By Kira S. Gerasimon

The Museum of Glass: International Center for Contemporary Art presents The Bottom of Heaven, an exhibition that displays the artwork and poetry of girls at Remann Hall, Pierce County’s juvenile correctional facility.

The exhibition, which opened September 23rd, is part of the Remann Hall Women’s Project, a joint venture between the Museum of Glass and Remann Hall. The project gives incarcerated girls between the ages of eleven and eighteen the opportunity to explore their creative talents and encourages them to use artistic expression as an avenue towards healing. Visual artist Darwin Nordin and poet Judith Roche guided the creation of the artwork.

The Bottom of Heaven is a collection of individual works centered around an autobiographical theme. It presents young women’s lives like puzzles, to be solved by the viewer. Included in the collection are self-portraits, chalkboard images, collaborative paintings and block assemblages. The artwork is a combination of two-dimensional pieces with relief elements and sculptural forms projecting from the surface. The viewer may manipulate the relief elements to discover the messages inherent in the artwork.

The projects encouraged the young women to be reflective and explore their inner motivations and emotions in order to freely express their sense of self. The finished work provides a beautiful and moving view of the multifaceted nature of the participants’ personalities.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum has published a collection of poetry and artwork in a book that is also titled The Bottom of Heaven. The book includes a forward and introduction as well as contributions from lead artist Darwin Nordin and poet Judith Roche.

The exhibition was made possible by the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee from the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Formula Grant Program, Educational Legacy Fund, and Horizons Foundation.