Various paperweights with glass objects inside: a hummingbird, a pink cabbage rose, Sitting Bull, strawberries, and flowers. Two statues of women holding baskets on their heads with a glass orb inside flank the paperweights.

A Personal Statement in Glass: The Art of the Paperweight

April 11–June 25, 2023
Forsyth Galleries | Memorial Student Center, MSC 2428

This exhibition includes more than 150 paperweights and paperweight-related items drawn from the Forsyth’s collection, featuring highlights from the collection of Donald C. and Ruth C. Smith and select loans from current members of the Paperweight Collectors Association of Texas.

Examples illustrate a variety of significant changes in paperweight making since 1845. On display is a number of works by modern masters who experiment with new forms and techniques, crafting distinct microcosms that manifest a unique vision that can be highly realistic or utterly abstract.

Inside the Exhibition

Red and white orb paperweight.
Paperweight of yellow flowers.
Paperweight atop a glass basket.
Colorful paperweight with flowers and a black background.
Multi-colored glass darning egg.