Meet Stephan Cox | Artist/designer/fabricator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephan Cox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Sometimes when an artist has success selling their work they quit evolving and become creatively timid. This is somewhat understandable because most artists are hungry for validation of their efforts through sales and exhibition and are loathe to turn away from something that is working. The truly creative artist often turns away from previous success and rolls the dice, hoping to again experience the exhileration of an idea becoming reality. Making art, actually creating something without a template, can be scary and exciting – risky, but ultimately satisfying when things work out. I embrace that risk and continue to roll the dice.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I had done some commission work on and off over the years, but high-end art fairs put my work in front of people who have the money and the large, light-filled homes and businesses to support contemporary sculpture. It is an immense pleasure to successfully consult, design, fabricate, deliver, and install a site-specific project. A big part of the fun is visiting sites and meeting clients, seeing their amazing architecture and incredible art collections.

While I would never describe this life in art easy (it is essentially highly skilled hard labor), it can be extremely gratifying. I am happy to work with clients to create something special and will gladly travel to view and discuss projects.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live with my wife Patricia outside River Falls WI, a bustling college town (University of Wisconsin branch) boasting its proximity to St. Paul/Minneapolis. The Kinnickinnic, a gorgeous small river runs right through town and is prized for trout fishing and kayaking. There are wonderful trails and country roads for hiking and biking, and over the last several years numerous breweries, distillers, coffee shops, and fine restaurants have opened, offering food, drink, and live entertainment.

A day in the life, River Falls, WI:  We’ll start by grabbing a coffee and pastry at one of the great little shops, then heading to Glen Park (est. 1898) for a hike along the river followed by pickleball or horseshoes, then off to Main Street to browse bookstores and antiques.  We’ll have another meditative stroll along the river, then lunch at Mariachi Loco (excellent Mexican).  Following an after-meal rest back home (maybe a nap?) we’ll play a round at River Falls Golf Club (a small 18 – hole gem in the hills above town) and have a cocktail at the clubhouse.  Then it’s back to Main Street for truly great pizza and gyros at Steve’s Pizza Palace, a restaurant we’ve frequented since 1978.  It’s a short walk from Steve’s to The Garage Bikes + Brews for live music and a nightcap.  It’s been a big day and we’re going to sleep well tonight!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I started my business in 1982 after attending University of Wisconsin River Falls. I studied under renowned instructor Jim Engebretson who took over the fledgling program (one of the first in the nation), then built and improved it over 33 years of teaching and inspiring students, many of whom have gone on to professional careers in the arts.

In about 2001 after nearly 20 years successfully selling my ever-evolving line of art glass to galleries and shops in the US and overseas, there was a staleness to the repetitive work involved in supplying accounts and I felt a need to shake things up and address my compulsion to make original sculpture. This scheme worked quite well, and from 2001 to 2012 I continued to sell my pared-down wholesale line to galleries and my one-of-kind sculpture at select retail venues.

In 2012 fellow sculptor and future visionary gallerist Matthew Fine asked me to join him in his new endeavor, planning to exhibit at fine high-end indoor art fairs across the country. Our first two shows were SOFA Chicago (November 2013) and Art Palm Beach (January 2014) where we showed under the banner of Mayer Fine Art, a Norfolk VA gallery owned by Matthew’s friend and colleague Sheila Giolitti.

In 2014 Matthew introduced Okay Spark Gallery. Matthew’s intent was to present a small group of artists, giving each of them enough space to show a comprehensive body of work. Over the next decade Okay Spark Gallery presentented numerous visually stunning exhibits in Palm Beach, Miami, Aspen, New York City, Seattle, Palm Springs, and other venues. I’m forever grateful to Matthew for his generosity and adventurous spirit.

Website: stephancoxglass.com

Instagram: @coxglassart

Facebook: Stephan Cox Glass

Image Credits
Personal photo: Richard Cohen.  Studio shot: Patricia O’Neill.
KC Trio with Poodle: New York Times.  All other images: Stephan Cox