Internationally acclaimed glass paperweight artist Paul J. Stankard jokes that after 62 years behind a bench torch, he still feels as much interest and enthusiasm for the work as when he began.

The new documentary Flower and Flame, celebrates Stankard’s work, wit, and wisdom. He describes inventing a new language by interpreting native flowers in glass and introduces a design he calls Celestial Bouquet, built from gold leaf, a golden cup, and a golden orb to suggest sacred art “outside of earth.” Collectors and colleagues say he has moved beyond traditional paperweights, creating small worlds you can hold in your hand, where realism and craft invite viewers to look closer and help explain why his work is recognized worldwide.

Parts of the documentary were filmed at UC San Diego’s Stankard-Graeber studio, named in honor of Paul Stankard and Dave Graeber. UC San Diego has some of Stankard’s pieces in its public collection, connecting his detailed botanical visions to the campus’s growing arts community. Opening in early 2026, UC San Diego will debut its state-of-the-art, 10,000-square-foot Glass Center, with cutting-edge equipment and studio space for a wide range of glass art techniques for students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the greater San Diego community.

Watch Flower and Flame.