"The process of blowing glass has been my teacher for the past 30 years. I have developed glass blowing techniques for my work that captivate the fluid energy of hot glass, using fire, air, centrifugal force, gravity, and tools to push and pull the glass. I enjoy exploring the visual dimensions of massive glass and reflective interiors, using transparent colors so that light passes through and brings out the pure beauty and essence of glass."

Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1945, Leon Applebaum grew up in what would become the birthplace of American studio glass. While an art student in Toledo, Applebaum's dream of becoming a high school art teacher was shattered upon enrolling in his first hot glass class. He was instantly intrigued by the molten material, resulting in an addiction to working hot glass that would shape and define the rest of his life.

Applebaum completely immersed himself into this newly discovered world of glass. He completed his BFA at the Massachusetts College of Art and then received his MA at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

In 1973 Applebaum journeyed across the Atlantic to study the enduring tradition of Swedish glass forming at the Orrefors Glass School. There he began to explore the Swedish style of optically thick glass that would influence the future of his work.

After a year, Leon returned to the U.S. to pursue his MFA in glass from Rochester Institute of Technology. During this period, Applebaum was able to synthesize the Swedish glass techniques with his ideas of using the color spectrum and trapping air to create bubbles as a design element that continues to define his work.

For the next 25 years Applebaum has been developing new ideas, techniques and designs in hot glass. He has taught at RIT and Naples Mill Art School in Naples, NY, and conducted workshops throughout the country. Leon Applebaum's work is represented in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, and the Ajeto Glass Museum, in Novy Bor, Czech Republic, among many others. He shows in many galleries, both nationally and international. In his textured series, Applebaum uses tools to manipulate the surface of hot glass creating an optically transformed piece. This very nontraditional approach to glass working allows for the exploitation of the transparent and reflective qualities of glass.

In Applebaum's contemporary sculpture series, he uses glassblowing as a means, not an end. He use cooled blown pieces that are cut into elemental forms and assembles them using ultraviolet glue. This technical approach offers great freedom to explore and execute ideas that are not possible with hot glass. Leon Applebaum's sculptures use circular forms reflecting the cyclical nature of life. With eyes toward the future, Applebaum plans to focus his energy on sculptural glass.