Eyes for Glass – the Price Collection

Jul 29, 2010 | Showing Off | 0 comments

After attending the Time Warp exhibit in Vancouver, I flew down to Seattle to attend the Bellevue Art Museum’s Gala Art Auction where I was a guest at John & Joyce Price’s table.  Just before the Gala began, along with fellow artist Joe David, we got the chance to view the Price’s exhibit called “Eyes for Glass” which opened on March 18th, on the 3rd floor of the Museum.  Wow, what a trip!  It looked like a real show!  – what’s the big deal, this is an exhibit, right?  Well, I’ve visited with John and Joyce at their home; it is like an overly-crowded museum with carvings, paintings and sculptures everywhere, even on the bathroom sink(!), so seeing select glass sculptures on their own individual pedestals with their own private spot lights set apart from the next, was a real treat.

Along with glass works  by Preston Singletary, Lino Tagliapietra and Dale Chihuly (to name a few), the Price Collection exhibit included other artists working in other mediums including carver Joe David, and myself.  In 2008, the Price Collection included “Copper Man”, a 6-piece Chilkat and Ravenstail ensemble.  Above is a photo of myself with Copper Man at the Eyes for Glass exhibit.

In the exhibit, I was happy to see one of my favorite pieces in the Price Collection:  the boy carver by Joe David.  The photograph below is the wooden boy sitting on a bench with his tools of the trade and mask, flanked by Joyce, John, Sarah (friend of Joe’s), and Joe…

Joe and I are collaborating on the “girl weaver” to match the “boy carver.”  We hope to complete the piece by January 2011.

Are you wondering who are John and Joyce Price?  Here is an excerpt from the Eyes for Glass exhibit program guide:

“For John and Joyce Price collecting art is a passion, a unique, personal way of entering into a rich and meaningful life experience as well as a way of being receptive and responsible to life.  John’s passion for collecting began when, as a nine-year-old child he saw the 1952 film Moulin rouge, featuring the life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.  As a result he decided when an adult he would collect the art of Lautrec.  While continuing to acquire Lautrec’s art and memorabilia, John expanded his interests in the 1960s to other genres of art from the Pacific Northwest.

By the late 1970’s John learned of the existence of a unique educational institution known as Pilchuck Glass School founded in 1971 by Dale Chihuly, Anne Gould-Hauberg and John Hauberg located in Western Washington.  As a result of Pilchuck’s international draw, many artists working in glass located their studios and homes to Washington thereby creating a critical mass of practitioners.  The Prices were impressed by the ever-increasing innovations and beauty of studio glass art.  By the early 1980s, they were avidly collecting glass art.  Eyes for Glass demonstrates the cross-pollination of relationships between artists who work with glass and the other areas of art represented in their collection.

More than art, it is the individual artists or teams who  make the art, and the galleries, museums and organizations supporting art, that have become so important to the Prices.  collecting has allowed them to establish a dialogue with artits, but also to grow lifelong friendships.  Each piece is a reminder of an intimacy established over time through giving and receiving.  At a time when the world is fragmented and chaotic, the Prices have sought works of art that provide points of equilibrium for our spirit thus unifying an outer world of experience with an inner world of intuition.  Art from the collection has been included in exhibitions at over one hundred museums and/or events throughout the world, including four solo exhibitions.

John Price has served on several boards and worked with many arts organizations not limited to, but including Pilchuck Glass School, Bellevue Arts Museum, Burke Museum Association, PONCHO, Inuit Art Foundation and West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative.”

For more information on “Eyes for Glass – the Price Collection”, visit the Bellevue Museum of Glass website at:  www.bellevuearts.org

Time Warp: Northwest Coast Native Weavers Exhibit

Jul 29, 2010 | Showing Off | 0 comments

Time Warp is an exciting, exhibit of contemporary textiles of the Northwest Coast hosted by the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver, B.C.  The exhibit opened on Thursday, July 16th with most of the 20 featured Aboriginal artists in attendance from Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia and Washington State.  The Tlingit, Haida and Tsimpshian artists included in the exhibit were:  Tracy Auchter, Carrie Anne Vanderhoop Bellis, Delores Churchill, Janice Criswell, Sherri Dick, Lisa Hageman, Lani Hotch, Lily Hudson, Shelly Laws, Victoria Moody, Marie Oldfield, Susan Pavel, Clarissa Rizal, Isabel Rorick, Ann Smith, Debra Sparrow, Lisa Telford, Evelyn Vanderhoop and William White.  Many thanks to the curators of the exhibit, Martine Reid (wife to the late, Bill Reid) and Evelyn Vanderhoop, with exhibit coordinator, Kwiaahwah Jones, and much appreciation to all the organizations, foundations and individual’s monetary and voluntary contributions to make this exhibit happen.

I felt this exhibit was quite astounding.  I think it is the very first exhibit of contemporary works by prolific and innovative weavers.  All of us were fortunate to be a part of this show.  While most of the exquisite weavings are Chilkat and Ravenstail ceremonial robes, there are a couple of cedar bark weavings:  a Ravenstail cedar robe by Victoria Moody (image used for back cover of exhibit catalogue) and a cedar dress by Lisa Telford (which is the front cover image for the exhibit catalogue), and a perfect spruce root hat by Isabel Rorick.   I am allowed to say what my favorite piece in the entire exhibit is because this is my blog:  “Berries on Sunshine Mountain” by Lani Hotch – a Ravenstail robe in hand-dyed colors of green, brown, yellow, burgundy and burnt orange, with appliqued “leaves” and hand-made glass beads by John Svenson.  I keep an eye out for Lani’s work; she’s an excellent, innovative weaver, with an eye for color, detail and storytelling.

As part of this exhibit, my daughter, Lily Hudson and I, collaborated on a Ravenstail ensemble called “Copper Child”, the offspring of two Chilkat/Ravenstail ensembles I had woven called “Copper Woman” in 2002, and “Copper Man” in 2006.  Copper Child’s headdress, robe, and apron was woven by Lily; the tunic was woven my me.

Lily says:  “Copper Child shares the story of our upcoming generation of healers scaling mountains for inspiration, while embracing traditions and carving new paths.  The healers are symbolized by the black “Shaman’s Eyes” (an original design by Lily) along the top, mountains represented by eight “topographical maps”, and new paths by the single green “map”.

During the opening, David Boxley, Sr.’s dance group, Git Hoan, performed.  I had never seen Git Hoan dancers up close until this evening, wow!  From afar, I had only seen glimpses of their performances during Celebration in Juneau; I was always too busy to take time to watch.  After watching their performances with real hand-carved masks, regalia and accessories,  I wished I had made time to watch them before.  In the Tsimpshian tradition, they of course, will steal any show!  Here’s a video clip of one of their dances:

Time Warp exhibit dates are July 16, 2010 through January 16, 2011.  When you are in the Vancouver area during this time period, please stop by the Bill Reid Gallery for this wonderful opportunity to see these fabulous weavings.  Obtain your copy of the Time Warp exhibit catalogue at $20; it’s well worth the investment!