Visit to Tacoma's Museum of Glass
– Artist in Residence with Angelo Filomeno



The exterior cone
of the Museum of Glass on the left, on the right – the interior
containing the ovens used for heating the glass, as well as works on
display + a giant video screen highlighting the artistic team in
process – photo Todd Wong

I went to visit the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday.  It is amazing.  The building was designed by Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson,
who has also designed the Simon Fraser University, Museum of
Anthropology in Vancouver and many others.  Check out information
on the building of the Museum of Glass on Erickson's own website. 

 http://www.arthurerickson.com/B_mog.html

We saw artist in residence, Angelo Filomeno, overseeing the production
of a life-size human skeleton created from black glass.  Filomena
is a New York based artist and was in residence from July 12 – 16,
2006.  It was very interesting to watch the development of the
upper spine from our arrival at 11:30am to our departure at 4pm.

Tacoma Glass Museum: a Black Skeleton sculpture glass work in the “Hot Shop” – photo Todd Wong

by
Todd
on Tue 18 Jul 2006 12:40 PM PDT

Tacoma Glass Museum: a Black Skeleton sculpture glass work in the “Hot Shop” – photo Todd

Tacoma Glass Museum: a Black Skull sculpture glass work in the “Hot Shop” – photo Todd Wong

by
Todd
on Tue 18 Jul 2006 12:41 PM PDT

Tacoma Glass Museum: a Black Skull sculpture glass work in the “Hot Shop” – photo Todd

There were also three other shows on display in the Museum of Glass.

Absence Adorned

Karen LaMonte is a leading figure among young American artists using glass in large-scale sculptural work. Absence Adorned includes six stunning life-sized glass dresses.

This is a gorgeous exhibit that showcased the transparency and
multidimensional qualities of glass.  If you look at marble
sculptures, you can only see the surface details.  But with glass,
you can see not only the exterior design, but also the interior. 
These “glass dresses” were created on plaster body molds made from real
human bodies, which are shown revealed through the glass.

Fresh!
is the first exhibition in the Museum’s Context Series which places
works in glass in context with other media. The exhibition examines how
early 21st century artists are exploring traditional natural allegories
and reinterpreting them to create new personal and collective metaphors. 

This was amazing to see, as many of the works also drew on the history
of Art in Nature. I particularly liked to one piece in particular,
which depicted a Natural History dioramas inside a ruined Museum –
definitely speaking about the temporal relationship of humans and the
world.

Kickin’ It with Joyce J. Scott

Dale Chihuly will be artist in residence from August 9-13. 
This will be something special, as Chihuly is a “native son” of Tacoma,
now recognized world wide for his innovative work with glass.

Dale Chihuly, Seattle, WA

August 9 – 13, 2006
Get more info on Chihuly in Tacoma »