Arts and Entertainment

'Luminous Allure' opens June 23 at the Palmer Museum of Art

Credit: Preston Singletary, "Offering Elegance," 2003, blown and carved glass. Gift of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen, 2014.15.. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Palmer Museum of Art will present a new exhibition, "Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen," from June 23 through Aug. 16.

Audrey and Norbert, 1947 engineering graduate, Penn State, Gaelen have been acquiring studio glass for nearly a quarter of a century. Although passionate about collecting, they take equal delight in sharing their treasures with others. This summer, the Palmer will showcase 50 pieces of glass from the Gaelen collection, including several works recently gifted by the couple to the museum.

Among the artists represented in the Gaelen collection are Harvey Littleton, the so-called “father” of the studio glass movement, and arguably his most famous student, Dale Chihuly, who is represented by several works, including an extravagantly baroque “piccolo Venetian,” made in homage to the centuries-old Venetian glass tradition that proved so inspirational for the artist. Fittingly, Venetian artist Lino Tagliapietra—another pioneering master of the medium—is represented by several spectacular works.

Objects of dazzling variety will be on view, among them the "filet de verde  (glass thread) bowls of Toots Zynsky; elegant paraphrases of ancient forms and motifs by Dante Marioni, Preston Singletary, and William Morris; and sensuous, multicolored vessels by Marvin Lipofsky, Stephen Rolfe Powell, and Deanna Clayton. The pursuit of glass as an autonomous sculptural form will be amply evident in the work of Therman Statom, Howard Ben Tré, Mary Shaffer, Dorothy Hafner, and Kjell Engman.

"Luminous Allure" will highlight these and many other splendid pieces from the Gaelens’ outstanding private collection of studio glass. Visitors will no doubt delight in this impressive, shimmering array of unique works by early innovators in the field as well as prominent artists working in glass today. 

Exhibition related events:

12:10 p.m. Friday, June 26Gallery Talk: "Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen"Joyce Robinson, curator

Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 27Workshop for Adults: "Vibrant Glass Mosaics: Experiments with Color and Composition"

MinSoo Kim-Bossard, art educator

Kim-Bossard will first guide participants through the "Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen" exhibition and then create mosaic sculpture inspired by the glass vessels in the gallery. Participants will analyze the composition and the vibrant colors of glass sculptures and make a mosaic sculpture using glass tiles on a sculpture base. Please bring a piece of wood, ceramic form, or other 3-D object to use as a base.

Participants should wear appropriate clothing for working with materials. Workshops are free, but participants must preregister by contacting the curator of education at 814-863-9188 or dck10@psu.edu. Space is limited, so register early.

12:10 p.m. Friday, July 10Gallery Talk: "Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen"Joyce Robinson, curator

10:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday, July 11Workshop for Children and Youth: "Piece it Together: Glass Tiles"MinSoo Kim-Bossard, art educator

Discuss the infinite variety of colors and patterns on the glass vessels in the "Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen" exhibition and then design and create your very own tile with multicolored glass mosaic pieces. Recommended for children ages 6-10.

A parent or adult learning partner is encouraged to accompany young attendees; participants should wear appropriate clothing for working with materials. Workshops are free, but participants must preregister by contacting the curator of education at 814-863-9188 or dck10@psu.edu. Space is limited, so register early.

10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 18Workshop for Children and Youth: "Spectacular Hues"Sarah Daiker, graduate student in art history

Explore variation in color and pattern in the exhibition "Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen" and then engage in a variety of color-based explorations, including tissue paper stars, blown bubble prints, and color-resist compositions made with crayons and watercolor. Recommended for children ages 5-8.

A parent or adult learning partner is encouraged to accompany young attendees; participants should wear appropriate clothing for working with materials. Workshops are free, but participants must preregister by contacting the curator of education at 814-863-9188 or dck10@psu.edu. Space is limited, so register early.

Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 25Workshop for Adults: "The Art and Science of Glassblowing"Glassblowing Shop, Department of Chemistry

View "Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen" at the Palmer Museum of Art and then travel to the Glassblowing Shop in the Department of Chemistry in the Eberly College of Science to learn more about the chemical properties and processes inherent in the creation of glass forms.

Workshops are free, but participants must preregister by contacting the curator of education at 814-863-9188 or dck10@psu.edu. Space is limited, so register early.

Gallery talks begin in the galleries unless otherwise noted. A greeter will be available in the lobby to direct visitors to the appropriate gallery for all noontime events. Workshop participants should set in the lobby.

Also on view at the Palmer Museum of Art this summer are "Recent Acquisitions" through Aug. 9 and "Flora and Fauna" through Aug. 16.

The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State is located on Curtin Road and admission is free. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed Mondays and some holidays, and will be closed Saturday, July 4.

Children's and family programs are partially funded by the James E. Hess and Suzanne Scurfield Hess Endowment for Art Education in the Palmer Museum of Art and the Ruth Anne and Ralph Papa Endowment. All other programs are sponsored by the Friend of the Palmer Museum of Art unless otherwise noted.

The Palmer Museum of Art receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Last Updated June 17, 2015

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