Robert DuGrenier has been a glass artist, sculptor and designer since the 1970's and his work has touched both traditional and experimental arenas of the glass world.
He started Robert DuGrenier Associates, Inc. in 1980 as a design studio specializing in glass sculptural pieces and three-dimensional design. Over the years, based on his strengths of creativity and knowledge of materials, the company has become well-known for its design and development of innovative primary and secondary packaging for the cosmetics industry as well as creating custom awards for a variety of high-profile clients. The company also works in collaboration with architects and interior designers to design and create custom glass sculptural installations and chandeliers. These are installed in hotels (The Dorchester London), stores (Tiffany & Co.), museums (The Jewish Museum, NYC) and private residences (Bill Gates) around the world.
Robert grew up north of Boston MA and knew that he wanted to blow glass from the time he was 12 years old, when he insisted that his family visit the Czech pavilion at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal. This passion led him to Philadelphia College of Art for two years, then to Hornsey College of Art in London (now Middlesex University), and in 1979, he earned his MFA in Sculpture from Illinois State University.
Growing up in New England and embracing the changes of season, Robert’s personal art has been influenced by the ever-changing effects of Nature. The notion of time is an important element that carries through most of his work.
Now living in Vermont and tending to a large garden and an interesting menagerie of animals has lent a new perspective for Robert’s art. Recent pieces have been “started” by Robert, and then Nature takes over, as in his apple tree installations, bee hive sculptures and mobile homes for hermit crabs made of blown glass shells.
A recent body of work is born out of tragedy: the historic barn on his property burned to the ground in October 2015. He’s been using the metal and cast iron pieces (missing, of course, their wooden handles and parts) from farm implements and antiques that were left behind in the debris, to create stunning sculptures. Many of the pieces in the “From the Ashes” series at first glance appear to be encased in ice; not until the viewer comes close is it revealed that the sculpture is encased in glass.
In summer 2019 and again in 2021, Robert was able to more fully explore his fascination with the interconnection between art and science by serving as Artist-in-Residence at the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island, Maine – an undergraduate summer program for marine biology students at UNH, Cornell and Dartmouth.
Robert has shown his work in various museums and galleries, including solo shows at the Brattleboro Museum of Art, Wilson Museum at Southern Vermont Arts Center, Salmon Falls Art Gallery and Fulcrum Gallery. He has also been part of group exhibitions at SITE: Brooklyn, Heller Gallery NY, University Galleries at ISU, and The American Crafts Museum, NY.
Robert is an active member of his local community and helped create a non-profit organization (West River Community Project) that has become an integral part of the local area; it’s mission is to support local farms, businesses and social activities, which it fulfills by hosting weekly pizza and music nights, a farmers’ market, a donation-based café featuring food made with local ingredients, art exhibitions, community wood-splitting events, food and farming classes, and much more. Robert also serves on the Townshend Historical Society board and helped design “A Stitch in Time”, a full-length book that portrays the life of the town over its first 250 years in existence. A little more than ten years ago, Robert helped found the Vermont Glass Guild which brings together glass artists living and working in/near Vermont to collaboratively promote glass art, as well as provide networking and marketing opportunities. The VGG has had many exhibitions throughout the state since its beginning.
In 2018, Robert was inducted into the College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame at Illinois State University. In 2022, he was named Artist of the Year for The International Seakeepers Society.