Tuesday December 10, 2019 | by Andrew Page

Deborah Czeresko and "Blown Away" make critics' Top Ten lists for 2019

'Tis the season for annual Top Ten lists, when magazines and newspapers release their critics' picks for the most important works of the year. While the previous 12 months' output of everything from books to movies to albums is distilled down to a year-end roundup of the best of the best, the much-discussed glassblowing reality show Blown Away has recently found its way onto two prominent lists.

Robert Wilson, A Boy From Texas, 2019. Glass. Dimensions variable. courtesy: cristina crajales gallery and the corning museum of glass.

Friday December 6, 2019 | by Andrew Page

The Corning Museum's design initiatives help bring glass new prominence at Design Miami

On December 5th, The Art Newspaper published an online article reflecting on the prominence of glass at the 2019 Miami art fairs with the headline "Design Miami is a Real Glass Act." In it writer Caroline Roux states that Design Miami "visitors will find the material being used as a medium of expression by an increasing number of artists." While Berengo and his Murano atelier are also cited in the article, it is Robert Wilson's recent project fabricated at The Corning Museum of Glass' amphitheater hotshop that gets top billing as well as the article's opening photo. The image features his installation of transparent glass deer that turned heads at the design fair when it opened on December 3rd. (It runs through the 8th.)

A restored neon sign in Havana. courtesy: museum of neon art

Wednesday December 4, 2019 | by Jillian Cheney

A Cuba trip co-organized by a museum in L.A. offers a front-row seat to the relighting of Havana's neon landscape

Before the Cuban Revolution in 1958, when Fidel Castro confiscated nearly all private property, Havana was a legendary playground for gangsters, American society types, and anybody who wanted to hang around to soak up the neon-lit ambiance of the city. Havana in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s was a tropical Las Vegas rival, known as much for its famous nightclubs, hotels, and restaurants festooned with radiant lit signs as its atmosphere of lawlessness.

Friday November 22, 2019 | by Andrew Page

HOT OFF THE PRESSES: The Winter 2019 edition of Glass (#157)

The Winter 2019 edition of Glass: The UrbanGlass Art Quarterly (#157) is hitting newsstands and subscriber mailboxes this week. On the cover is a new work by Danny Lane from his brand-new "Carved and Cast" series.

Jessica Loughlin, Receptor Of Light V, 2018. Glass. H 18, W 21, D 7 in. Loughlin's piece won the FUSE Glass Prize in 2018.

Friday November 22, 2019 | by Jillian Cheney

CALL FOR ENTRIES: JamFactory seeks Australian and New Zealand applicants for third annual FUSE Glass Prize

JamFactory has announced the dates for its third biennial FUSE Glass Prize, awarded to glass artists in Australia and New Zealand. According to the website, the prize is awarded to artists who "push themselves and their work to new limits" and display "contemporary artistic expression, the outstanding public collections in the region, and the globally connected art glass ecosystem." The prize began in 2016 as a collaboration between JamFactory and glass collectors Jim and Helen Carreker. The winner will be awarded a $20,000 non-acquisitive cash prize. Additionally, the David Henshall Prize Emerging Artist prize will be awarded to a newer artist, who will receive a $2,500 cash prize and a professional residency at JamFactory.

Tansey Contemporary Gallery, which moved from Santa Fe to Denver in 2017, is permanently closing its doors on November 23. source: facebook

Wednesday November 20, 2019 | by Jillian Cheney

Tansey Contemporary in Denver to close gallery doors before the end of November

After three years in Denver, Tansey Contemporary is closing its doors. Owners Mike and Jennifer Tansey acquired the gallery in 2013 when they purchased the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe. Because the couple lived in Evergreen, Colorado, at the time, they transitioned to a second Denver location in 2016. A year later, the Santa Fe location was closed when they realized they couldn’t divide their time or attention. Just before Thanksgiving, they are planning to shut the doors of their Denver location as well, citing the challenge of managing major contemporary art fairs while also running a gallery.

Tuesday November 12, 2019 | by Jillian Cheney

Cal Breed's solo exhibition at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts explores his interest in wind and water

Deeply in touch with nature and the elements, Alabama glass artist Cal Breed depicts wind and water in ways both friendly and powerful. Breed has been working in glass since the mid 1990s, when he apprenticed with renowned glass artists such as Cam Langley, Paul Cunningham, Dante Marioni and Lino Tagliapietra. He sought out those experts intentionally, determined to be trained before he started creating on his own. His work has been recognized by the likes of Martha Stewart and Oprah (His Roxy Pitcher was on the "O List" several years ago -- and continues to exhibit a simple grace).

Orange, traditional pumpkins are only one of the styles for sale at the Glass Pumpkin Patch of Carmel, but it's the style where most artists and collectors make their start. courtesy: nick leonoff

Tuesday October 29, 2019 | by Jillian Cheney

The Uncanny Power of the Glass Pumpkin: A closer look at an unusual fall tradition that has proved to be a surefire fundraiser

The year was 2007. Thousands of colorful glass pumpkins -- from traditional orange to iridescent rainbow in all different sizes -- glinted in the autumn sun. Just outside the field in Palo Alto, California, a line of eager customers was jockeying for position, waiting for the official start. The pumpkins had been on display all week in advance of the kick-off of Great Glass Pumpkin Patch 2007, but this was the first day of sale. What took place next, according to glass artist Nick Leonoff, could only be described as a “frenzy.”

Friday October 18, 2019 | by Andrew Page

Sheridan College will host event that celebrates its central role in the Netflix "Blown Away" phenomenon

On Saturday, October 19, Sheridan College will host a discussion for media and the public about the successful Netflix reality program "Blown Away," a Canadian-based television production that worked closely with the art college. In an afternoon of discussions and demonstrations at its Oakville, Ontario, campus, Sheridan sees the event as a way "to celebrate our deep connections -- and the fiftieth anniversary of our glassblowing program," as it was explained in the announcement of the event. At 12 noon on October 19, a press-only event will offer interviews with the show's artists Deborah Czereskoand Alexander Rosenberg, as well as assistants Emma McDonald and Alyssa Getz. There will also be high-level representatives from the production staff of the program, as well as the head of the glass program at Sheridan, Koen Vanderstukken, who served as Blown Away's series consultant.

Sibylle Peretti, Snow Child III, 2019. Glass. H 40, W 45, D 20 in. courtesy: huntsville museum of art

Thursday October 17, 2019 | by Jillian Cheney

OPENING: In joint museum exhibition, Sibylle Peretti and Stephen Paul Day seek "connections" through shared themes

The work of artists Sibylle Peretti and Stephen Paul Day share a somber beauty and haunting quality, often based on folklore and childhood memories. Featuring over 25 works from the past decade of their careers and several new pieces, the couple's aptly named joint exhibition "Connections" will go on view October 20, 2019, at the Huntsville Museum of Art.

Glass: The UrbanGlass Quarterly, a glossy art magazine published four times a year by UrbanGlass has provided a critical context to the most important artwork being done in the medium of glass for more than 40 years.