Silvia Levenson @ Katzen Arts Center

Silvia Levenson @ American University Museum

Silvia Levenson “She Flew Away” cast glass, steel wire

Artist Silvia Levenson believes her work is an expression of her soul. She uses glass not for its natural beauty, but for its potential as a narrative medium. In her exhibition Identidad, (January 24 – March 15, 2015 at the American University Museum in the Katzen Arts Center), Ms Levenson channels her identity as a survivor of the Argentinian Dirty War and her emotional connection to the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo in order to push the bounds of her skills as a glassmaker and produce refined glass work. 

Silvia Levenson was born in Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina. She and her family went into hiding for almost three years as political activists opposing the military dictatorship of General Jorge Rafaél Videla. In 1981, during the disappearances of the so-called Dirty War in Argentina, they fled the country and immigrated to Italy, where they eventually attained dual Argentine-Italian citizenship. Between 1976 and 1983, the Argentine military dictatorship kidnapped, tortured, and killed about 30,000 people known as “los desaparecidos” or “the disappeared.” Thirty percent of those kidnapped were young women, many with children by their side or in their womb. These children were later stripped of their identity and given up for adoption. 

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Levenson studied at the Martin Garcia School of Graphic Design in Buenos Aires. She acquired glass-making skills at the Musée-Atelier du Verre (Sars-Poteries/FR) at workshops with Antoine Leperlier (pâte-de-verre, 1991) and Vincent van Ginneke (casting, 1994). Silvia Levenson lives in Lesa/Italy and Buenos Aires. In 2004, Levenson received the Rakow Commission Award from the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.

The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center presents a lecture titled “The Strange World of Silvia Levenson” featuring Washington Glass School Directors Tim Tate and Michael Janis to be held on Thursday, January 29, 2015, 6:00-7:00 pm at the Katzen Arts Center. 

RSVP by Jan 22, 2015 to museummembership@american.edu 

Identitdad by Silvia Levenson

January 24 through March 15, 2015

Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016

Review < > Renew Exhibit Celebrates VisArts’ 25th Anniversary

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VisArts  – Rockville’s non-profit arts center is hosting a 25th anniversary celebration to recognize the many artists, teachers, partners and collaborators who have been integral to their success. As part of this celebration, VisArts presents Review < > Renew, co-curated by Judy  Greenberg and Jack Rasmussen. This group exhibition brings together renowned artists who brought critical regional success to the fledgling organization, Rockville Arts Place (RAP). The artists selected for the exhibition all exhibited at RAP while Greenberg was President of the Board and Rasmussen was Executive Director. The works will be shown in two galleries, the Kaplan and the Common Ground Galleries. 

In the Kaplan Gallery, works by Lisa Brotman, Manon Cleary, Sam Gilliam, Tom Green, Margarida Kendall, and Joe Shannon will be on display. Early paintings and more recent works by the artists will be exhibited alongside Paul Feinberg’s photographs of the artists 25 years ago and now. The paintings and photographs are accompanied by interviews with the artists conducted by Feinberg. An earlier version of this exhibition, inspired by the early RAP/VisArts shows, was recently exhibited at the American University Museum, Washington, DC. 

The Common Ground Gallery will feature outstanding artists important to the history of VisArts working in glass and clay, including Margaret Boozer, Robert Devers, Tim Tate, and Mindy Weisel. 

October 28 – December 29, 2012 

25th Anniversary Celebration (tickets required)

Saturday, October 27 from 7:30 – 10:30 pm

(VIP Reception at 5:30 with Curators’ Tour)

(Free) Opening Reception Friday, November 9th from 7-9 pm

VisArts At Rockville / Kaplan & Common Ground Galleries

155 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD  20850