GATHERING: Contemporary Glass from the Heartland
Third Annual Exhibition of Exceptional Glasswork from Artists in 10 States
(Image: Gems by Andrea Barone)
Recognized as the best contemporary glasswork created by artists with ties to the Midwest, 34 pieces from 27 artists have been selected for the exhibition “GATHERING: Contemporary Glass from the Heartland.” Sponsored by the Indiana Glass Arts Alliance (IGAA) in partnership with the Indiana Glass Trail, this annual exhibition opens Sept. 25 at the Indianapolis Art Center’s Allen W. Clowes and Sarah M. Hurt Gallery, from 6 – 9 p.m.
As part of the opening, Marc Petrovic, one member of the jury panel for this exhibition, will give a visiting artist lecture about his work at 7 p.m. in the Frank M. Basile Auditorium.
This is the third time the IGAA has opened the exhibition to glass artists outside Indiana. “More than any other state, Indiana has a storied history in glasswork,” said Eric Freeman, IGAA board chair. “From the Ball brothers in Muncie, to Kokomo Opalescent Glass, which is the oldest glass manufacturer in the U.S., to today’s Hoosier artists who are raising the state’s profile in the U.S. glass arts community, the glasswork coming from this state was, and continues to be sought-after by collectors.”
Nearly 125 applications, from 50 glass artists in 15 states, were reviewed by a two-member jury panel. Marc Petrovic and David Willis, both board members of the Glass Art Society, and contemporary glass artists with international reputations, collaborated on selecting artwork for the exhibition. The IGAA offers $2500 in total cash awards, and the award recipients will be announced at the exhibition opening.
The opening for “GATHERING: Contemporary Glass from the Heartland” is 6 – 9 p.m., Fri., Sept. 25, at the Indianapolis Art Center, 820 East 67th Street, Indianapolis. The exhibition continues through Nov. 22, with hours Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays noon to 6 p.m. All times are EST, and admission is free.
ARTISTS:
Andrea Barone, North Kingstown, R.I.
Tilda Brown Swanson, Des Moines, Iowa
Mercedes Brugh, Logansport, Ind.
Keven Brunett, Stevens Point, Wisc.
Allyssa Burch, Stevens Point, Wisc.
Susan Byrnes, Cincinnati, Ohio
Brent Cole, Muncie, Ind.
Kelly Crosser Alge, Findlay, Ohio
Jacci Delaney, Columbus, Ohio
Josh Dewall, Galena, Ill.
Jamie Grove, New York, NY
Alli Hoag, Bowling Green, Ohio
Lindy Ihrman, West Olive, Mich.
Ben Johnson, Cicero, Ind.
James Labold, Muncie, Ind.
Helen Lee, Berkeley, Calif.
Matthew Paskiet, Holland, Ohio
Charlyn Reynolds, Elgin, Ill.
Kristine Rumman, Holland, Ohio
Rita Shimelfarb, Evanston, Ill.
Renee Stanko, Dublin, Ohio
Jeffrey Stenbom, Apple Valley, Minn.
Rebecca Szparagowski, Bowling Green, Ohio
Demetra Theofanous, Mountain View, Calif.
Kristin Thielking, Stevens Point, Wisc.
Marc VandenBerg, Dearborn, Mich.
Sarah Vaughn, Olney, Ill.
ABOUT THE JURORS
Marc Petrovic graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1991. Since graduating, he has been a full-time studio artist, creating work that has been exhibited and collected nationally and internationally. He recently moved to back to Cleveland after being away for 23 years, to take a position at the Cleveland Institute of Art as Chair of the Glass Department. Along with his responsibilities at CIA, Marc serves on the Board of Directors for the Glass Art Society and is in the process of setting up his new studio with his wife, Kari Russell-Pool, an internationally-recognized glass artist in her own right. Marc’s website: http://www.marcpetrovic.com/.
David Willis grew up in a suburb of New York City, graduating in 1992 from U.C. Berkeley. He began working with glass in 1994, and he takes a cross-disciplinary approach to the medium, often combining flamework, blown glass, hot sculpting, and cold assembly, and currently investigating works in crushed and powdered glass. Included in public, private, and museum collections, nationally and internationally, David’s work has been shown at Austin Art Projects, Imago Galleries and Heller Gallery. He has been published in periodicals and books including ARTnews, New Glass Review, and Contemporary Flameworking (Vol III.) He has been an instructor at the Pilchuck Glass School, the Corning Museum of Glass and the Penland School of Craft. He also has been a featured artist at the Niijima Glass Art Festival, the International Flameworking Conference, and as a Visiting Artist in Residence at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. He is a member of the Artistic Program Advisory Committee at Pilchuck, and he is a member of the board of directors for the Glass Art Society. He lives and maintains his studio in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and their dogs. David’s website: http://davidwillisglass.com/home.html.
ABOUT THE IGAA
The Indiana Glass Arts Alliance (IGAA) was established in 2009 with a mission to sponsor and promote events that increase Indiana’s knowledge and appreciation of the glass arts. The IGAA also works to identify, encourage and support Indiana’s emerging glass artists. It hosts many annual events that are free and open to the public. In addition to the “GATHERING” exhibition, the IGAA hosts Hot Glass Infusion Weekend every spring, featuring flameworking and glassblowing demonstrations, a live auction and an educational area.
View less
