Leon Applebaum was born an raised in Toledo, Ohio, in what would become the birthplace of American studio glass. While he was an art student in Toledo, Leon’s dream of becoming a high school art teacher was shattered when he enrolled in his first hot glass class. He was instantly intrigued by the molten material, and began an addiction to working hot glass and that would shape and define the rest of his life. Leon completely immersed himself into this newly discovered world of glass. He completed his BFA at the Massachusetts College of Art and then received his MA from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. In 1973, Leon journeyed across the Atlantic to study the enduring tradition of Swedish glass-forming at the Orrefor’s Glass School. There he began to explore the Swedish style of optically thick glass that would influence the future of his work.
Among his permanent collectors are the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, and the Ajeto Glass Museum in the Czech Republic. He shows in many galleries, both nationally and internationally, and is the recipient of many awards.