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.