HARTFORD, CT (PNAN) – Over 50 contemporary glass artists breathe new life into nature’s most volatile medium in Fired Up: Glass Today, opening at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art on Friday, September 16, 2022.
“This group of exceptional artists is taking risks, forging new paths, and inspiring people with glass as a means of expression,” says Richard Koopman Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Wadsworth and curator of the exhibition, Brandy Culp. “The work in Fired Up is exceptional for its sculptural beauty and technical skill but also for its ability to make bold social statements.”
Of more than 150 works on view with approximately half were created exclusively for this exhibition. Special live events including glass working demonstrations at an on-site hot shop feature artists who will bring the magic of glass to Hartford and remain on view through February 5, 2023.
Works by glass maestros such as Nancy Callan, Sidney Hutter, Dante Marioni, Lino Tagliapietra and Tim Tate test the physical and aesthetic potentials of glass as well as question cultural assumptions about sexuality, relationships, racial equality and the environment. In addition is “Cloud Capturing Apparatus” by Kim Thomas; “Recycling Narratives, A Tangible Hope” by Hannah Gibons made from recycled COVID-19 vaccine bottles, and an installation by Dan Friday, “Schaenexw (Salmon) Run” with each signaling human impact on nature’s delicate balance. Seattle artist Megan Stelljes’s “Neon Wallpaper” and “This Shit is Bananas” both colorfully employ humor to communicate about sex, sexuality and consent.
“Fired Up is powerful for bringing a vast range of innovative glass works together and for connecting working artists with the public at the museum,” says Director of the Wadsworth Matthew Hargraves. “Not only will you see great works of art in this exhibition, you’ll also meet the people who bring these wonderful objects into being and see how they do it in real time.”
For the full lineup of related programs, visit thewadsworth.org/firedup