Sharon Bladholm has pursued her artistic vision through the steady acquisition and command of a variety of disciplines, including cast glass, bronze, and ceramic in the sculptural realm, as well as stained glass, printmaking and works on paper. The recurring theme in Bladholm's work is the interface of people with the natural world, integrating the sciences of anthropology with biology and botany from the plant world. She has participated on expeditions with the Field Museum, Conservation International and Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program to the Brazilian, Venezuelan and Peruvian Amazon, documenting the life ways of the Yanomami people through her art, and exploring conservation of endangered plant and animal species in isolated communities. She has run Opal Glass Studios since 1983 and continues to complete many important commissions and show her work in galleries and museums, as well as creating public art such as installations at the Garfield Park Conservatory and Museum of Contemporary Art in Bordeaux, France, as well as Suite Home Chicago, Amazon Rising for Shedd Aquarium, and a Cool Globe sponsored by the Chicago Botanical Garden. Last year she completed sculptural works in glass and bronze for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. This year she is working on another public art piece for Openlands new Lakeshore Preserve based on microscopic soil creatures. She recently returned from the Peruvian Amazon and is creating new works of art for based on her involvement with the Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program.