FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 23, 2009 Media Contact: Susan Newsom, Communications Manager 253.284.4732 snewsom@museumofglass.org Museum of Glass Calendar Highlights for March, 2009 All events are included with admission to the Museum unless otherwise noted. Calendar listings are subject to change. For updated information, please visit our website at www.museumofglass.org or call the information line at 253.284.4750 or 1.866.4MUSEUM. FALL-WINTER-SPRING HOURS: Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Third Thursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day Museum Store also open Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ongoing Exhibitions Dante Marioni: Form, Color, Pattern Organized by Muskegon Museum of Art CLOSES March 8, 2009 Dante Marioni: Form, Color, Pattern is a mid-career survey comprising more than twenty exceptional glass works crafted over the past two decades by esteemed artist, Dante Marioni. This exhibition illustrates Marioni's elegant style, rooted in the centuries-long artistic conversation surrounding classical design, proportion and aesthetics, as well as the teachings of contemporary mentors such as Lino Tagliapietra, Benjamin Moore and Richard Marquis. These works demonstrate Marioni's ability to transform ancient Venetian techniques and classical forms into impressively scaled, vibrant, modern sculptural expressions, that are distinctly his own. Dale Chihuly: The Laguna Murano Chandelier Organized by the Museum of Glass Through April 19, 2009 Laguna Murano Chandelier (1996-97) is a magnificent Neo-Baroque chandelier created by Dale Chihuly in collaboration with Italian glass master Pino Signoretto. The 1,500-square-foot, five-piece installation evokes the Muranese lagoon with its glorious golden-green tangle of appendages punctuated by opalescent white spheres and fantastical sea creatures. Laguna Murano Chandelier is part of The George R. Stroemple Collection. White Light: Glass Compositions by Daniel Clayman Organized by Daniel Clayman/Montague Studios, Ltd. Through June 14, 2009 White Light: Glass Compositions by Daniel Clayman comprises seven large-scale, dense, opaque sculptures that challenge viewers' perceptions of glass art and defies the stereotype of contemporary glass. Created using the cire perdu (lost wax casting) technique, the forms appear extremely simple, yet Clayman describes his process as intensely difficult. In them, Clayman embraces the Minimalist discipline, masterfully combining it with the dynamism of the Studio Glass movement and his own fascination with the nature of light. The result is light made manifest as a seemingly tangible object. Contrasts: A Glass Primer Organized by the Museum of Glass Through October 11, 2009 Sponsored by the Ben B. Cheney Foundation and the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Foundation A captivating introduction to the medium of glass, Contrasts includes international, historically important and visually stunning works of art that are grouped to illustrate opposing ideas, techniques and styles. The exhibition provides a visual feast of 65 objects and challenges visitors to observe and describe the artwork before making value judgments. Contributing artists include René Lalique, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Frank Lloyd Wright, Stanislav Libenský, Jaroslava Brychtová, Harvey Littleton, Dale Chihuly, Richard Marquis, Ginny Ruffner, Dante Marioni, Sonja Blomdahl, Flora Mace, Joey Kirkpatrick, Susan Plum, and Robbie Miller, among others. A multi-sensory tour experience is available, which provides audio descriptions of the artwork along with glass elements that visitors can touch to illustrate specific attributes of the glass. Made at the Museum: The Visiting Artist Collection Organized by the Museum of Glass Ongoing The Visiting Artist Program brings artists from the region and around the world to the Museum of Glass to work with the Hot Shop team to explore, invent and create with glass. After each residency the Museum and the artist select one work of art to be included in the permanent collection. These objects are rotated on and off display throughout the year as new works are created. Joseph Gregory Rossano (American, born 1962) Mirrored Murrelets, 2008 Mirrored hot-sculpted glass, steel, mold-formed fiberglass Through December, 2009 Mezzanine Plaza Reflecting Pool Joseph Rossano's Mirrored Murrelets highlights the impact of a changing environment on the Marbled Murrelet, a small sea bird that nests primarily in the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. The installation comprises 275 mirrored glass birds, created in the Museum of Glass Hot Shop in January, 2008, that "float" just above the surface of the Museum's mid-level reflecting pool. The mirrored surfaces of the birds reflect the viewer's image, symbolically suggesting the impact of humans on the natural world. As visitors experience the installation, Rossano hopes they will "reflect on the plight of the bird as well as the beauty of its existence." Hot Shop Feel the heat as you watch art come alive! Every day, artists demonstrate the intriguing process of creating works of art from molten glass on the amphitheater stage, giving visitors a birds-eye view of their activities. Expert commentary and a state-of-the-art audiovisual system enhance the experience by providing insight into the glassblowing process as well as the science, culture and historical aspects of glass. Hot Shop Visiting Artist Program Sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott / Tacoma The Museum's Visiting Artist Program hosts internationally-known and emerging artists in our world-class Hot Shop to create new works in glass with our professional team of artists <http://www.museumofglass.org/live-glassmaking/about-the-team/> . We invite artists whose work is exhibited (or will be exhibited) in the Museum galleries or whose work is thematically or technically linked to the exhibition program. One piece created during the residency is selected by the artist and Museum staff to be added to the Museum's permanent collection. February 25 - Roberley Bell, Batavia, NY March 1 Roberley Bell spent her childhood in Latin America and Southeast Asia before returning to the United States to attend college. Her projects examine ideas related to the environment, exploring the relationship between the manmade and the