About Good River Gallery~

I specialize in handmade jewelry, purses, glasswork and beads, made of the finest materials.

With over fifteen years teaching experience combined with twenty years as a working artist, I still look forward to teaching both fine arts and craftmanship skills every day. I've taught college level multimedia and design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Illinois Institute of Art. I have taught beadwork and fine arts at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, TLD Design Center and Gallery & Caravan Beads in Chicago, Glass Axis & 1 Stop Bead Shop in Columbus, OH.

I've been doing seed bead work since 1986. Much of what I've learned has been through trial and error, out of books or through the wonderful resources available online. I have been able to take classes from Sherry Serafini, Vicki Starr and Jeanette Cooke.

I'm often asked about lampworking. Lampwork or flamework is the term used to describe glass beads made by melting glass with a torch and wrapping it around a steel rod. The techniques used to form and festoon the glass haven't changed much since the first core formed vessels made in ancient Egypt. In 1994, frustrated by both my inability of find bead colors and styles to make my jewelry designs, and by my first stint as a costume designer in graduate school, I decided to take a course in making glass beads over a torch. The course was 8-weeks long, and taught at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts by glass artist Milissa Montini. I was hooked immediately, and retook the beginning course the next semester. I've since been lucky enough to take glasses from Loren Stump, Michael Mangiafico, John Winter, Tink and Nancy Lawler.

I recieved my BA at Swarthmore College and my MFA at Ohio State University, where I researched political theatre design in Eastern Europe. I am currently working on an interactive CD-Rom on Czech Designer Jaroslav Malina, for an exhibit organzied by Dr. Joseph Brandesky. The first interactive CD I worked on was part of Dr. Joseph Brandesky's Czech Theatre Design in the 20th Century, available on Amazon.com.

Check out the NEW catalog to see some of my currently available pieces.
Check out the gallery to see some of my sold pieces.

• Hannah's 2008 Teaching Schedule
• My December 2008 Show Schedule
• My 2008 Art Fair Schedule