“You must aim high, not in what you are going to do at some future date, but in what you are going to
make yourself do today. Otherwise working is just a waste of time.”   

                                                                                                                             ~ Edgar Degas

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If the great French artist, Edgar Degas had not penned this, Johne Parsley (American: 1916 - 2009) would have. His daily life was immersed in that philosophy, and it influenced the quality and depth of his glass objets d’art, and finely crafted paperweights. Johne was a member of the historic Studio Glass Movement. These artistic experiments and handcrafted treasures in glass, documented and displayed on this website by the Great Lakes Paperweights, Ltd, are his legacy. Despite his growing confidence and accomplishments earned during a lifetime of glasswork, Johne always looked to Anne, his loving wife, to approve every crystal paperweight that left his studio.

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“In the world of art, as in the whole of our great creation, freedom and progress are the main objectives." 

                                                                                                                                     ~ Ludwig van Beethoven

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These images, excluding three collaborative paperweights,  are part of an exclusive Johne Parsley Collection. It would not be possible to capture their exquisite qualities, without the assistance of photographer / videographer Douglas Schaible, based in the Metro-Detroit area. Douglas is widely acknowledged for his ability to photograph glass artworks. He has joined forces with such artists as Paul Stankard, Dale Chihuly, Howard Bentre and Steven Weinberg to name a few. Thank you, Doug, for your outstanding contribution here.

 

Major funding for The Johne Parsley Legacy Project is provided by

The Paperweight Collectors Association and The National Philanthropic Trust.

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BE SURE TO VISIT US AGAIN SOON!