Rick Beck began working in glass at Hastings College in Nebraska, where he received his BA. He received an MFA from Southern Illinois University. In 1994, Rick was awarded a visual arts fellowship by the North Carolina Arts Council, followed by a national endowment for the arts regional visual arts fellowship from the Southern Arts Federation in 1995.

Beck is part of the Studio Glass Movement. He has taught at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School, assisting artists Curtiss Brock and Jan Mares. He has taught at the Penland School of Craft since 1988. Rick Beck is known for his large-scale cast glass sculpture depicting industrial, everyday objects and the human figure.

He currently resides in Spruce Pine, North Carolina.