Donald Friedlich is an American artist, designer, and master jeweler. Born in 1954, he studied jewelry at the University of Vermont and the Rhode Island School of Design, where he received a BFA in jewelry and metalworking in 1982.
Early in his career, Friedlich worked with materials such as slate, which he processed and combined with gold and gemstones. In the mid-1980s, inspired by the canyons and mesas of the American Southwest, the artist began to explore texture in more depth.
In the 1990s, Friedlich began working with glass, and by 1997 he had dedicated himself to the material full-time. He was drawn to the color, transparency, and ability of glass to reflect light as it moved.
In 2003, Friedlich became the first jeweler to be accepted into the prestigious Studio Residency Program at the Corning Museum of Glass.
In 2010, the artist traveled throughout China, lecturing at universities in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hangzhou. Friedlich was a keynote speaker at the International Society of Glass Artists annual conference and spoke at a jewelry conference in Dubai.
In 2014, the artist was a residency artist at the Uroboros Glass Factory in Portland, Oregon, where he created a series of glass sculptures.
In 2015, Friedlich joined the board of directors of the Crafts Emergency Relief Fund+ (CERF+) and spoke at SOFA Chicago.
In 2016, the artist lectured at the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick Gallery and was a keynote speaker at the SNAG annual conference.
In 2017, Friedlich received an award from SNAG in recognition of his contributions to the organization and the field.
In 2019, the artist participated in two exhibitions in China, was a finalist in the Cheongju International Craft Competition, and was featured in an exhibition titled “Southwestern Influences on American Craft” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Friedlich’s work is featured in galleries and museums around the world. His pieces are in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and others.
