Stephen Dee Edwards graduated from Illinois State University with a Master of Fine Arts Degree in 1980. In 1982 he established his first private glass studio in Micaville, North Carolina. It was close to the Penland School of Crafts where he worked as a guest artist. In 1988 he began teaching at Alfred University in New York State. He taught there for 22 years and built one of the largest hot glass programs in the United States. Stephen retired from teaching in 2010 to work full time in his home glass studio in Alfred Station, New York.Edwards’ work can be found in over 30 public collections including the National Art Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Corning Museum of Glass and has exhibited in numerous galleries and museums across the globe. The artist is a member of the international Glass Art Society (GAS) and a former President of GAS.