Exhibitions
Founded in 1971, the Pilchuck Glass School, co-founded by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly, emerged as a world-renowned center for glass art in the 1980s. The artists who are involved with the Pilchuck Glass School continue to expand its reputation as one of the most significant opportunities for artistic innovation.
Metaphor into Form showcases the breadth of creativity that has been nurtured by the Pilchuck Glass School. Showcasing a wide range of forms and techniques, this exhibition highlights how artists have responded to the possibilities of the material properties of glass as a metaphor for the human experience and the creative impulse. From the delicacy of intricately exquisite goblets to the illusion of remnants of ancient civilizations, the artworks included will illuminate how glass has become an indispensable material for contemporary artists.
Images from top to bottom: Marvin Oliver, Quinault Nation and Isleta Pueblo (born Seattle, Washington, 1946), Orca (detail), 2002. Watercut, fused, and polished glass with cast glass inlay and steel base. Tacoma Art Museum. Gift of Norma and Leonard Klorfine. Ginny Ruffner. The Juggler of My Heart in Person (detail), 1988. Lamp-worked borosilicate glass, colored pencil, and fixative. 26 1/2 x 14 x 12 1/2 in (67.3 x 35.6 x 31.8 cm). Tacoma Art Museum. Gift of Anne Gould Hauberg.
