OPENING: Vermont museum exhibition to showcase a new generation of glass artists

Vermont’s Shelburne Museum, which houses over 150,000 diverse works of art ranging from Impressionist pieces (such as those by Monet, Manet, and Degas) to folk art, will be opening its newest exhibition entitled, “Supercool Glass" with a reception this evening, and the show will run through Sunday, June 8^th, 2014 at its location in the Diana and John Colgate Gallery of the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education in Shelburne, Vermont. While the exhibition will bring together historic works dealing with glass from the museum's permanent collection, it perhaps more significantly represents one of the first museum exhibits that gathers cutting-edge work in glass by a new generation of artists.

The unfortunately titled exhibition “Supercool Glass” will explore the last two centuries’ worth of work in the craft of glassmaking, displaying a variety of pieces created by different means that span from the 19^th century to the present. Objects on display will include food vessels, beaded costumes, witch balls, medical instruments, and artifacts from the 19^th century. In addition will be a surprisingly rich assortment of younger artists working directly or indirectly with glass, everything from digital photographs to flameworked borosilicate. 

This wide range of approaches to glass suits the exhibit curator just fine. “Before the development and refinement of plastics in the 20^th century, glass was a universal material,” says Kory Rogers, curator of design arts and organizer of the exhibition in a prepared statement. “Its unique physical and aesthetic qualities made it the ideal substance for use in virtually every aspect of life, from dining to fashion, from architecture to medicine, from entertainment to marketing. Supercool Glass explores the multifaceted nature of this miraculous material and its manifold uses in daily life, both past and present.”

Among the artists on display are Gary Bodker, Amber Cowan, Eric Franklin (creator of glass anatomical pieces brought to life by neon), Kim Harty (whose digital print of the artist titled ‘Old Venetian Glass’ will be displayed), Steven and William Ladd, Alyssa Oxley, Andy Paiko, Stefanie Pender, Mark Reigelman II (who creates unconventional and surreal pieces), Madeline Steimle, Charlotte Potter, and Bohyun Yoon.

The opening reception for "Supercool" will take place on Thursday, February 6th from 7-9 PM, at which many of the artists will be present. 

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