Delving Deeper

BOY MEETS GIRL AND GLASS
Frances Stewart was a professor of art at the University of Georgia when, after World War II, she pursued master’s studies at the Chicago Institute of Design. Stewart had been experimenting with such techniques as “bending” glass since 1942, and Michael Higgins, the head of visual design at the school, had taken a keen interest in the art of glass fusing. The two forged a professional and personal relationship over the medium and married in 1948, settling in Riverside, Illinois. Like most newlyweds, they established a home; unlike most newlyweds, their living room furniture featured three kilns frequently fired to up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Their collaboration in glass fusing in their unconventional setting fueled an inventive approach to everyday objects.