DENISE BILLUPS-WALKER - Lampwork Glass Artist

Lampwork Glass in Sculpture and Jewelry Design

Denise Billups-Walker is a lampwork glass artist and designer.  After retiring as a Detroit Public Schools teacher, Denise chose to delve into her love of glass arts.  She is the founder of  Fire Dance Studio. “Fire dance” was a term used by lampworkers of old to describe the movement of the mandrel and glass rods in and out of the flame.  

Denise is a member of International Society of Glass Bead Makers for 18 years and the Southeastern Michigan Glass Beadmakers Guild for 15 years, serving as President and Secretary.  She so loves her work that in September of 2010 she attended a weeklong glass workshop with Lucio Bubaco in Murano, Italy.

Galleries -          

Lawrence Street Gallery – Ferndale, MI

Arts Afire – Alexandria, VA

                Rubini Gallery, Benzonia, MI

Most recent exhibitions –

2015 -  “Creatures – Real or Imagined” - Grosse Pointe Art Center – Grosse Pointe, MI;

“Wanna Dance” – 2^nd Place; “Lolly” – Honorable Mention

2014 - “Small Works”, Riverside Gallery, Ypsilanti, MI – “Gilda Lilly”, Honorable Mention

                2012 – Synergy –“Yeah…Detroit, So Bead It! – 1^st co-winner, Wearable art

                2007 -2013 Our Town, Birmingham Community House, Birmingham, MI

                2004 – 2009 Lawrence Street Gallery, Invitational 

                2007 – University of Michigan Open Invitational