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"Who (or what) is Ed Russell?"

Like many artists and artisans, Ed seems to be chaos theory personified. He is 
constantly working on several if not dozens of projects within the studio, his 
community, and the outside world. Unlike many of his colleagues, he prefers to 
operate without mystifying his work, techniques, and views. He shifts effortlessly 
among the many roles he has chosen: artist, teacher, community advocate, 
entrepreneur, friend, and researcher, among others. He is at home wherever he goes,
without pretense or affectation, but Camp Mountain Lake is home base. Ed's unique 
view of the world infuses everything he approaches with life.

Ed started experimenting with the properties of glass breaking at the tender age 
of 4 (much to the dismay of his mother), later refining his technique during his 
early teens. Still fascinated by glass at 24, he began building his own equipment 
while still in the Navy. He worked with various glass studios in the Bay Area of 
California as a "hired gun" for several years while gaining skill and reputation. 
In 1994, at the age of 31, he purchased Camp Mountain Lake, and built his studio. 
Camp Mountain Lake was a renowned summer camp for kids which opened 1946, last 
operating in 1987. The first year he spent the winter in a tent (it can get pretty 
cold in the mountains) until his studio and living quarters were finished. Since Ed
bought the property, various artists have been "incubated" in its shelter and 
emerged to productive careers of their own.    

Education

California College of Arts and Crafts

Art History, Art Theory, Arts Management, Sculpture, Printmaking, Welding, 
Drafting, Machine Shop, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Anthropology, & Business 
Law, plus over 550 combined hours of practical application and coursework at six 
different institutions across the country.


Highlights

Commissions include the Whitehouse Permanent Collection, National Newspaper 
Association, and National Museum Collection.

Corporate Collections include Johnson Controls, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sanwa, Nippon 
Electric, Nippon Kogyu (Yamaha), and Abbot Labratories.