Shapes for Holding

Storied Objects is pleased to present Shapes for Holding, our first group exhibition of works by Lynn Everett Read and Sterling Collins.

Through hand-blown glass vessels and hand-carved wood bowls—shapes designed for holding, serving, presenting, and preserving—Read and Collins explore how handmade forms hold the line between art and utility, and enhance even the smallest moments of daily living. Their pieces do not call for attention or try to impress, but gently invite you to hold, use, and appreciate them.  

We are excited to highlight this special collection of work and offer a glimpse into the creative process of two craftsmen we deeply admire. 

Exhibition Dates:
March 13 - 23, 2026 (Thursdays to Mondays).

Opening Reception:
Friday, March 13, 11:00 - 4:00 pm. After hours viewing, refreshments, and artist attendance from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. 

Artist Statement(s)

"Glass begins as a gather — molten material lifted from the furnace, briefly resisting control from viscosity. In this work, I preserve that moment. 

Each vessel is formed from natural, clear glass using a post-gather process that keeps the action visible. As the form is blown and shaped, a second gather becomes a wandering line crossing the apex of the object. It is not decoration but a record of movement — a line describing the axis of the body.

The line recalls a shoreline, swelling and receding. What appears random is evidence of heat, gravity, and breath organizing the material in real time. The vessel holds not only space, but the memory of its formation.

In geology, veins of quartz or calcite fill a fracture and remain visible long after the event. I understand the line in the glass similarly: a scar that becomes structure, a disturbance that becomes identity. The silhouette is quiet, but the line animates it like a pulse.

These are shapes for holding — water, light, and the history of their making. Rather than conceal the process, I leave it present so glass can be seen not as a perfected surface, but as material that remembers its molten state." Lynn Everett Read (Vitreluxe)

"I founded my woodworking studio to explore the relationships we form with the objects that surround us and create work within the overlap of art, craft, and domestic life. 

I started my design career in architecture, working on the design teams for some of the tallest towers in the world. Architecture focuses on the built landscape, the cultures and traditions that influence how we move about our constructed environment. Through these projects, it became increasingly clear that I was longing to explore the more intimate details of this world that seemed to be lacking at this monumental scale.

Creating furniture and craft objects allows me to concentrate on the experiential qualities of not just places but the things we interact with and how they perform for the people who use them. The utility and beauty of a piece are paramount to be worthy of incorporation into our daily lives and enhance the otherwise mundane. Rather than negotiate the thinness of styles, a restrained aesthetic is the result of natural materials converging with competent functionality.

By pulling on the levers of utility and beauty, two distinct sets of turned vessels were created for this exhibition. Naked cherry is presented in the form of everyday bowls. They’ll show their use over time, get stained by beets, showing scars when dropped, and naturally darken as they age. This is the of life of well-loved wooden bowl. The second set of vessels have been ebonized to highlight their curated forms. A balanced tension is created as these moody dark tones and sensuous curves give a visual weight which is contrasted by the physical lightness and thin wall of the vessels." Sterling Collins (Hew)