ARTS&LIFE
ART
F
ifty years ago. Ferdinand Hampson
took a liking to glass art and
opened a gallery dedicated to the
medium. His space, moved around the
metro area and now in Royal Oak, has
become the largest and oldest art gallery
dedicated to glass in the United States.
Hampson, applying business skills stud-
ied at Wayne State University, took on the
name Habatat Galleries, giving an identi-
fying spelling twist to the word describing
a person’s preferred surroundings, and
he worked nonstop at establishing a con-
tinuing group of collectors surrounding
themselves with glass art.
Hampson, at different times, also had
galleries out of state, organized exhibi-
tions that reached into foreign countries,
helped develop museum collections, led
excursions to view studios and presenters
and developed five books and dozens of
catalogs about the glass artistry at the
center of his interests.
The first glass work that caught his
eye had been a paperweight by Gilbert
Johnson, who headed the glass program
at what became the College for Creative
Studies in Detroit, and now the gallery
is inviting the public to celebrate the
weighty work in bringing the unique tal-
ents of glass artists into wider recognition.
Projects by Jewish artists long associ-
ated with Habatat will be featured in the
celebration showing some 400 works.
Although the event runs from 5:30-9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 18, those wanting to avoid
crowds are invited to come earlier in the
day or view the display on the web.
“Glass has a special characteristic of
having an internal world and an external
form, and very few materials can do that,”
said Hampson, 74, happy in retirement
that gallery operations have been turned
over to sons Aaron Schey and Corey
Hampson, part of a blended family of five
children identifying as Jewish.
“Glass artists can concentrate on mak-
ing interesting images on the inside or
use the materials to make structures with
the form being more important. Whoever
works with glass has to be aware of what
light does to it. Glass is a material that
separates itself from other materials
Habatat Galleries celebrates 50 years
of showcasing glass art.
Let the Light Shine In
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
40 | SEPTEMBER 16 • 2021
Details
The 50th Anniversary Gala
Celebration and Exhibition of Habatat
Galleries runs 5:30-9 p.m. Saturday,
Sept. 18, at 4400 Fernlee, Royal Oak.
Visitors may view the free exhibition
in person 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Projects also
can be seen on the web. (248) 554-
0590. habitat.com.
COURTESY OF HABATAT GALLERIES
LEFT: “Blue City” by Alex Bernstein.
ABOVE: A vessel form by Sidney Hutter.