Letter from the Board Chair
by
Noah Harlan
As I step into my role as Chair of UrbanGlass, I am filled with profound gratitude and excitement for the future of this remarkable institution. Our 17,000-square-foot studio in Fort Greene continues to be a beacon for glass artists—a testament to our enduring mission to foster experimentation and advance the use and critical understanding of glass as a creative medium. And it is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Katya Heller, my esteemed predecessor as Chair, to her new role as Executive Director. Her leadership comes at a pivotal moment, as we approach our 50th anniversary in 2027—a milestone that will celebrate half a century of nurturing glass art and artists.
In times of increasing stress and uncertainty for the art world, UrbanGlass remains steadfastly committed to providing not just space, tools, and equipment, but also the knowledge, experience, and expertise that support our diverse community’s needs. From the Bead Project—which, for over a quarter-century, has provided free education and resources to women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds—to classes for veterans at the VA, symposiums for working professionals, and education programs for all ages and abilities, all in an accessible workspace, we recognize the vital role arts play in urban communities.
I’m delighted to share that our recent gala on May 5 was a tremendous success, bringing together supporters who recognize the critical importance of UrbanGlass to our artistic ecosystem. This support enables everything we do, and we hope you will join them—if you haven’t already—by participating in our events, signing up for classes, visiting our store (virtually or in person!), or simply sharing what we do (and, of course, subscribing to Glass).
This issue of Glass beautifully showcases the diversity and innovation that defines contemporary glass art. Bri Chesler’s vibrant installation gracing our cover exemplifies the dynamic possibilities of glass as an expressive medium. Inside, we celebrate Judith Schaechter’s immersive new work at the Michener Museum, explore the expanded glass studio at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, and highlight Anna Mlasowsky’s powerful exhibition in Germany. Each of these artists and institutions contributes to the vital dialogue that keeps our medium relevant and evolving.
UrbanGlass has always been more than a studio—it’s a home for innovation, education, and community. As we navigate the rapidly changing landscape of 2025 and beyond, we remain dedicated to ensuring this community continues to thrive, creating opportunities for artistic expression that transcend boundaries and enrich our collective experience.
With gratitude and optimism,
Noah Harlan
Chair, UrbanGlass Board of Directors
Editor's Letter
by
Andrew Page
While last year may have seen prominent dealers of contemporary glass close their bricks-and-mortar exhibition spaces to deal privately, Sarah Traver is taking a different approach. Like her counterparts, she, too, had been facing relentlessly rising commercial rents at her eponymous Downtown Seattle gallery, where her father set up shop more than three decades ago. But the younger Traver chose not to simply go virtual, but to reset, moving to a brand-new location in an area not yet known for art. Traver’s confidence in the vitality of the glass art scene, and commitment to remaining a venue for the exhibition of glass art, is an encouraging sign of the continuing vitality of glass as it evolves to appeal to new generations of collectors. As a second-generation gallerist herself, and at a comparatively early stage of her career, Traver’s takeaway from the pandemic has been the realization that being in the very center of the city was no longer necessary to being successful, and that sometimes you just have to shake things up and take risks.
Our new Seattle correspondent Ellye Sevier was at the new West Canal Yards location for Traver’s opening exhibition, and reflects on the new digs while reviewing Preston Singletary’s latest work for this issue (see p. 58). Sevier also penned this issue’s cover article on Bri Chesler’s alluring multimedia installations that have made their mark on the Seattle art scene for their seductive allure that, upon closer examination, reveals some of the uglier sides of intimacy.
Elsewhere in the issue, Emma Park takes stock of Anna Mlasowsky’s singular body of work on the occasion of the artist’s midcareer museum retrospective in Germany. Benjamin Wright attends the festive opening of the vastly expanded Chrysler Museum Glass Studio and reflects on the power of glass performance to draw a crowd—and make Norfolk a destination.
I spent time with Judith Schaechter experiencing and discussing her largest and most ambitious work to date—Super/Natural, which she calls a cathedral for one, and allows entry to a Schaechterian universe instead of viewing it from the outside. And finally, contributing editor Samantha DeTillio traces the legacy of the mirror from Greek mythology to reveal worlds within and without.
We hope the range of articles in this issue offers ideas and inspiration as we continue our mission to cover the always-evolving field of glass.
Sincerely,
Andrew Page
Editor, Glass: The UrbanGlass Art Quarterly
Hourglass
Coming up on 15-year anniversary, Karol Wight, the Corning Museum of Glass executive director and president, plans to retire; David Schnuckel on the ideas behind “R e d u n d a n c i e s,” his exhibition at the Museum of American Glass; Vermont museum borrows from the success of “Kids Design Glass” at the Museum of Glass; Jeff Zimmerman’s ongoing experiments in form are rooted in nature; the 2024 Tom Malone Glass Art Prize goes to Gabriella Bisetto.
Reviews
Joseph Kosuth at Sean Kelly Gallery, New York; “Glass Lifeforms 2025” at the Pittsburgh Glass Center; “Radical Stitch” at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana; “Murano Glass and the Venice Biennale, Part II: 1932-1942” at the Stanze del Vetro, Venice, Italy; Preston Singletary at Traver Gallery, Seattle.
UrbanGlass News
Since 2020, UrbanGlass has collaborated with the Brooklyn VA to provide veterans with opportunities to explore glassmaking in an accessible and supportive environment.
UrbanGlass Catalogue
“At a Time Like This,” curated by Andrew Page, presents two collaborative and immersive multimedia artworks by Alicia Eggert.
Reflection
by
Erin E. O'Connor
Vitrifying America
