Jan Williams grew up on a small farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  She attended the Philadelphia College of Art where she received a BFA in Crafts with an emphasis in ceramics in 1974.   It was at PCA that Jan first studied glassblowing.  Upon graduation she was hired at the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works to be a part of its initial restoration where she recreated molds, experimented with reproducing glazes and firing the beehive kilns on the property. 

     In the fall of 1974 Jan traveled to the mountains of North Carolina to study glass at Penland School of Crafts.  She and her husband Richard Ritter settled in Bakersville NC in 1981 where they built a studio and raised three children. 

     For the past 40 years, Jan has worked to assist Richard in the creation of his glass sculptures at their Ritter Glass Studio as well as producing her own glass pieces using hot glass, torch work, and sand blasting.

Jan Williams and Richard Ritter in their studio