Few artists in glass have achieved the kind of career distinction earned by Paul Stankard. As one of the world’s master glass artists, Stankard has spent more than 40 years creating a body of work renowned for its artistic excellence, skillful technique and visual acuity. He combines nature, myth and beauty in creating a credible world embedded in glass.

The Akron Art Museum received a gift of more than 60 pieces of Stankard’s glass paperweight art from Northeast Ohio residents Mike and Annie Belkin in late 2011. The collection — the world’s largest of the celebrated artist’s work — is on display as a permanet exhibition at the museum.

PAUL STANKARD GLASS AT THE AKRON ART MUSEUM captures the essence of this glass artist. NEWSNITE host and freelance journalist Jody Miller visits Stankard at his Mantua, N.J., home and studio to talk about his life and career.

Stankard shares his insights about the physical and spiritual dimensions of his work and the inspiring story of how he was able to stretch his artistic mastery to create complex worlds deep within glass.

The artist says his work “celebrates the beauty of nature all around us,” a theme that resonated with the Belkins. “It’s like sitting in a garden and being able to pick those beautiful flowers as a bouquet in your home,” says Mike Belkin as he takes the viewer through his connections with Stankard and the deeper meaning of their artist/patron friendship.

A PBS Western Reserve production, 2012.