ABOVE: The sandblasted and slumped “Cone Vase” features a 24k-gold pedestal and foot. Photography by R J Muna.

ABOVE: The “Roman Antique” series established Morhauser as a glass artist. Available in more than 20 variations, the line comes with a 24k-gold or platinum border. Photography by Goavec Photography.

ABOVE: The new “Ultramarine Collection” comprises 12 pieces inspired by the ocean. Photography by Image Source.

ABOVE: : Colorful “Ripple” dinnerware mixes well with the “Long Boat” centerpiece. Photography by Paul Schraub.

ABOVE: “Glass has always been elusive enough to keep me interested,” Ann Morhauser says. Photography by Paul Schraub.

Glass. Just the mere mention of the word brings to mind something fragile, tenuous and easily broken. But in the hands of Ann Morhauser, glass becomes touchable, tactile, even approachable. In other words, she makes glass fun.
Considered an artist, sculptor and tablesetting guru by many, Morhauser simply calls herself a glass designer. Elegant yet functional, her dinnerware and accessories offer a modern take on traditional china.
Living by the credo, “the table is a feast for the eyes and the palate,” Morhauser always designs with mixing and matching in mind. Chip-resistant and dishwasher-safe, her pieces can be dressed up or down to suit any lifestyle.
“Sometimes people bring me china they picked out 20 years ago and ask me to combine it with my work,” she says. “That’s my favorite part of the process — putting together a table and watching people’s faces light up. Today, people have the freedom to create tables that are uniquely their own.”
From classic to wildly colorful and whimsical, the 26 collections that comprise Morhauser’s offerings reflect her California surroundings — a look she appropriately dubs “California Natural.”
Hence, fish, boats, leaves, flora, shells and, of course, water provide an endless source of inspiration. For her new 12-piece collection, entitled “Ultramarine,” the fluidity of the waves and the translucent aquamarine hue of the water were of obvious influence.
“I try not to make literal transitions of anything,” she says. “But I think you can always see the inspiration. For instance, the ‘Ultramarine’ series has a texture not unlike the surface of the ocean. But I want there to be some mystery, so you can interpret it how you like.”
Distinctly different than blown glass, Morhauser’s designs come to life through a process called slumping in which melted glass takes shape over a ceramic mold. When heated at high temperatures, the decorative metals and colors fuse permanently to the glass, making it tarnish- and chip-resistant.
Though sold in more than 600 high-end stores and galleries throughout the United States, Morhauser’s pieces present themselves as one-of-a-kind works of art. Throughout her more than 20 years in business, celebrities such as Robin Williams, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Aniston and Oprah Winfrey have entertained and dined using her pieces.
Given her prominence, it’s hard to believe Morhauser designed her first plate “on a lark,” she says. Once an art student studying printmaking and dance, she was first introduced to glassblowing at an art show in Santa Cruz, Calif. “It was hypnotic,” she recalls.
She quickly changed her major at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, Calif., to glassmaking. Upon graduating in 1979, Morhauser moved to Santa Cruz with the intention of selling her art glass to galleries across the country. On a whim, she created a thick glass plate with a 24k-gold rim — inspired by ancient relics she’d seen in museums. The plate met with so much success that it led to an entire line, called “Roman Antique,” that remains her signature collection to date.
In 1981, Morhauser opened her own 400-square-foot studio in Santa Cruz, named Annieglass Studio. To accommodate the company’s enormous growth, she relocated the business to a 16,000-square-foot warehouse in Watsonville, Calif., 15 years later. Not one to rest on her laurels, Morhauser attributes her success to “luck, timing and having great people behind me,” she says.
Hotels throughout Florida showcase her work, including Gloria Estefan’s Cardozo Inn and the famous Shore Club — both in South Beach; the Ritz-Carlton in Naples and the Four Seasons in Palm Beach. Her pieces have also been featured in films and on many television programs. In addition to being displayed in several museum exhibitions throughout the country, several of her designs are part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and Corning Museum of Glass in New York.
Major retailers, such as Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Gump’s of San Francisco, Bloomingdale’s and Barney’s New York, carry Annieglass. Specialty stores throughout Florida sell her designs as well, including Robb & Stucky and Regency Collection in Boca Raton; Casa Chameleon in Miami, Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale; Housefly in Miami; Fabec-Young & Co. in Naples; Mary’s on Main in Sarasota; and Underwoods in Jacksonville.
For more information on Annieglass, visit the website at www.annieglass.com or call 888/761-0050.