The Studio Glass movement began in 1962 when artist Harvey Littleton held a series of workshops at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio to demonstrate a new type of glass furnace that was small enough to be used in an artist’s private studio. This meant that artists could produce glass art and move away from the mechanized production by designers such as René Lalique. The Museum of Glass (MOG) in Tacoma, Washington is the West Coast’s largest and most active museum glass studio. One of the recent MOG exhibitions was René Lalique: Art Deco Gems from the Steven and Roslyn Shulman Collection and this special exhibit showed the contrast between Lalique and the typical work of the Studio Glass movement.
According to the display:
“René Roubiček is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the European Studio Glass Movement. He championed glass as a medium for sculptural expression, and sought to create new work using improvisation and teamwork.”
According to the display:
“Fritz Dreisbah is a pioneer of Studio Glass Movement in the United States. He is drawn to the possibilities of glowing molten glass, and has created work inspired by its molten fluidity. He has played a unique role in teaching and documenting Studio Glass, and has deservedly been nicknamed the ‘Johnny Appleseed’ of the American Studio Glass movement.”
According to the display:
“Queen of Queens is inspired by a contemporary interpretation of the glass commemorative medallions that were popular in the 19th and early 20th century.”
More Museum of Glass
Museum of Glass: Some glass artists (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: Indices del Pacifico (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: Glass art for the home (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: Perfume bottles by Lalique (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: Rene Lalique and color (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: LGBTQ (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: Seeds of Hope and Family (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: The Art of Being (photo diary)