Leah Fairbanks

Leah Fairbanks is an internationally renowned contemporary glass artist celebrated for her distinctive floral handmade glass beads. Her exploration of garden motifs directly influenced and impacted the early movement of floral surface decoration in contemporary glass beadmaking.  

Her work is featured in numerous books and publications, including Masters: Glass Beads and Beads of Glass; Bead and Button; and she was honored with the Excellence in Bead Artistry Award for her intricate work in the realm of glass bead adornment.

Leah began her glass career in 1982, producing commissioned installations of stained glass, neon, and fusing. In 1992, she changed her focus to flameworked beadmaking and founded her studio, Gardens of Glass. The immediacy of the flameworking process allows her to translate her passion for flora and fauna into delicate glass creations. Her work is in the Contemporary Glass Collection at The Bead Museum, Washington, D.C.; The KOBE Lampwork Museum, Kobe, Japan; The Corning Museum of Glass, and The Murano Glass Museum, Italy. As an accomplished instructor, Fairbanks teaches all levels of glass beadmaking workshops throughout the United States and abroad.