R.J. MaupinGraduate Studentshe/her/hers

I am a PhD student in design history with a focus on American glass production during the 19th and 20th centuries. I am particularly interested in how glassblowing has been publicly enacted through demonstrations — both in industrial and studio contexts, as well as in uncovering glassmakers made invisible in archival records. My research is grounded in my experiences working at a glass studio in North Carolina, as well as my own craft practices in stained glass and flameworking.

Prior to attending UW–Madison, I obtained an MA in decorative arts, design history, and material culture from Bard Graduate Center, where my qualifying paper, “Illuminating the ‘Gillway’: Concealment of Black Women’s Labor at Gill Glass Company,” was co-awarded the Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts Award. During these studies, I was a curatorial fellow at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery and assisted with the Goddesses in the Machine: Fashion in American Silent Film exhibition (2026).

I also hold a BA in art history from Elon University and have held internships at the Leslie-Lohman Museum, the Mint Museum, and the Weatherspoon Art Museum.

Selected Publications

Maupin, R.J. (2025). Breaking the mold: Black women glassworkers in the American glass industry. Journal of Glass Studies, 67. Forthcoming.

Maupin, R.J. (2025). Review of Sensorium: Stories of Glass and Fragrance, exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass (curated by Julie Bellemare). Sequitur, 11(2). https://www.bu.edu/sequitur/2025/04/21/sensorium-stories-of-glass-and-fragrance/

Maupin, R.J. (2024). Putting up a (glass) façade: Review of Transparency: The Material History of an Idea, by Daniel Jütte. Architectural Theory Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/13264826.2024.2403179

Awards and Recognition

• Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts Award, Bard Graduate Center, 2025
• Windgate Fellowship in American Craft, Bard Graduate Center, 2023-2025
• Exploratory Research Grant, Hagley Museum and Library, 2024
• The Edwina Graff Hughes Johnston Award, Department of Art History, Elon University, 2021
• The Helen B. Rippy Award, Department of Art History, Elon University, 2020