We are looking forward to Habatat Galleries celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2016!
Habatat — the oldest and largest glass gallery in the world — is getting ready to open its 44th International Glass Exhibition, featuring 100 artists from 23 countries.
The opening weekend celebration will take place May 5th-7th of 2016. The events will also include the famous Annual Masterworks auction, home tours, artist talks, museum tours, dinners, lunches, and more! The Grand Opening of the International is Saturday, May 7.
President and Owner of Habatat Galleries, Corey Hampson, whose father, Ferdinand Hampson, founded Habatat Gallery in 1971, says the theme this year focuses on the artists’ creative process and inspiration. The artists showing were asked to describe “what affected you in your life or career that caused you to alter the direction of your work. This could be something such as a personal discovery, a news story or a life changing event.” The artists’ responses are shared in the 44th International Catalog.
Habatat Galleries 44th International Invitational Catalog. Click on image to jump to online version.
Corey says having the world’s largest international glass show came as a total shock. When his father opened the gallery 45 years ago, the only place to find handcrafted glasswork was at art fairs. “Drawing and painting have been around for thousands of years, but glass is an art form that … was completely functional until the early 1960s,”
Corey says it’s been a struggle, but the gallery’s focus has been to educate people about the art of glass and its possibilities.
Artists from Israel, Italy, Japan, France, England, the Czech Republic and many others will attend the grand opening on Saturday, May 7th.
Visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award during the grand opening on Saturday, May 7th. This winner also will display his/her work at the Fort Wayne Museum. The gallery has also curated a controversial display in a pop-up space next to the gallery entitled “Peace/Piece: Sculptures of Mass Destruction”.
Tim Tate ” Vitruvian Visions”; 36 x 36 x 4; Glass, Aluminum, Poly-Vitro, Electronics
4400 Fernlee Ave
Royal Oak, MI 48073
44th Annual Glass International Award Exhibition – Grand Opening May 7th 2016 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM Saturday