Ed Carpenter

Ed Carpenter is an artist specializing in large-scale public installations ranging from architectural sculpture to infrastructure design. Since 1973 he has completed scores of projects for public, corporate, and ecclesiastical clients. Working internationally from his studio in Portland, Oregon, USA, Carpenter collaborates with a variety of expert consultants, sub-contractors, and studio assistants. He personally oversees every step of each commission, and installs them himself with a crew of long-time helpers, except in the case of the largest objects, such as bridges.


While an interest in light has been fundamental to virtually all of Carpenter's work, he also embraces commissions that require new approaches and skills. This openness has led to increasing variety in his commissions and a wide range of sites and materials. Recent projects include interior and exterior sculptures, bridges, towers, and gateways. His use of glass in new configurations, programmed artificial lighting, and unusual tension structures have broken new ground in architectural art. He is known as an eager and open-minded collaborator as well as technical innovator.


Carpenter is grandson of a painter/sculptor, and step-son of an architect, in whose office he worked summers as a teenager. He studied architectural glass art under artists in England and Germany during the early 1970's.

2011: Public Architecture: The Art Inside, Curtis Fentress, ORO Editions.
2009: Iluminet internet lighting review, Mexico, February.
2009: American Craft Magazine, February/March.
2008: l’ARCA, Milano, Italy, #240, October.
2007: Dossier LighTech, Italy, April.
2006: l’ARCA, Milano, Italy, #219, November.
2006: American Craft, Aug./Sept. 2006.
2005: Glass Magazine, August.
2005: FLARE, Architectural Lighting Magazine, Italy, No. 38, April 2005.
2004: THIS SIDE UP!, Autumn. 2004: American Craft Magazine, June/July.
2004: Architectural Record, May.
2004: l’ARCA, Milano, Italy, #191, April.
2003: COLORFULNESS, Beijing, China, March.
2003: GLASS ART, January/February.
2003: The History of Stained Glass, The Art of Light Medieval to Contemporary, Virginia Chieffo Raguin, Thames & Hudson Ltd.
2002: Reflections on Glass, 20th Century Stained Glass in American Art and Architecture, American Bible Society.
2002: l’ARCA, Milano, Italy, #171.
2002, June: Designing the World’s Best Public Art, The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd.
2002: Texas Architect, March/April.
2001: THIS SIDE UP!, The Netherlands, Summer.
2001: PUBLIC ART REVIEW, Spring/Summer2001.
2001: Ed Carpenter,Breath Of Light, l’ARCA Edizioni Publishers.
2000: Competitions, Winter 1999/2000.
1999: l’ARCA, Milano, Italy, #139, July/August.
1999: Visual Architecture 275, Vol. 35, Tokyo, Japan, March.
1999: Artisians Series: Glass, The Ivy Press Limited, Watson Guptill Publishers.
1998: l’ARCA, Milano, Italy, #132, December.
1988: Architectural Record, July.
1988: Architectural Record, June.
1998: l’ARCA, Milano, Italy, #127, June.
1998: Metropolis, May.
1998: Sculpture, April.
1998: Corporate Design, Tokyo Japan, March.
1997-1998: Muebles Y Decoración “X Año”, Gold Edition Magazine, Mexico City, A–o 11, No. 58.
1997: The Art Of Glass: Integrating Architecture And Glass, Stephen Knapp, Rockport Publishers.
1997: Architectural Glass Art, Andrew Moore, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.
1997: Neues Glas, April (1/97).
1996: American Craft Magazine, June/July.
1995: Wisconsin Architect, March/April.
1995: Public Art Review, Fall/Winter.
1995: Architectural Record, May.
1994: Professional Stained Glass Magazine, June/July.
1994: Revista Del Vidrio Plano, #27, January/February.
1994: Architectural Digest, August.
1993: Stained Glass Magazine, Summer.
1993: Professional Stained Glass Magazine, October/November.
1993: New Glass Review, May, #14.
1993: Design And Living Magazine, Winter.
1992: Places, April.
1992: Architecture, June.
1992: 20th Century Stained Glass: A New Definition, Robert Kehlmann, Kyoto Shoin Co. Publishers.
1991: The Beauty Of Stained Glass, Patrick Reyntiens, Bulfinch Press.
1991: Art For Every Day, Edited By Carol Southern, Clarkson N. Potter Publishers.
1990: Sculpture, January/February.
1990: Professional Stained Glass, June.
1990: New York Times, July 12.
1990: Glasswork, August.
1990: Glass Art Magazine, January/February.
1989: Glass Art Magazine, September/October.
1989: Architectural Glass, Andrew Moore, Whitney Press.
1989: Architectural Digest, April.
1988: Stained Glass Quarterly, Vol. 83, #1, Spring.
1988: New York Times Magazine, May 1.
1988: New York Magazine, Winter.
1988: American Craft Magazine, June/July.
1988: America West, Vol. 3, #4, June.
1987: Dallas Morning News, November 24.
1987: Architecture, January.
1987: Architects’ Journal, London, October.
1986: New Glass Review, Corning, Museum.
1986: Neues Glas, April.
1986: Building Design Journal, August.
1986: Architecture Minnesota, January/February.
1985: Neues Glas Magazine, Dusseldorf, January.
1985: Kunst And Kirche, Darmstadt, West Germany 33.
1985: Arts And Architecture, Vol. 4, No. 1, May.
1984: New York Magazine, Winter/Spring.
1984: New Glass Review, Corning Museum.
1984: Building Design And Construction, March.
1984: Architecture, February.
1984: Architecture California, June.
1984: Architectural Record, June.
1983: Neues Glas, June.
1983: American Craft, June/July.
1982: A.I.A. Journal, June.
1979: Architectural Stained Glass, By Brian Clarke, A.R. Books.
1977: Los Angeles Times, Home Magazine.
1977: Art News, May.
1976: New Glass, By Otto Rigan, San Francisco Book Company.

2007: Americans for the Arts Public Art Network 2007 Year in Review for TECOTOSH

2004: Special Achievement Award for the Seattle US Courthouse, US General Services Administration, Seattle, WA.

2001: Architectural Foundation of Oregon Honored Citizen of the Year Award, Portland, Oregon.

1999: Federal Highway Administration Excellence in Highway Design for "Grasshopper Bridge," Phoenix, AZ.

1994: Design Citation, American Institute of Architects (New England Region), University Center, Rochester, MN.

1989: Solomon Schechter Fine Art Award for Congregation Neveh Shalom Ark doors.

1989: Governor's Commendation "The Making of Mainstreet: A Design Workshop for Government Camp".

1985: Portland Beautification Association Honor Award for the Justice Center Great Window.

1975: E.B. Webster Award, Contemporary Crafts Association, Portland, Oregon.

1973: Michael Hattrell Award for study of stained glass in modern architecture, from Burleighfield Association, Buckinghamshire, England.

1975: Studied large architectural glass design with Ludwig Schaffrath, Aldsdorf, West Germany.

1973: Studied stained glass design and technique with Patrick Reyntiens, Buckinghamshire, England.

1969, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1987, 1993: Visited factories, installations and artists throughout Europe.

1958-1963: Summer Apprenticeships Neutra & Alexander Architects, Los Angeles, California.