Deadline Approaching for Two Exciting Artist Opportunities

Attention glass artists! Apply by May 31 to be considered for these two exciting opportunities at Pittsburgh Glass Center.

RON DESMETT MEMORIAL AWARD

Artists are invited to apply for consideration for the new Ron Desmett Memorial Award for Imagination with Glass. Named for the late cofounder of Pittsburgh Glass Center, the award is intended for artists who think outside the box, practice curiosity, and take risks to create unique, imaginative works that are either entirely glass or that incorporate glass. Artists can be considered under one of four categories: Youth; Glass Artists; Idea Furnace (for artists whose principal medium is not glass); or Critical Writing (for writers who wish to explore new critical approaches to writing about glass and glass art).

Percy Echols II, the inaugural recipient of the Ron Desmett Award, has been on site at PGC exploring the use of plasma neon in glass art for his residency. "Plasma brings something unique to glass, and that is to invite touch, something very difficult. By producing light through the use of electrified gases it removes the barrier between the viewer and art with its animated glow, allowing an invitation for play as it responds to the viewer's proximity and touch,” he said. See the video below for a peek at what he's been working on.

CALL FOR ARTISTS: "THE UNITED"

Pittsburgh Glass Center is also soliciting proposals for "The United," to be held in PGC's Hodge Gallery from October 2, 2020 to January 2021 under the curation of Johanna Lasner. The exhibition will examine the incredibly complicated topic of immigration in a time when immigration systems are in crisis, and the possibilities for proactive engagement with immigration issues, reconfiguring the status and function of art from passivity to active agency. Submit proposals online by May 31.