In 1982, Rick Beck earned his B.A. in art from Hastings College in Nebraska, where he studied glassmaking under Richard Bird, then in 1989 he received his M.F.A. in glass from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where he studied with Bill Boysen. A sought after instructor, Beck has taught at some of the finest glass schools in the U.S. including the Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC; Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA; and the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, TN.

Beck creates large-scale, cast glass sculptures which focus on form and color; with subjects as varied as mundane household items (spoons, forks, and pull toys) to the human figure. Whatever the topic is, in Beck’s hands the subject is raised to new heights of meaning, both visually and conceptually. He says,

“I enjoy the interplay of the visual (visceral) versus the verbal (descriptive/technical). The work should challenge the eye and the mind.”