Hamilton Gazetteer / Entities / Josh Simpson

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person

Josh Simpson

Overview

Josh Simpson is a renowned American glass artist celebrated for his hand-blown glass spheres known as “planets,” which resemble the surfaces of alien worlds. He is a Hamilton College alumnus who began his artistic and extracurricular life at Hamilton in the late 1960s. His work is held in collections worldwide, including the Smithsonian Institution.

Relevance to Research

Simpson appears in the Hamilton Spectator beginning in February 1969, documenting his student years at Hamilton. He is mentioned as a folk musician and campus organizer, providing a portrait of his undergraduate activities before he became a celebrated glass artist.

Notes

Role: Glass artist (alumnus) Key events: - Class of 1972 (estimated, based on freshman/sophomore status in 1969) - February 1969: Listed as a member of the Student Senate committee studying the residential system, alongside Win Fairchild, Harry Long, Hugh Sampson, and Myron Bloom (Spectator, Feb. 21, 1969) - February 1969: Listed as a Hamilton performer in the upcoming New England Intercollegiate Folk Festival, playing alongside Steve Fensterer, Jim Lee, Mark Mochary, and others (Spectator, Feb. 21, 1969) - March 1969: Appeared with Mark Mochary (harmonica) as a duo in the Folk Festival preliminary schedule, with Simpson playing spoons; described as a group “formed by a chance meeting on the backstairs of Dunham” (Spectator, Mar. 14, 1969) - March 1969: Listed in the Folk Festival preliminary schedule for Thursday, March 13 at 10:00 p.m. as “Mark Mochary and Josh Simpson—Hamilton” (Spectator, Mar. 7, 1969) - Member of the Emerson Literary Society (ELS) as a student, listed as “Simpson, Josiah” (Spectator, Feb. 21, 1969) - Later career: Internationally recognized glass artist known for his “planets” and “megamarbles”