Press Releases 2006
"Vetro di Venezia" Exhibition
CONTACT:
Janet Peterson,
Marketing and Public Relations Director
TEL: (856) 825-6800, Ext. 108
FAX: (856) 825-2410
E-MAIL:
jpeterson@wheatonvillage.org
“VETRO DI VENEZIA AND ITS
INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN GLASS” EXHIBITION OPENS AT THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN GLASS
MILLVILLE, NJ – How did the Venetian
style of glassmaking influence American glass artists? The answer can be found
in the new Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Village
exhibition, “Vetro di Venezia and Its Influence on American Glass,” which
opened June 9 and continues through November 5, 2006.
Glassmaking guilds began in Venice, Italy,
in 1268, nearly 600 years after the first glass factory was established. The
glass industry in Venice had become so
successful that in 1291, to prevent the risk of fire and to better control the
factories, the government moved the glasshouses to the island of Murano.
By the Renaissance, Venetian luxury glass dominated world markets. To control
the spread of glassmaking knowledge, Venetian glassmakers were not allowed to
leave Murano. In fact, the penalty for escape was death. Eventually,
glassblowers did leave and the Venetian style of glassmaking spread throughout
the world. By the 18th century, glassmaking in Venice declined. It would take 100 years for
the industry to be revived.American
glassmakers were not influenced by Venetian glass until the 20th century.
Although they would have had knowledge of Venetian glass, the first glass
factories in America
were established by Germans. In the early 20th century, glassmakers in Murano
introduced innovative techniques which incorporated old Venetian processes into
modern designs. It would be these vibrant, remarkable objects that would
influence American glass designers. In the 1960s, American glass artists, such
as Dale Chihuly, Richard Marquis, and Marvin Lipofsky traveled to Murano to
learn the Venetian style of glassmaking. By the 1970s, Italian masters like
Lino Tagliapietra came to the United
States and taught Venetian techniques. This
exhibition illustrates the influence of 20th century Venetian glass on the work
of American artists.
The
Museum of American Glass has one of the most
comprehensive collections of American glass in the country. Visitors see an
array of objects ranging from America’s
first glass bottles to works by Dale Chihuly and other contemporary artists who
work in glass. Changing exhibits are installed annually and they are recognized
worldwide for their scholarly achievements and visual appeal.
Wheaton Village (soon to be Wheaton Arts
and Cultural Center) is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through
December 31. Open Labor Day. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New
Year’s Day. Admission rates: $10.00 Adults, $9.00 Senior Citizens and $7.00 Students.
Children five and under are free. For more information, call 1-800-998-4552 or
856-825-6800, or visit www.wheatonvillage.org.
Wheaton Village strives to make
exhibits, events and programs accessible to all visitors. Call for details.
Funding has been made possible in part by the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the
National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the
Arts, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Wheaton Village
received a general operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical
Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State. Additional
funds provided by the New Jersey Cultural Trust.
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