Museum of Glass presents Links: Australian Glass and the Pacific Northwest, a new exhibition featuring the work of 21 Australian and five American contemporary glass artists, opening on May 17, 2013 in the Museum’s North and Viola A. Chihuly Galleries and on view until January 2014.
This is the first American museum exhibition dedicated to the wide spectrum of Australian studio glass and the connection between artists and institutions in Australia and the Pacific Northwest.
Links: Australian Glass and the Pacific Northwest tells two related stories that began in the 1970s. In 1974, American artist Richard Marquis travelled to Australia to lecture, demonstrate and build glass studios at the invitation of the Australia Council for the Arts. Marquis’ relationship with Australian artist Nick Mount initiated a lineage of blown glass artists in Australia. The second story centers on kiln-formed glass and the relationship between Klaus Moje, founder of the glass workshop at Australian National University in Canberra, and the Bullseye Glass Company in Portland, OR. In 1979 Moje met Boyce Lundstrom, co-founder of Bullseye Glass Company, while at a workshop at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA. At Moje’s instigation, Bullseye Glass Company developed a line of compatible, fusible glass that solved long-standing technical problems. This glass is widely used by Australian artists today.
The artists represented by this exhibition include: Clare Belfrage, Giles Bettison, Gabriella Bisetto, Jane Bruce, Scott Chaseling, Cobi Cockburn, Nadège Desgenétez, Mel Douglas, Ben Edols and Kathy Elliott, Tim Edwards, Brendan Scott French, Mel George, Steve Klein, Jessica Loughlin, Dante Marioni, Richard Marquis, Klaus Moje, Tom Moore, Nick Mount, Stephen Proctor, Kirstie Rea, Tom Rowney, April Surgent, Janice Vitkovsky and Richard Whiteley. Approximately four pieces from each artist will be in the exhibition for a total of 92 pieces.
For more information, and a list of exhibition events, visit http://museumofglass.org/exhibitions/links