Stephen Rolfe Powell


Stephen "Steve" Rolfe Powell was an American glass artist based at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, who created elaborately colored three-foot glass vessels incorporating murrine.

Early life and education

Powell was born November 26, 1951 in Birmingham, Alabama. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in painting and ceramics at Centre College, Powell went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics at Louisiana State University.

Career

Powell taught at Indian Springs School, a private 8-12 school in Shelby County, Alabama, from 1976-1980.
While at Louisiana State University, between 1980 and 1983, Powell had his first experience in glass blowing.
Powell was hired by Centre College in 1983 to teach ceramics and sculpture. By 1985, thanks in part to Corning Glass in Harrodsburg, Philips Lighting in Danville, and Corhart in Louisville, he had built a glass studio and founded Centre's glass program. In 1997, in Somerset, Kentucky, Powell designed and completed a new, state-of-the-art glass studio, which Centre College opened as part of their new Visual Arts Center in January 1998.
Powell was honored with Kentucky's Teacher of the Year award in 1999 and 2000. In 2004 he was presented with the Acorn Award by the Kentucky Council on Post-secondary Education. Also in 2004, Powell and Centre College hosted Lino Tagliapietra to grant him the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Powell also co-produced "Lino Tagliapietra: Glass Maestro".

Death

Powell died on March 16, 2019 in Boyle County, Kentucky.