TACOMA, Wash
Tacoma Art Museum (TAM) will celebrate the Grand Opening of the Rebecca and Jack Benaroya Wing. The museum will present exhibitions that celebrate the contributions of studio art glass in the Northwest.
With our new Wing, TAM stands proudly as one of the nation's top studio art glass collecting institutions, explains Executive Director David F. Setford. The Benaroya Collection brings iconic works by Dale Chihuly, Howard Ben Tre, Lino Tagliapietra, and other acclaimed artists. The collection brings the total to more than 900 works of studio glass art in TAM's permanent collection.
The opening exhibitions illustrate the importance of the Pilchuck Glass School. Metaphor into Form: Art in the Era of the Pilchuck Glass School brings together key works that illuminate the innovation of artists working at Pilchuck. Highlights include Green Eye of the Pyramid III by Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtova and Vienna by Clifford Rainey. Other works showcase the scope and strength of the collection, notably works by Dante Marioni, Josiah McEleheny, and Cappy Thompson.
The exhibition Debora Moore: Arboria signals a new direction by artist Debora Moore. By creating life-size flowering glass trees, the artist explores the four seasons through sweeping forms adorned with glass blossoms. Debora's installation offers a magical experience made possible only by the beauty of glass, says Rock Hushka, TAM's deputy director and chief curator.
A selection of portraits from The Documenta Series, line the wall entering the new wing. Mary Van Cline seeks to create portraits of artists, collectors, and leaders of the first generation of the studio glass movement. Her long friendships with subjects allow her to capture sitters at ease and reveal hints about their creative powers.
Martin Blank's Current has been newly installed in the museum's lobby. Blank captures the beauty of the Northwest through his 30-foot glass sculpture. The glass mimics the reflections of light in the rushing waterways of the Puget Sound.
Visit the elegant galleries designed by Olson Kundig. With the Bridge of Glass, the Museum of Glass, and expanded offerings at TAM, Tacoma becomes one of the must-see destinations for studio glass art enthusiasts in the country.
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/Benaroya
