What Are You Looking At?: An Eccentric Chorus of Artists Working in Glass

September 26, 2021 — January 22, 2023

Exhibition Overview

For the past 18 years, a unique residency partnership between Pilchuck Glass School and Museum of Glass has presented a diverse group of artists, designers, and crafts people with the opportunity to experiment in glass. By creating material access and putting the unique expertise and craftsmanship of glass specialists in the hands of artists of all backgrounds doors are opened to new avenues of investigation. From conceptual installation and object makers, to the designers of functional furnishing and fantastical fashion accessories, the artists come to their materials with a wide range of intention.

What Are You Looking At? highlights unique experiments and prototypes pursued during artist residencies in the context of each artist’s larger artistic practice. The diversity of creative voices and the collective wonder that they generate exemplifies the objectives of the residency programs at both Pilchuck Glass School and Museum of Glass. Videos made during each residency will also be prominently featured, providing the audience a look into the artists’ intentions and clues to how they will incorporate glass into their conceptual vocabularies.

This exhibition includes works by Vivian Beer, Einar and Jamex de la Torre, Andrea Dezsö, Laura Donefer (with Leah Allison and Jennifer A. Hand), Reilly Donovan, Joe Feddersen, Angelo Filomeno, Jessica Jane Julius, Tobias Klein, Richard Meitner, Tom Moore, Magdelene Odundo, Ginny Ruffner, Joyce Scott, Peter Shelton, Megan Stelljes, and Fred Wilson.

Jamex de la Torre (Mexican and American, born 1960), Einar de la Torre (Mexican and American, born 1963). *Frax Licker*, made at Museum of Glass in 2017. Blown glass; 24 5/8 × 13 × 8 1/2 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artists. Photo by Duncan Price.

Featured Images

Image Credits

Jamex de la Torre (Mexican and American, born 1960), Einar de la Torre (Mexican and American, born 1963). Frax Licker, made at Museum of Glass in 2017. Blown glass; 24 5/8 × 13 × 8 1/2 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artists. Photo by Duncan Price.
Andrea Dezsö (Romanian-American, born 1968). Two-headed Tower. Blown glass. 20 × 7 1/2 × 5 in. Courtesy of Traver Gallery.
Andrea Dezsö (Romanian-American, born 1968). Behold the Mighty Tie Snake, 2020. Hand cut, handmade Japanese washin paper, hand sew with wax linen and thread. 8 1/4 × 11 3/4 × 6 in. Courtesy of Traver Gallery.
Angelo Filomeno (Italian, born 1963). Shitting Skull, made at the Museum in 2006. Blown glass and mixed-media insect. 13 x 12 x 8 1/2 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, gift of the artist.
Angelo Filomeno (Italian, born 1963). Storm (detail), 2021. Embroidery on silk shantung stretched over cotton. Courtesy of Galerie Lelong, New York City.
Richard Meitner (American, born 1949). Sorcerer’s Apprentice, made at the Museum in 2010. Blown glass. 39 1/2 × 28 7/8 × 27 1/2 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, gift of the artist. Photo by Duncan Price.
Richard Meitner (American, born 1949). Vamos, 2017-2021. Fiberglass, wood, iron, mirror. 14 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Joe Feddersen (American, born 1953). Wilderness, made at the Museum in 2005. Blown glass. 20 × 19 × 13 1/2 in. Collection of Museum of Glass, gift of the artist.
Joe Feddersen (American, born 1953). Charmed – Canoe Journey, 2012-2021. Fused glass. Overall: 132 × 132 × 6 in. Courtesy of Froelick Gallery, Portland.

What Are You Talking About?

In coordination with the exhibition What Are You Looking At? An Eccentric Chorus of Artists Working in Glass, MOG hosted a series of virtual conversations with artists included in the exhibition. The interviews examined the career trajectory of these artists and the role their residencies at Museum of Glass and Pilchuck Glass School played in their artistic development. Each artist discussed the pieces featured in the exhibition and how they arrived at the ideas for the work. See below!