Born in 1952 in Atlanta, Georgia, Ginny Ruffner creates sculptures using a variety of mediums, but is most known for her use of lampworked glass. Ruffner received both her BFA and MFA in drawing and painting from the University of Georgia, Athens, completing her studies in 1975. By the mid 1980s, Ruffner was immersed in the studio glass movement, and was teaching at institutions like Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, and Penland School of Crafts in Asheville, North Carolina. In recent years, she has completed many large-scale public artworks, including one for her adopted hometown of Seattle, Washington. Celebrated for her playful and personable works, Ruffner has garnered many accolades, including a Master of the Medium Award from the James Renwick Alliance (2007) and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (1985). Her work is represented within many public collections around the world, including the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Ginny Ruffner was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 2010.