natural landscape, focusing on the artifice of nature. For the past few years, Bell has been working on a series called Flower Blobs, which she has created using a variety of media. During her Museum residency, she will utilize glass for the first time to create these objects. March 4 - 8 Scott Benefield, Camano Island, WA Scott Benefield earned his MFA from Ohio State University in 1990 following a year spent studying in Sweden on a Fulbright-Hayes grant. He was a founder of the New Orleans School of Glass Works and served as its first educational director. He also was a founding partner in Studio Inferno, a glass production facility in New Orleans. In 1997, Benefield moved to Camano Island, WA, and built his current studio, Isola Glass, where he produces contemporary functional vessels. March 11 - 15 Kait Rhoads, Seattle, WA Kait Rhoads studied painting for six years and developed a love for color and pattern before ever working with glass. She earned her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 1993 and her MFA from Alfred University in 2001. She studied sculpture in Murano, Italy and incorporates traditional Italian techniques into her work. For her residency, Rhoads will recreate fan paintings of master Japanese painter Shibata Zeshin in glass. March 18 - 22 Gay Outlaw, San Francisco, CA Gay Outlaw's sculptural work explores form through structure, pattern and translation. Though glass is not her primary medium, Outlaw has worked with it frequently since 2004. During her Museum of Glass residency, she plans to explore color and characteristics of glass in contact with metal to "make unique pieces that have sculptural interest in and of themselves." Hot Lunch Fridays, 12 - 1 p.m. Celebrate Friday at the Museum of Glass! Enjoy a box lunch from Gallucci's Glass Café while watching a featured or visiting artist at work in the Hot Shop. Cost: $10 per person plus Museum admission. Please call 253.572.9593 or email gabi@galluccis.com to order your lunch by 3 p.m. Thursday prior to arrival. For more information, visit www.museumofglass.org <http://www.museumofglass.org/> . Public Programs Family Day: Motion Madness Saturday, March 14 1 - 4 p.m. Join Jennifer Adams and participate in activities to trick your mind. The Troubadours and The Black Belt Ensemble from Grant Elementary will provide musical entertainment. Third Thursday ArtWalk March 19 Free admission 5 - 8 p.m. sponsored by The Boeing Company and Columbia Bank Studio The Studio is an interactive, experiential learning space that provides visitors with creative opportunities for hands-on engagement with the ideas behind the glass. Hands-On Art Activitiy: Traveling Light with Pat Cole Join Pat Cole and create a silk screened or painted image with transparent color and clear vinyl or acetate that you can stick to any glass window. Weekdays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Saturdays 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sundays 12 - 5 p.m. Kids Design Glass Sponsored by Key Foundation, a foundation funded by KeyBank, and the Muckleshoot Charity Fund Ongoing Children under the age of 12 Our Kids Design Glass program invites children 12 and under who visit the Museum or are patients at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital to design a glass sculpture. Each month, one entry is selected by the MOG Hot Shop team. Two sculptures are created-one for the child designer and one for the Museum's permanent collection and upcoming exhibition, Kids Design Glass, opening in October, 2009. Selected designs will be created in the Hot Shop Sunday, March 29. Theater In the Museum Theater, visitors can view original documentary films that will expand their understanding of the artwork in the galleries, look inside the artistic process of a particular artist, or review the techniques and history of glassmaking. Films repeat throughout the day. Lectures Lectures are regularly offered at the Museum in conjunction with exhibitions and the Visiting Artist program. Unless noted otherwise, all lectures take place in the Museum of Glass Theater and are included with Museum admission. Visiting Artist Lecture Series: Conversations with the Artists Sponsored by PONCHO Sundays, 2 - 3 p.m. March 1 Roberley Bell March 8 Scott Benefiled March 22 Gay Outlaw Events Science of Art Sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the William W. Kilworth Foundation, The Baker Foundation, and The Florence B. Kilworth Foundation March 4, 13 and 18 - 20 Science of Art is an interdisciplinary program for middle and high school students that teaches science through the creative process of glassmaking and the arts. The 2009 sessions will focus on The Art of Light, which allows students to evaluate the optical characteristics of glass art through learning the fundamental principles of light. Museum visitors are welcome to observe the presentations and demonstrations in the Hot Shop. The Museum of Glass provides a dynamic learning environment to appreciate the medium of glass through creative experiences, collections and exhibitions. In addition to the Hot Shop Amphitheater where visitors can watch artists work, the facilities include galleries, outdoor exhibition areas, a theater, hands-on art studio, grand hall, café and store. The Museum of Glass is sponsored in part by the Gary E. Milgard Foundation, the Bamford Foundation, the Klorfine Foundation, Gallucci's, the City of Tacoma Arts Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission and ArtsFund. Hours and Admission Open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Third Thursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Store is also open Tuesdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day): also open Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Independence Day, September 15, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free for members, $10 general, $8 seniors, military and students (13+ with ID), $8 groups of 10 or more, $4 children (6-12) years old. Children under 6 are admitted free. Admission is free every third Thursday of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Info Line 253-284-4750/ 1-866-4MUSEUM Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock Street Tacoma, WA 98402 For more information about the Museum of Glass: Susan Newsom, Communications Manager, 253-284-4732, snewsom@museumofglass.org <mailto:jpisto@museumofglass.org> ###