Featured Artist of the Month: Linda Banks
“I love to teach the joy of life through my glass.”
Sharing her knowledge and passion for glass is second nature to Linda Banks, a multi-media artist and beloved instructor at Brookfield Craft Center. For Linda, creativity is a lifelong journey — one she’s been joyfully sharing with others for more than 40 years.
Linda’s story with glass began in her hometown of Washington, Connecticut. In sixth grade, artist Priscilla Porter visited Linda’s classroom with shoeboxes full of colorful glass pieces. The students glued them together, and when Priscilla brought back the fired pieces, Linda was hooked. Years later, she would go on to work in Priscilla’s studio, learning the early techniques of glass fusing — long before compatible glass was even available on the East Coast. Driven by curiosity, she began taking classes and attending shows, expanding her knowledge and experimenting with what was then a pioneering art form.
Today, Linda is recognized for her playful yet refined approach to fused glass, producing works that shimmer and shine with layered textures, iridescence, and movement — all reflecting her whimsical spirit. Her work explores a wide range of glass techniques, from kiln casting to Vitragraph (which she fondly calls her “squiggle machine”). “I like learning something new,” Linda says. “It was a challenge to figure out how to make my own molds and capture what I saw in glass.”
Beyond her artistry, Linda’s greatest joy comes from teaching. Whether working with adults or children, she encourages students to approach glass with curiosity and confidence. “I get satisfaction from helping a student figure out a way to do something,” she explains. “One of the things I do is when a student brings in a beautiful photo or design, I’ll say, ‘Why don’t you do that in glass?’ and we figure it out together.”
Her connection with Brookfield Craft Center began when she took pottery classes there after working at the Washington Art Association. Soon after, she was invited by then-Director Kristen Muller to teach, and she’s been inspiring students ever since. “I like the challenge at Brookfield to put together a new class and figure out how to work out all the details,” she says. “The people at Brookfield make the difference. They’re a dedicated bunch, and I’m grateful to be part of it.”
For Linda, art has always been about sharing, connecting, and giving back. “I’m not out to get recognition,” she reflects. “Giving back, paying it forward — that’s important to me. You know, I have fun. It’s been a nice journey, and I love sharing it with other people.”
