Museum of Glass Presents Its
Fifth Anniversary Exhibition, Mining Glass
June 16, 2007 – February 3, 2008
Organized by Juli Cho Bailer, Guest Curator
Sponsored by The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; Board of Trustees, Museum of Glass; Russell Investment Group; the National Endowment for the Arts; Click! Network; and the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass
Featuring the installation and sculptural works of Wim Delvoye, Teresita Fernández, Mona Hatoum, Maya Lin, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Kiki Smith, Fred Wilson, and the late Chen Zhen, Mining Glass is the first major survey to examine how the rich and unparalleled material of glass has expanded beyond its traditional application in decorative and functional art in the early twenty-first century.
The installations are organized around eight narratives that act as suggested passages to help viewers see beyond the technical matters associated with the medium. By moving through the themes of artifice, boundaries, desire, enchantment, excess, identity, intersections, and landscape, the exhibition concentrates on the deeper issues that concern artists, allowing the meaning of the work to take precedence over the technique of how it has been executed. The featured artists, none of whom are glass artists, thus present a stunning diversity of approaches to the material to reveal the multiplicity of glass–precious, magical, and mystical, yet common, practical, and functional–while challenging the notion that work in glass is merely pretty.
Glass may have been disregarded by twentieth century art as decorative, but today it is not simply a major medium in its own right, it is also one that opens new visions for the artists who are approaching and mining it.
In conjunction with the exhibition, two new installations were conceived by Maya Lin and Jean-Michel Othoniel, and fabricated during the artists’ residencies in 2006 and 2007 with the assistance of the Museum of Glass’ Hot Shop team. Also in conjunction with the exhibition, Fred Wilson will be an artist-in-residence in August 2007. Mining Glass is accompanied by a color catalogue with an essay by Juli Cho Bailer.
About the Museum of Glass:
The Museum of Glass provides a dynamic learning environment to appreciate the medium of glass through creative experiences, collections and exhibitions. In addition to the Hot Shop Amphitheater where visitors can watch artists work, the facilities include galleries, outdoor exhibition areas, a theater, studio, grand hall, store and café.
The Museum of Glass is sponsored in part by the City of Tacoma Arts Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission, ArtsFund and Comcast.
Hours and Admission
Open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Third Thursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Store is also open Tuesdays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day): also open Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Independence Day, September 15, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is free for members. Children under 6 are admitted free. Admission is free every third Thursday of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Info Line 253-284-4750/ 1-866-4MUSEUM
Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock Street Tacoma, WA 98402 USA
For more information about the Museum of Glass:
Susan Newsom, Communications Manager, 253-284-4732, snewsom@museumofglass.org
