Elizabeth Robbins

Elizabeth Robbins grew up in the Amalgamated Cooperative Buildings in New York City. In this self-contained neighborhood, resident parents took turns running an afterschool daycare. The Amalgamated housed some outstanding artists, authors, musicians, and journalists, and each ran their daycare as an apprenticeship program. The Amalgamated produced an impressive list of accomplished professionals.

She graduated with a degree in Art Education from Southern Connecticut State College in 1967. She went on to study a wide variety of topics including stained glass, ceramics, photography, fashion design, calligraphy, painting, color theory, and art history at such institutions as Silvermine Guild, Cooper Union, and Yale University.

Elizabeth has taught typesetting, graphic arts, photography, painting, sculpture, clothing and costume design at high school and college levels. She also worked as a costume designer for several motion pictures, including Jerusalem File, The Second Coming, Cleopatra, and Jesus Christ Superstar. She also made costumes for many folk and rock performers.

Elizabeth began her study of stained glass at the Victoria and Albert Museum school in London and Betzalel Art School in Israel in the early 1970's. She has worked with the foremost experts in stained glass. She studied stained glass techniques with Jack Smith. She studied stained glass painting with Gene Mallard, Albinas Elskus, and John Nussbaum.

In 1995, Elizabeth was one of four prominent American stained glass artists invited to participate in a special program at Wolverhampton College in Wolverhampton, England. In the company of her peers from around the world, Elizabeth studied ancient painting techniques and modern glass casting techniques.

In the 1950's, Elizabeth spent many hours researching Native American art and regalia at the Brooklyn Museum and what is today known as the Smithsonian Native American Museum in Bronx, New York. Since that time, she has become a respected practitioner of beading and leatherwork, and has worked with Native American youths to pass on her skills.

In 1990, Elizabeth was made an honorary member of the Abenaki people. She has participated in many Pow Wows, and has worked to help Native Americans preserve their artistic heritage.

Elizabeth currently resides in Lyndonville, Vermont, where she operates her studio. She has done a great deal of work in her community, and her pieces can be seen throughout Northern Vermont and New Hampshire, as well as places as far as India, Israel, England, Austria, and the Bahamas. Selected pieces can be seen in the Gallery.

Elizabeth also attends a variety of crafts fairs around the country. You may see her current schedule in the Upcoming Events section.