Traversing the terrain: Glass exhibit to showcase WV artists
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“Holding on” by Elizabeth Braun will be a part of the “Contemporary Terrain” exhibit Jan. 12-28 at The Royce J. Caroline B. Watts Museum in Morgantown. (Photo courtesy of The Royce J. Caroline B. Watts Museum.)
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“Blue Boy” by Dutch Hammer will be a part of the “Contemporary Terrain” exhibit Jan. 12-28 at The Royce J. Caroline B. Watts Museum in Morgantown. (Photo courtesy of The Royce J. Caroline B. Watts Museum.)
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“Leaves” by Leona Mackey will be a part of the “Contemporary Terrain” exhibit Jan. 12-28 at The Royce J. Caroline B. Watts Museum in Morgantown. (Photo courtesy of The Royce J. Caroline B. Watts Museum.)
Light sparkles and shines off of the pieces at The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum in Morgantown that are part of the gallery’s exhibit, “Contemporary Terrain” running Jan. 12 to 28.
Bright blue glass, an earth-toned snake and a variety of colored glass that seem to reflect and bounce rainbows off the walls are some of the art that greets gallery visitors.
After doing a lot of research about contemporary artists from around the state of West Virginia who use glass, Sally Deskins, curator of the exhibit, narrowed it down to nine artists who are not only talented but also “exemplify the breadth of style and technique of artists working in glass.”
Artists that are included in the exhibit are from all over the state according to Deskins.
“We have Martha Reynolds from way down south in the state, and Elizabeth Braun near Maryland. We have Alison Helm from right here in Morgantown and then Ron Hinkle from Buckhannon, and Chris Dutch and Robin Hammer out of Charleston, and the others are all spread out as well,” she said.
All of these artists, Elizabeth Braun, Alison Helm, Chris Dutch, Robin Hammer, Barrie Kaufman, Stephanie Danz, Leona Mackey, Martha Reynolds and Ron Hinkle, came together to showcase their work that covers a variety of glasswork.
“Nine contemporary (living) artists from around the state have two to eight pieces showcased in this exhibit. It is a wide variety of work. Alison Helm has this huge wall installation of different colors of glass and stell , next to Elizabeth Braun’s intimate cupped glass hands glass sculpture. Chris Dutch has smaller traditionally-crafted mosaics next to Barrie Kaufman’s glass Drops, orbs installed along the wall as though they’re falling, next to Chris Dutch and Robin Hammer’s collaborative funky wall sculptures of glass, metal and wood that are narrative, next to Stephanie Danz’ bicycle wheel lined with rainbow colored glass, and then Leona Mackey’s abstract 2-D floral glass in metal frames; then in the cases are Ron Hinkle’s bright colored glass domestic glassware, and Martha Reynold’s painted glass nature-inspired dishes and vases, and Stephanie Danz’ jewelry and hand crafted kaleidoscope,” explained Deskins. “It really is a variety of work that is really exciting and important to showcase.”
While “Contemporary Terrain” offers something for visitors to enjoy looking at, it also an impact on the surrounding community.
“All art is important for the community to experience other perspectives or realize new things about your own perspectives. In this case I don’t think glass is usually seen as a contemporary media in itself; usually we think of painting, drawing, photography, traditional sculpture or even installation. This one focuses on glass and the many ways artists use glass to interpret their world, and in this case, their world is West Virginia,” said Deskins. “West Virginia might not be known for contemporary art, but this exhibit, really shows that there are really talented and experimental artists working right here in our community. There is a tradition of glass that perhaps they have stemmed from – that people can learn about in the Royce & Carol Watts Museum’s ‘Molded in the Mountains: The Glass Industry in West Virginia,’ which is up through June 2017.”
While the artwork that is exhibited at “Contemporary Terrain” is unique, the name also has an interesting genesis.
“We really brainstormed a lot of on titles. I was part of a class while a graduate student at WVU,” said Deskins who graduated in May with a masters of arts in art history. “The class helped research for the above mentioned history of glass exhibit at the Watts Museum, and then those kind curators invited me to curate this contemporary exhibit in conjunction with that. So we had already brainstormed a lot for the ‘Molded in the Mountains’ exhibit but we wanted something more contemporary in the title, and ‘terrain’ we borrowed from artist Alison Helm’s wall piece ‘Shifting Terrain,’ we really liked how the word could resemble many different kinds of places or landscapes, like the artists are from different parts of the states, as well as use glass differently.”
As Deskins had said previously this exhibit offers visitors a different type of contemporary art then what they may have seen previously. It is this new experience that she wants visitors to walk away with.
Deskins hopes that gallery guests walk away with, “New perspectives on art, glass and artists from West Virginia, and anything else they might glean!”
There will be an opening reception for the exhibit from 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 12 where Alison Helm and Stephanie Danz will present a talk about their work.
More information about “Contemporary Terrain” and other exhibits at The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum can be found online at wattsmuseum.wvu.edu.