ART! Roberta Segal, “Design brings order to my world”

Photo: Purple Bowl – kiln formed glass with vitrograph and inclusions

“Isolation gave me the opportunity to express myself in solitude, without the confines of rushing to the next appointment or meeting. A commission for a private waterfront home. There are glass inclusions which reflect the light from the ocean view window…” says well known artist Roberta Segal, reflecting on her time as an artist during COVID.

Roberta Segal says, “Design brings order to my world. My love of color brings life. My expression incorporates my passion. I resist definition, for I work in oils, acrylics, encaustics, printmaking, and often in combination But my love of the use of light, has introduced me to glass and all of its mysteries. Glass may be fragile and show strength; it can appear solid, yet in reality be in motion; it can be without color or be vibrant. The medium of glass holds limitless possibilities for the creator.

She has produced work in Wall Art, Vessels/Interiors, Sculpture and Jewelry.

Roberta Segal is an exhibiting member of the Providence Art Club and has her studio in Warren, Rhode Island. She works in both 2 and 3 dimensions and a variety of mediums.

The owner of a successful creative agency, Segal’s background is in graphic design and painting. Years ago, a close friend introduced her to the world of kiln-formed glass. Always fascinated with the properties of glass, the medium became her passion.

In 2005 she was invited to apply to the Pilchuck Glass School founded by Dale Chihuly. There she studied with Jeremy LePisto and Mel George. She has also taken workshops with noted glass artists Avery Anderson and Brock Craig. She learned traditional glass painting techniques from Chris Foster, which she incorporates in her kiln-formed work. And she has studied with Anna Boothe at Urban Glass.

For over two decades she was president of her own creative firm, Roberta Segal and Associates. She and her staff of seven received ten national awards from special interest organizations for their work in graphic design and marketing.

A graduate of Simmons College and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School, Segal worked at ArtNews Magazine in New York City early in her career. Among her many accomplishments, she developed a curriculum for teaching art appreciation to inner city youngsters; was a set designer for a theatre group; coordinated many classes in visual conversations for an adult learning program in collaboration with the Rhode Island School of Design Museum; and as an alumni of Leadership Rhode Island, established their work space/gallery with ongoing exhibits of local artists. She currently chairs the Gallery Committee at Temple Habonim which features the work of New England artists.

She is an exhibiting member of the Providence Art Club.

In April 2009, she was one of ten glass artists in New England to be selected for the juried show Looking at Glass held at the Bristol Art Museum. She has shown in many venues in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including NOA Gallery, Gallery Z, Gallery LRI, the Charlestown Gallery and the Atrium Gallery in the Department of Administration. Her glass is exhibited at Mary Childs Gallery in Great Barrington, MA.

Her commissioned work is found in private collections in Provence, France; and in the United States in California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina as well as her home state of Rhode Island.

In March 2008, she was selected as an highlighted artist on bestofartists.com. In 2011, her work was included in the publication, Best of American Glass Artists. She is a member of the International Guild of Glass Artists. Her website is www.robertasegal.com.

Segal’s works are in private collections throughout the US and in France. Commissions and custom work are accepted.

For information, contact Roberta Segal at [email protected] – [email protected]. Segal maintains her studio in Warren, Rhode Island.