2012 News Releases
"Pioneers of American Studio Glass"
CONTACT: Janet Peterson, Marketing and Public Relations Director
TEL: (856) 825-6800, Ext. 108 | FAX: (856) 825-2410
E-MAIL: jpeterson@wheatonarts.org
NEW MUSEUM OF AMERICAN GLASS EXHIBIT CELEBRATES THE 5OTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN STUDIO GLASS MOVEMENT
MILLVILLE, NJ – This year marks the 50th anniversary of the glass works shop held at the Toledo Museum of Art which led to the founding of the American Studio Glass Movement.
Before this workshop, there were pioneer artists who worked in glass. Among these forerunners of the American Studio Glass Movement were Edris Eckhardt, Maurice Heaton and Frances and Michael Higgins. The Museum of American Glass at WheatonArts illustrates the work of all four of these artists in a new exhibit, “Pioneers of American Studio Glass: Edris Eckhardt, Maurice Heaton and Frances and Michael Higgins.”
During the 1940s, '50s and '60s, these artists experimented with different techniques resulting in sculptural forms that ranged from slumped to pâte de verre.
Eckhardt, initially trained in ceramics, invented her own glass formulas to create her sculpture. She may have been the first American studio glass artist to formulate her own batch instead of simply melting cullet.
Heaton, a designer of stained glass, became adept at slumping flat sheets of hot glass into or over a mold to form vessel shapes. His work is characterized by detailed, linear patterns created by fusing crushed, colored enamels onto the surface of the glass.
The Higgins’ were a husband-and-wife team who produced commercial tableware for Dearborn Glass. In addition, the couple individually created unique hinged boxes, mobiles, flat panels and vessel forms that were distinguished by their delicate designs.
Once overlooked, today these artists have come to be appreciated for their dedication and creativity which fostered new interest in utilizing glass as art.
For more information about the Museum of American Glass and WheatonArts, call 1-800-998-4552 or 856-825-6800, or visit online at www.wheatonarts.org. WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events and programs to all persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks notice for additional needs. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.
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. WheatonArts receives general operating support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Division of Cultural Affairs in the New Jersey Department of State. Additional funding provided through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.
