Taken by Tupelo Rose
In 1998 Jennifer and David met while each was working for different glass artists. Soon thereafter the two married and started the process of building their own studio next to their home in Jamestown Rhode Island. Since then they have been creating finely crafted functional and sculptural work which can be found all over the world. The couple is known especially for their skilled blowing techniques and their strong sense of design and color.
David M. Clancy was born in Long Island, New York and was raised in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. From an early age David exhibited exceptional talent for drawing that eventually brought him to the Swain College of Art and Design in Massachusetts to study printmaking. While there he was introduced to an alternative way to produce an image – sandblasting on flat glass. It wasn’t long after that a love of glass took root and David left Swain to receive intensive training in glassblowing as an apprentice for 16 years.
Jennifer R. Clancy was born and raised in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Creative from the start she was bound to have a profession in the arts. She attended The Cleveland Institute of Art first for Photography and then for Glass. Both practices focus on process and a relationship to light but the glass studio was quickly what Jennifer would come to know as home. Although tutored mostly in glass casting techniques, soon after graduation Jennifer found herself working in glassblowing studios in the US and overseas, broadening her base of knowledge in varying glass techniques.
David and Jennifer have recently expanded their series of botanical and aquatic themed sculptures, which express their love for and reverence of the natural world, resulting in museum and gallery exhibitions, private installations, and corporate commissions. The couple continues to push the boundaries of glass techniques in their efforts to bring man and nature closer together.
Kelp Forest with Silver Fish, 2015
Glass, 28″ H x 96″ W x 12″ D
Additional Info
Artist’s Website: Clancydesigns.com
Instagram: @clancy_designs
Part of Growing the NetWorks
This artist was selected by a past NetWorks Rhode Island participant as part of Growing the NetWorks — a 2025 exhibition presented by WaterFire Providence, at the WaterFire Arts Center, celebrating peer-nominated artists from across Rhode Island. Learn more at waterfire.org/growingthenetworks
Highlighting the work of selected artists who have played vital roles in shaping the contemporary visual arts community in Rhode Island. This collection of brief video portraits provides a window into the lives, practices, and cultural contributions of professional artists.
