Winner of the 2005 Niche award for blown glass - awarded by Niche magazine for the best of blown glass in the United States - Randy Strong, artist and designer in hot glass for 40 years, has worked continuously throughout his career producing innovative designs in glass that continually influence the ever changing and growing community of studio glass artists. Randy is one of a handful of American Glass Artists to help revive the studio art glass movement. Before he was to enter the world of glass however, he learned to work in and collect photography. In the late 60's he worked as an events photographer for the Oakland Tribune, and for a brief period, was privledged to work with photographer Ansel Adams. He first began working in glass in 1969 at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, Calif. where he studied ceramics and was fortunate to have as his mentor, the reknowned ceramacist, Peter Voulkos. Upon graduation in 1970 he received the prestigious scholarship to the University of Art in Osaka, Japan as one of the first exchange students between the Universities of Calif. and Calif. College of Arts and Crafts and Osaka, Japan. That grounding in ceramics lead him into the largely unknown frontier of studio art glass. In 1970, he was with Dale Chihuly when he and the Haubergs selected the location for the now renowned Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, Washington. For many years Randy, has helped to lead the new art glass movement. His work, ranging from his distinctive crystal and gold goblets, to his imposing cast sculptures have been acquired by collectors internationally and are a part of collections ranging from The Corning Museum in New York, to the Louvre in Paris. His career has continually found him pushing the boundaries of current styles in studio glass and its techniques - to new arenas of experience. Randy's work through the last 4 decades has highlighted the use of difficult, defining techniques, materials, colors and forms. His newest sculptural work again breaks new ground by challenging the concept of solid form in glass by further expressing its personality in lightness and movement. It is said that the artist's heart and passion is reflected in their work. His new work does just that. In 1970, he established his own studio and gallery in Northern California, where he continues to create, design and teach.