Glass, in all its myriad forms, is at the heart of “The Next: A Studio Glass Movement Continuum.” The exhibition, curated by Eunsuh Choi, an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Art at The College at Brockport, will be on display at the Tower Fine Arts Center Gallery from January 27 through February 22.
The studio glass movement began in fits and starts in the late 19th-century, though, in those days, artisans such as Lalique and Orrefors were mostly known for their more practical wares. In 1962, Harvey Littleton, a pottery instructor at the University of Wisconsin, joined forces with the Toledo (OH) Museum of Art, creating the movement in which glass would be appreciated on its own, as art, rather than for its utilitarian functionality. The movement traveled throughout the United States and then found its way to Europe, finding global acclaim and practitioners. As the movement evolved, artists experimented with new forms and combinations of materials.
According to the Corning Museum of Glass, “the studio movement differs from other 20th-century art glass movements in its emphasis on the artist as designer and maker, its focus on the making of one-of-a-kind objects, and its international character. It also is distinguished by the sharing of technical knowledge and ideas among artists and designers that, in industry, would not be possible.”
With her work on this exhibition, Choi is helping lead the movement into the 21st century. She is an internationally recognized teacher and artist, having shown her work in such prestigious venues as the Corning Museum of Glass, the European Museum of Modern Glass in Germany, Armenia’s Cafesjian Foundation as well as Seoul’s Sklo Gallery and the Korea Craft Museum. She has received numerous awards for works shown in both solo and group exhibitions in the US, her native Korea and Germany, and images of her works have appeared in art journals and magazines around the world.
Michael Taylor, professor emeritus and former chair of the glass department at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, is one of the featured artists in the exhibition. When showing work in Michigan in 2013, Taylor had this to say about what the next 50 years of glass will hold: “The most significant issue is that glass has become an important mechanism for expressing ideas. That was a principal part of Littleton’s vision. He had a manifest goal, which was that glass goes beyond traditional process into fine art. This vision is becoming a reality … The best source for predicting the future use of glass is academic arts programs, because they are the primary source of its practitioners. Innovative thinkers will guide the future of glass … and [it] will be one of the many materials for expressing post-modern and conceptual thought.”
In addition to Taylor, the following artists will have works featured in the exhibition: Sarah Blood, assistant professor, School of Art and Design, Alfred University; Jane Bruce, artist and instructor at UrbanGlass and Bullseye Glass Resource Center; Robin Cass, associate dean and professor, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT); Karen Donnellan, assistant professor, School of Art and Design, Alfred University; Stephen D. Edwards, professor emeritus, School of Art and Design, Alfred University; Eric Goldschmidt, Properties of Glass programs supervisor at Corning Museum of Glass; William Gudenrath, resident advisor, The Glass Studio at Corning Museum of Glass; Jennifer Hecker, professor, Department of Art, The College at Brockport and several others.
The gallery is located at 180 Holley Street, Brockport, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. An opening reception will take place between 4 and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27. The reception will feature a live demonstration by Eric Goldschmidt of the Corning Museum of Glass.
Gallery hours are Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday: 1 – 4 p.m. For more information, call (585) 395-2805. Parking at Tower Fine Arts Center: Weekdays: Until 7 p.m., parking permits are required. Permits cost $5 and can be obtained at the Raye H. Conrad Welcome Center. Evenings and Weekends: After 7 p.m. on weekdays, and throughout the weekend, parking is not regulated. Metered parking is available adjacent to Tower Fine Arts Center.
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