Emerging and established artists demo at Studio Glass 50th anniversary exhibition in Illinois

Toledo, Ohio-based artist Jack Schmidt, whose work is pictured here, is one of four artists giving demos and lectures as part of “Studio Glass at 50: A Tradition in Flux” at the University of Illinois Gallery.

The Illinois State University gallery in Normal, Illinois, is winding up a four-month exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of Studio Glass with a series of demos featuring the well-established — Henry Halem, Fritz Dreisbach, and Henry Halem — and the up-and-coming Kim Harty. Jack Shmidt, Toledo, Ohio-based glass artist and gregarious host at the 2012 Glass Art Society Conference, gave a demonstration this morning, which is being followed by a lecture presentation this afternoon. Tomorrow will feature Henry Halem. Next week, a new generation of glass artist will get the spotlight as Kim Harty (occasional GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet contributor) will be doing a morning demonstration and afternoon talk on Tuesday, October 9th.

The talks are part of Illinois State University’s exhibition, for which the institution devoted four galleries to a survey that spans from early pioneers to what it is calling “contemporary masters of the medium.” Among the featured artists are Rik Allen, Martin Blank, Robert Carlson, Jamie Carpenter, José Chardiet, Dale Chihuly, Scott Darlington, Einar & Jamex de la Torre, Laura Donefer, Fritz Dreisbach, Erwin Eisch, Robert DuGrenier, Jen Elek, Henry Halem, Kim Harty, Martin Janecky, Gene Koss, Harvey Littleton, Carmen Lozar, Richard Marquis, John Miller, Nick Mount, Jay Musler, Osamu Noda, Danny Perkins, Marc Petrovic, Stephen Rolfe Powell, Stephen Proctor, Ross Richmond, Richard Royal, Jack Schmidt, Therman Statom, Boyd Sugiki & Lisa Zerkowitz, Janusz Walentynowicz, Randy Walker, and Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen & Jasen Johnsen. The exhibition, which runs through October 14th, received assistance from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass and the Midwest Contemporary Glass Art Group, as well as a grant from the Illinois Art Council.

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