Katherine Zeilman was born and raised in rural Ohio & began working with soft glass (furnace work) in 2012 while receiving her BFA at the Columbus College of Art & Design. In 2016, Zeilman moved to Western North Carolina where she has spent the last ~7 years working as a professional glass artist, production gaffer & assistant, public instructor, coldworker, studio technician, general shop cleaner-upper etc. for more than 13 regional studios, non-profits, and private artists — but only occasionally made her own work.

In 2020, when most furnace glass studios closed their doors to the public, Zeilman began teaching herself how to work with borosilicate glass on a small, table-mounted torch. In the years since, she has focused on learning this new process & refining her skills in both furnace glass and flameworking.

Katherine still gets to spend ample time in the hot shop (soft glass), but now greatly prefers working on her torch to create objects with intention & develop her identity as an emerging artist. She now lives & works in Burnsville, NC with her partner and their three pets.