It is one of the most difficult, dangerous, and hard-to-manage artforms there is: molten glass. Yet in the hands of a master, it remains one of the most beautiful and ancient means of artistic expression that exists.
Something about glass art feels so right in our new space. It’s made of naturally occurring organic material (silica) that the earth produces abundantly. It can take on shapes and colors ranging from simple to subtle to glorious. Molten glass has a mind of its own that produces unpredictable, brilliant results. And finished glass can be tough or light, enduring or adaptive, exuberant or grounded. It’s everything we aspire to be!
Which is why we’re making it an integral part of the Women’s Leadership Center. For more than a year, we’ve been working hard to find the top women glass artists in the country. Doing so has been a labor of love: Like many other fields, glass artistry is considered a man’s world and women artists labor in relative obscurity.
But our research paid off. Late last fall we invited seven amazingly talented glass artists to the Center to see the beautiful space where their commissioned works will be showcased. These artists and the pieces they’re creating represent an incredible variety of techniques and themes. Some of those artists are Lucy Lyon, Shelley Muzylowski Allen, Stephanie Trenchard, Harue Shimomoto, Amber Cowan, and Kate Vogel and her partner John Littleton.
Our visit with these artists was a delight. They are inspired by the Center and excited to share their gifts with everyone who comes to campus. We are proud to showcase their work and contribute to building a network of these immensely talented women.