TACOMA, November 14, 2009 - Vetri Glass in Tacoma is pleased to present a special exhibition showcasing the work of four inspiring young artists from the Hilltop Artists in Residence Tacoma (HART) program. The show will be on display from November 14th, 2009 - January 10th, 2010, with an opening reception on Saturday, November 14th from 4 - 7 pm.
Vetri Glass and the Hilltop Artists in Residence have teamed up to provide Hilltop students an experience with the business side of the art world -- a subject often overlooked in arts education programs. After meeting with gallery representatives Sarah Traver and Rosie Daniel, the students were asked to send portfolios to the gallery proposing an exhibition of their work, an intimidating process for artists at any stage in their career. Dexter Russaw, Samantha Scalise, Boaz Nichols and David Price are the select artists featured in this season's exhibition.
Dexter Russaw has been working with Hilltop Artists in Residence since 2006 and has been developing his series of blown glass vessels and an exclusive line of glass coasters for Vetri for over a year. Because he blows glass with one hand Russaw's work has a unique rhythm with patterns of frit stretching and fading into layers of color underlying the surface of each vessel. His chic glass coasters have been branded with grill markings on one side, a design element unique to Russaw. With a smart sense of marketing and a love of art Russaw will undoubtedly continue to astonish us with his creations.
A member of the HART production team for five years and a glassblower since the age of twelve, Samantha Scalise, now eighteen, is one of the most technically gifted artists of her age. Taking a leap from the gorgeous cane vessels she is known for, Scalise is exhibiting a series of highly stylized, rounded vessels with avian features that set ones imagination ablaze through their quirky charm. Her skill as a glassblower enables her to translate her "crazy bird drawings" from her sketchbook into glass. Scalise aspires to be a professional glass artist and credits her father as her source of inspiration.
Boaz Nichols' graceful blown glass vases express his fascination with the fluidity of hot glass. Working with gravity to manipulate the cane designs in his work Nichols achieves soft, thick lines that add graphic weight to tall slender forms. His cheerful use of color illustrates the influence cartoonist Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Suess, has had on shaping Nichols' sense of visual construction. Nichols has worked with glass for six years. His curiosity and enthusiasm for the medium continue to guide him to new discoveries in his art.
The intricate cane bowls created by David Price have a mesmerizing optical quality about them. He demonstrates his cane-working expertise by combining two or three colors of cane on clear, classic open bowl forms. Price was inspired by watching Italian artist Lino Tagliapietra blow glass at Tacoma's Museum of Glass and the profound beauty of Tagliapietra's use of glass cane in his sculptures. Price is currently a member of the HART production team and is a teaching assistant for the Hilltop Program in addition to being an incredibly civic-minded citizen in the Tacoma Community.
