Smithsonian Renwick “Connections” Opens July 1, 2016

renwickThis summer the permanent collection returns to the Smithsonian Museum’s Renwick Gallery with a dynamic new presentation of 80+ objects celebrating craft as a discipline and an approach to living differently in the modern world.

       

The installation, titled “Connections” will include iconic favorites alongside new acquisitions made during the museum’s renovation, which will be displayed at the museum for the first time. Nora Atkinson, The Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft, selected the objects and conceived the innovative presentation. Atkinson’s arrangement breaks from typical display formats based on chronology or material to instead focus on the interconnectivity of objects and the overlapping stories they tell.

Steven Young Lee, "Vase with Landscape and Dinosaurs" 2014

Steven Young Lee, Vase with Landscape and Dinosaurs, 2014, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Richard Fryklund, Giselle and Ben Huberman, David and Clemmer Montague, and museum purchase through the Howard Kottler Endowment for Ceramic Art

In selecting both pioneering and contemporary pieces, Atkinson selections also explore the underlying current of craft as a balancing, humanistic force in the face of an ever-more efficiency-driven, virtual world. The exhibition highlights the evolution of the craft field as it transitions into a new phase at the hands of contemporary artists, showcasing the activist values, optimism, and uninhibited approach of today’s young artists, which in some way echoes the communal spirt and ideology of the pioneers of the American Studio Craft Movement in their heyday.

         

The artworks range from the 1930’s through today and span numerous media. New acquisitions such as John Grade’s Shoal (Bone Shoal Sonance), Judith Schaechter’s The Birth of Eve, Marie Watt’sEdson’s Flag, and Akio Takamori’s Woman and Child make their debut in the gallery while seminal works including Wendell Castle’s Ghost Clock, Karen LaMonte’s Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery, Albert Paley’s Portal Gates, and Lenore Tawney’s Box of Falling Stars return to view.

Americans For The Arts Convention 2016

2016 Americans for the Arts Leadership Award

2016 Americans for the Arts Leadership Award

For nearly 60 years, Americans for the Arts has convened an annual convention for arts and community leaders to network and discuss strategies for building stronger towns, counties, and cities through the arts. The Americans for the Arts annual convention opens June 17 – 19, 2016 in Boston, MA and this year’s convention explores the role of the arts in creating and sustaining healthy, vibrant, equitable communities.  The Washington Glass Studio is proud to have made the awards for the 2016 Annual Leadership Awards.

The Americans For The Arts awards are prepared for shipping.

The Americans For The Arts awards are prepared for shipping.

These awards recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations committed to enriching their communities through the arts. Honorees, including this year’s Robert E. Gard awardee, will be presented with their awards at the 2016 Annual Convention in Boston, MA.

This year’s recipients are: 

  • Brad Erickson: Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award
  • Flora Maria Garcia: Michael Newton Award
  • Barbara Goldstein: Public Art Network Award
  • Laura Perille: Arts Education Award
  • Michael Spring: Selina Roberts Ottum Award
  • Octavia Yearwood: American Express Emerging Leaders Award

“Our Leadership Award honorees have distinguished themselves as tremendous leaders and passionate advocates for the arts and arts education,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “These leaders have implemented innovative and transformative programs to strengthen the communities they serve, and their unwavering commitment to local, state, and national support for the arts is deserving of this recognition.”

Congrats to all in advance!

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For info on the Americans For the Arts Convention – click here.

To jump to the Americans for the Arts webpage – click here.