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Fred first came into contact with crystal at the tender age of sixteen. When visiting Waterford City in Ireland he called into the Waterford Crystal Factory, where he accidentally discovered that interviews were taking place on that day and he thought that maybe he could apply for a summer job, to while away the long summer vacation, he applied and was accepted, Fred had no idea of the adventure that lay ahead of him.
Throughout the summer months Fred was under the illusion that his job would end and he would be going back to college in the fall. However Waterford Crystal had already recognized his unique abilities and were determined that they wanted him to make his career at Waterford Crystal.
For the next five years Fred learned to perfect the craft of crystal cutting and graduated as a fully qualified cutter and continued training for a further five years to achieve his Masters Cutting Certificate. Fred fitted perfectly into Waterford's ethos of craftsmanship at the highest level. But all the while his ambition to do something on a higher plane was evolving.
In his spare time Fred would sculpt animals and birds forms from discarded pieces of broken crystal. His work attracted the eye of his peers. His unique skill as a designer and sculptor could not be denied and he soon became the founding member of Waterford's flagship sculpting department, working with the Mestro of Crystal, Miroslav Havel, Waterford's Director of Design and a true genius of his craft.
The rest of Fred's story is made of one accomplishment after another. For the next two decades Fred produced some of Waterford's most prestigious pieces, presentations to the worlds most famous public figures like Mother Theresa, Bill and Hilery Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Robinson and Jackie Charlton to name but a few. He has also designed and produced many international sports trophies such as World Series Baseball, Tennis, Formula 1 and Golf Championships. He has travelled the World extensively to showcase his work.
In 2006 Fred Looked for a new challenge and departed from Waterford Crystal to set up his own studio at his home in Wexford, the Fred Curtis Studio of Crystal. Here he is inspired by the natural beauty all around him, he now enjoys a new freedom of expression that allows him to create individual works of art in crystal that will further enhance his reputation as a true Master of his art.
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