Fluid Formations: The Legacy of Glass in the Pacific Northwest
April 10 – October 10, 2021; Lightcatcher building
Organized by Amy Chaloupka, Whatcom Museum Curator of Art
Celebrating a rich legacy unique to our region, Fluid Formations features the art of fifty-seven contemporary artists working in glass.
The Pacific Northwest is the epicenter of glass, spurred by the establishment of Pilchuck Glass School on a remote tree farm in Stanwood, Washington in 1971. Fifty years later, the region’s glass community has expanded significantly, defined by shared knowledge, teamwork, and an experimental spirit.
Drawing from the Museum’s permanent collection, loans from artists, and working in close partnership with Museum of Glass (Tacoma, Wash.), Fluid Formations celebrates the innovation and striking range of processes and ideas that could only come from decades of generous exchange and shared passion for the material of glass.
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- Lino Tagliapietra; Florencia, 2020; Blown glass; 24 x 23 x 11 in. Photograph by Russell Johnson. Courtesy of Lino Tagliapietra Seattle Studio.
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- Shelley Muzylowski; In The Morning Light, 2018; Blown, hand sculpted and engraved glass, steel; 35.5 x 10 x 7 in. Photo by Daniel Fox. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Ginny Ruffner; Bouquet of Muses, 2020; Lampworked glass and mixed media; 12 x 12 x 17 in. Photo by James Harnois. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Dan Friday (Lummi); Copper Lightning Basket, 2019; Blown and woven cane mosaic glass; Approx: 11.38 x 10 x 10 in. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Nancy Callan; Smoky the Snowman, 2019; Blown glass; 34.5 x 17.5 x 17.5 in. Photo by Russell Johnson. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Erich Woll; Mistakes Will Be Made, 2014; Hot-sculpted glass; 39 x 14 x 75 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artist. Photo by Russell Johnson.
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- Ethan Stern; Green Coastline, 2011; Blown and wheel-cut glass; 13.25 × 14.25 × 3 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artist. Photo by Russell Johnson.
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- Kelly O’Dell and Raven Skyriver; Treasure-trove, 2016; Blown and sculpted glass; 12 x 16 x 13 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artist. Photo by Kp Studios.
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- Mildred Howard; Whispering Roar, 2011; Blown glass; 34 x 10.5 x 6 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, California. Photo by Duncan Price.
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- Sonja Blomdahl; Untitled, 1987; Blown glass; 13 x 13 x 13 in. Whatcom Museum Collection. Gift of Safeco Insurance, a member of the Liberty Mutual Group, and Washington Art Consortium.
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- Flora C. Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick; Bird Page: Red-Shouldered Hawk, 2006; Glass and steel; 17.5 x 14 x 6 in. Photo by Robert Vinnedge. Courtesy of the artists.
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- Suzanne Head; Black Rabbit Mask and White Rabbit Mask, 2019; Fused glass powder and enamel; 18 x 12 in. each. Courtesy of the artist.
This exhibition is organized in partnership with Museum of Glass and is supported in part by Peoples Bank, the Whatcom Museum Foundation, the City of Bellingham, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Media sponsorship provided by Cascade Public Media KCTS9.
Featured Artists:
Rik Allen, Shelley Muzylowski Allen, Bennett Battaile, Ben Beres, Jeremy Bert, Sonja Blomdahl, Nancy Callan, Ned Cantrell, Sydney Cash, Doris Chase, Dale Chihuly, Benjamin Cobb, Norman Courtney, Amber Cowan, Max Cregar, Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Jen Elek, Dan Friday, Ann Gardner, Sarah Gilbert, Suzanne Head, Mildred Howard, Jasen Johnsen, Karen Willendbrink-Johnsen, Claire Kelly, Joey Kirkpatrick, Sabrina Knowles, Walter Lieberman, Beth Lipman, Flora C. Mace, Dante Marioni, Paul Marioni, Richard Marquis, Benjamin Moore, William Morris, Richard Notkin, Kelly O’Dell, Marvin Oliver, Deborah Oropallo, Jenny Pohlman, Kait Rhoads, Joseph Gregory Rossano, Richard Royal, Ginny Ruffner, Preston Singletary, Raven Skyriver, Ethan Stern, April Surgent, Lino Tagliapietra, Cappy Thompson, Oiva Toikka, Norwood Viviano, Randy Walker, Dick Weiss, Erich Woll, Ellen Ziegler
The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.
The Whatcom Museum is offering free admission to the Lightcatcher building to Indigenous Peoples upon request at the attendant desk inside the Lightcatcher building, 250 Flora St.
partners
Oiva Toikka; Pileated woodpecker. Museum of Glass collection.
As part of this series, the Whatcom Museum is also featuring a collection of glass birds in the John M. Edson Hall of Birds at Old City Hall. Birds by Toikka, made by renowned Finnish artist and designer Oiva Toikka (1931 – 2019) for the design company, Iittala, are on loan from Museum of Glass Archives and the Paul Kangas Collection, which is a promised gift to Museum of Glass. The glass birds are interspersed among our mounted bird display cases. Image credit: Oiva Toikka; Pileated Woodpecker; 2011; Blown glass; 10 × 4.5 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington.
