By Janet Webb, October 25, 2014
It amazes me what one can see in this little town! I just returned from a lovely fall walk about town and was able to see incredible glass artwork created in Bulgaria, Israel, Japan, Sweden, Hungary, and a few more countries I’m not recalling at the moment. Alongside were two Taos artists – Ira Lujan and Michael Miro—and about 40 more artists from around the USA.
The artworks are part of Taos Institute of Glass Art’s (TIGA) biennial glass art invitational. The work is on view at seven Taos galleries located in the historic district. The exhibits, which opened on October 10, will be viewable until November 9, 2014.
This is a rare opportunity for Taosenos to see cutting edge artwork by masters in the fields of cast, blown, carved, wearable, and functional glass art.
Here are photos I took at several of the galleries. I particularly enjoyed how the glass artwork related to the paintings on the walls. I agree with Rena Rosequist’s (Mission Gallery) comment about David Mapes’ (DAFA) installation: “He placed each glasswork near a Taos artist’s work that in someway mirrored the aesthetic at play in the glass.”
Paul Schwieder of Sweden, at DAFA with Sasha vom Dorp digital print on the wall
Left: Hiroshi Yamano of Japan, at DAFA with Larry Bell Mirage work on the wall. Right: Maibritt Jonsson & Pete Hunner of Denmark, with Matt Thomas collage paintings on the walls.
Look at the art online but for a real treat, make it a point to visit Kit Carson Road and these seven fine galleries before November 9!
OK, credit where credit is due.
Jurors of the biennial were:
Herb Babcock, Chairman of the Art Glass Program at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan
Tina Oldknow, Curator of Modern Glass at the Corning Museum of Art in Corning, New York
Stephanie Grilli, independent art historian, curator, writer and Curator of Artscribe.net, Denver, Colorado
The galleries that are showing the work are:
David Anthony Fine Art (DAFA)
Wilder Nightengale Fine Art
Total Arts Gallery
Mission Gallery
Copper Moon Gallery
Grand Bohemian Gallery at El Monte Sagrado
All the above are on Kit Carson Road right off the Taos Plaza.
Also participating is RC Gorman’s Navajo Gallery on Ledoux Street.
You can see a list of all artists showing at each location at tiganm.org. Here is a list of the international glass artists in Taos this month:
DAFA
Hiroshi Yamano – Japan
Martin Janecky – Czech Republic
Paul Schwieder – Sweden
Maibritt Jonsson & Pete Hunner – Denmark
Michelle LaPointe – Canada
Laszlo Lukacsi – Hungary
Sini Majuri – Finland
Lachezar Dochev – Bulgaria
Saman Kalantari – Italy
TOTAL ARTS
Eunsuh Choi – Korea / USA
WILDER NIGHTENGALE GALLERY
Erika Tada – Japan
MISSION GALLERY
Boris Shpeizman – Israel
RC GORMAN’S NAVAJO GALLERY
Cathryn Shilling – UK
COPPER MOON GALLERY
Mafune Gonjo – Sweden
