Matthew Day Perez received his BFA from Illinois State University and his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has received many awards, including the Fulbright, and the John Rena National Endowments for the Arts Scholarship, as well as residencies at The Corning Museum of Glass, The Creative Glass Center of America, and Pilchuck Glass School. Most recently, he cofounded Shiny Sparkle Studio/Labs, the premier casting and fusing facility in New York City.