Wayne Husted
First earning his B.F.A and B.A. in English, then his M.F.A. in ceramic art, Wayne Husted graduated from Alfred University prepared to demonstrate his creativity. However, his opportunity to showcase his talents began while he was still a student. Blenko Glass Company, which was based in Milton, West Virginia, sought a designer–and A.U. knew just who to recommend.
Despite his inexperience with glass, Wayne was hired as Director of Design. Over the course of his ten years with the company, Wayne created over 600 innovative, unique, and nonfunctional designs. His pieces, which were inspired by nature but decorative in form, distinguished him as one of Blenko’s most popular, talented, and prolific designers.
Though best known for his work at Blenko, Wayne spent over 60 years designing after he left the company. He established Wayne Husted design in the San Francisco Bay area in 1972. Wayne returned to Alfred in 2011.