Dana Worley

Artist’s Statement, Kiln-formed Glass

Logan, UT

I make my home in the foothills of Northern Utah. This beautiful high mountain desert, its surrounding areas, and my travel experiences provide inspiration for my glass art. I spend a lot of my time outdoors. You will often find me hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, or just wandering in the woods and taking it all in.

When I am in nature, I am captivated by color, texture, light, shadows, and movement. These images are captured in my mind (and often with my camera). When I return to my studio these impressions serve as inspiration. I recreate the beauty I experienced by layering sheet glass, glass frit (varying-sized chunks of glass), glass enamels, and glass powders that are then fired in a kiln. The materials allow me to express intention with my art, while controlling firing temperatures in the kiln allows me to create dimension, texture, and reflected light.

My hope is that through my art I am able to recreate these experiences in glass to share with others. My art is not typically a literal translation of my influences, but rather my attempt to capture their essence. If others can experience some of the joy and inspiration while viewing my art that I felt during these experiences, then I feel I have succeeded in my efforts.

Bio

Dana Worley is a Utah-based artist and educator. First introduced to stained glass in an advanced high school art class, Dana came across fused glass in 2009. Having worked for many years in the scientific instrumentation industry, she found kiln-formed glass to be a medium that spoke to both her scientific side and her creative side. Dana is primarily self-taught but she has strengthened her independent learning through classes with renown artists and immersive residency experiences. Experiences include Northland Creative Glass Scotland (2017 & 2019), Penland School of Craft North Carolina (2023), Italy (2024), and Pilchuck Glass School Washington (2025).

Dana shares her passion for glass by teaching, mentoring, and writing for industry publications. She is trained in the Creative Aging curriculum dedicated to teaching art to adults 55 and older. Dana teaches glass painting classes in an assisted living setting and teaches glass artists how to adapt their art for adult learning. In 2024, Dana was a recipient of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums’ Utah Artist Fellowship – an award that recognizes the careers of Utah artists demonstrating exceptional creativity in their fields.

Dana Worley, Fused Glass Designs

dba Jester’s Baubles

1650 E 3550 N, North Logan, UT 84341

jestersbaubles@gmail.com           www.utahglassartist.com