Susan Kutno

Susan Kutno has been working with glass for the past 38 years, primarily concentrating on fused glass. Beginning as a stained-glass artist, she switched her focus to fusing in the mid-'80s when fusing was introduced. She felt that although there were many ways to express her artistic endeavors through stained glass, it was too restrictive, whereas fusing gave her the chance to express herself artistically, concentrating on innovative techniques.

She has studied with many of the original fusing artists - Boyce Lundstrom, the founder of fusing, Phil & Hazel Teefy, Gil Reynolds, Dan Fenton, Emily Brockand and Kelly Crosser Alge, who brought the Sgraffito technique to glass fusing with powders. Kutno has also won the prestigious "New Glass Review" (a yearly worldwide competition) from the Corning Museum of Glass, where her innovative designs and original technique in frit painting were instrumental in winning this competition.

Kutno has won numerous awards, with works featured in galleries and art shows throughout the Northeast, including Lincoln Center and the Columbia Avenue Annual Shows, Nassau Coliseum and Columbia University Holiday Shows, to name a few. After relocating to Florida, she showcased her artwork at the Hodgell Gallery and Art Uptown Gallery in Sarasota, held a solo exhibition with the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, earned awards at ArtCenter Sarasota, and took part in both the Florida Craft Art Christmas Show and the Beautiful Bountiful Bowls exhibition in St. Pete. Recently, her glass art earned a Merit Award at Art Center Manatee and a 2nd Place award at Art Center Sarasota, competing among more than 200 participants.

Susan’s long career also included founding the Sarasota School of Glass in 2000, where she remained until her retirement in 2025, writing a beginner's book on glass fusing, Everything You Wanted To Know About Fusing…But Had No One To Ask, now in its 4th printing and available on Amazon, and her new business, Glassroots Consultants, a consulting firm dedicated to glass artists. Now in the works – 12 mini lessons on techniques using glass powder, being sold separately as eBooks, eventually combining them into one book to sell on Amazon.

Artists Statement

For me, the greatest fulfillment as an artist comes from creating something that has never existed before. Glass offers an endless exploration of light and color; it transforms constantly as reflections play across its surface, giving the impression of movement and vitality. Each piece evolves through interaction with its surroundings, inviting the viewer to become part of the creative process. As light and shadow shift, the work is continually re-created, offering new interpretations with every glance. Few media engage the viewer so directly, and it is this dynamic quality that inspires my ongoing journey with glass.