass Review 18, The Corning Museum of Glass.
Catalogue, '16th International Glass Invitational', Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida. 1996 New Glass Review 17, The Corning Museum of Glass.
Catalogue, '20 Years Galerie Elena Lee', Galerie Elena Lee Verre D'Art.
Catalogue, '15th International Glass Invitational', Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida. 1995 Patricia Tolmie, 'Guild Shop Talk', Craft News, Vol. 20 / No. 3, July -Aug. '95.
1995 Kevin Lockau, 'Gesture of Grace', Glass Gazette, Summer 1995. 1993 Catalogue, 'Vision to Reality', Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.
1993 Catalogue, 'Taipei International Exhibition of Traditional Arts & Crafts, 1993', Taipei Fine Arts Museum.
Catalogue, 'Selected Treasures; a Treasury of Canadian Craft', Taipei Fine Arts Museum.
Fusion Magazine, Vol. 17/No. 3 Summer 1993.
Hickey, Gloria, 'Canadian Glass Now', Neues Glas/New Glass, 1/93. 1992 Catalogue, 'A Treasury of Canadian Craft', Inaugural exhibition, The Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, B.C.
Orthner, Patricia, Fusion Magazine, vol. 16 no. 2, summer. 1991 Craft News, vol. 16 no. 1, January, Ontario Craft Council.
Ontario Craft, summer, Ontario Craft Council.
New Glass Review 12, The Corning Museum of Glass.
Flood, Sandra, The Craft Factor, vol. 16, no.3, fall, Saskatchewan Craft Council. 1990 The Craft Factor, vol. 15, no.4, Winter, Saskatchewan Craft Council.
Catalogue, 'The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa '90'. 1988 The Craft Factor, vol. 13, no. 2, summer, Saskatchewan Craft Council. COLLECTIONS
Corning Museum, Corning, N.Y., Claridge Collection, Montréal, Québec., The Michel-Pierre Grenier Collection, Montréal, Québec. Saskatchewan Arts Board, Regina, Sask. Moose Jaw Art Museum, Moose Jaw Sask., Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba., SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario. UBS Bank (Canada), Toronto, Ontario, Department of Foreign Affairs, Government of Canada, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Glazen Huis, Flemish Centre for Contemporary Glass Art, Lommel, Belgium