Old Town Crier Reviews Audrey Wilson Solo Exhibit

Opening night of Audrey Wilson solo show at Washington Glass School Gallery

The Gallery Beat section of the Old Town Crier newspaper has a great review of glass artist Audrey Wilson's solo exhibit - “The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus” - held at the Washington Glass School in January.
The article describes how the exhibit " allowed Wilson to show why she’s on her way to become another giant signpost in the evolving art history of glass." . Pretty strong praise - albeit well deserved! To jump to the entire article site- click HERE

The Old Town Crier is sending love to Audrey Wilson!

Opening of Audrey Wilson Solo Exhibit

Audrey Wilson exhibit in the WGS Gallery.

Audrey Wilson’s solo show “The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus” opened this week to great success!

The glass/mixed media sculptures presented are a collection of ingenuity, with a focus on the delicacy of the calamus - the hollow shaft of a feather; the quill. The feather often symbolizes bravery and wisdom. The motif of the feather is used by the artist in this show as a symbol of ingenuity and invention, and she combines the motif with technological components as a way to capture our complicated relationship with technology and mirror it back with poetic glances.

Audrey Wilson "Wan Hu's Chair" pâte de verre glass, mixed media; photo by Pete Duvall. This work shows Ms. Wilson's wit, as it references 16th-Century official who attempted to become the first "astronaut" by being lifted by rockets into outer space. Wan supposedly had a chair built with 47 rockets attached. He climbed into his rocket chair and had servants light the fuses. There was a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared Wan and the chair were gone - never to be seen again.

Collectors Maggie and Syl Mathis with the artist Audrey Wilson on opening night.

It was also the inaugural opening of the Washington Glass School Gallery, and the opening night crowd gives the promise of more successful shows!

Audrey Wilson's solo show opens the WGS Gallery.

Part of the entertainment was Tim Tate trying to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew - using a shoe. Erwin Timmers - anticipating a wine fountain helps out - ready to capture the wine.

Audrey Wilson SOLO Opens at WGS Gallery Jan 11

 “The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus”, by glass artist Audrey Wilson opens at the Washington Glass School on January 11th thru 31st, 2014 with a reception on January 11th from 6-8pm.

"Generator" by Audrey Wilson, 2014, 16" x 10" x 9" mixed media, blown and pate de verre glass. photo: Pete Duvall

Audrey Wilson

AudreyWilson's sculptures are a blend of created and altered elements that reflect evolving science and machinery and explore the relationship between man and technology. Technology is merely an extension and reflection of mankind. In fact, no objects contain more human essence than do tools. 

Audrey’s sculptural projects and multi-media works are metaphors evoking our endless manipulation of environment, our need for control, and our longing for a meaningful union with nature and the other, in a supreme balance of power and delicacy. People are becoming increasingly alienated from the objects which surround and sustain them, as they have lost the emotional link to technology. 

"Ibn Firnas' First Glider", Audrey Wilson, 2013, 26"x 9" x 6",
mixed media, pate de verre glass. photo: Pete Duvall

“The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus” captures our complicated relationship with technology, mirroring it back with poetic glances.

“The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus” by Audrey Wilson 

Washington Glass School Gallery

3700 Otis Street, Mount Rainier, MD 20712

Opening Reception – Saturday, January 11, 6-8 pm

On View January 11 - 31, 2014 and is free and open to the public.

Audrey Wilson's Work Selected for Midwest Exhibit

Recognizing the best from the Midwest, 28 glass artworks from 21 glass artists have been selected for this year’s Indiana Glass Arts Alliance (IGAA) annual exhibition.  Titled “GATHERING: Contemporary Glass from the Heartland,” the exhibition will open Oct. 19 at the Indiana University Kokomo Art Gallery and continue through Dec. 7. The exhibition is open to the public.

Audrey Wilson

This is the first time the IGAA has opened the exhibition to glass artists outside Indiana. 

Nearly 150 applications, from 48 glass artists in six states, were reviewed by a two-member jury panel.  Tom Riley, who for 30 years has owned Riley Galleries, in Cleveland, Ohio along with glass artist and director of the glass program at Kent State University, Sean Mercer, collaborated on selecting artwork for the exhibition.  The IGAA offers $2500 in total cash awards, and the Best in Show Award recipient will additionally receive the opportunity to be exhibited at Riley Galleries.

Indiana has one of the longest and most storied histories of glassmaking in the U.S., and it is appropriate that this year’s exhibition is in Kokomo, where Hoosier glassmaking began in 1888. 

The Indiana University Kokomo Art Gallery is located at 2300 South Washington Street, in Kokomo, Indiana.   Gallery hours are Tue. and Thu., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Wed., 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.; and Sat., noon – 4 p.m. 

Audrey Wilson

 WGS' Audrey Wilson (a native of Ohio) has two works selected to be included in what promises to be a great show.

ARTISTS WHOSE WORK WILL BE EXHIBITED

Tom Armbruster, Hudson, OH; Cortney Boyd, Carbondale, IL; Mathilde Brown Swanson, Des Moines; IA; Domenico Cavallaro, Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Steven Ciezki, Calumet City, IL; Cecile Derel, Chicago, IL; Davin Ebanks, Anderson, IN; Robert Geyer, Portage, OH; Francine Gourguechon, Chicago, IL; Jennifer Halvorson, Muncie, IN; Justin Kern, Muncie, IN; Sungsoo Kim, Kent, OH; Melissa Kistler, Indianapolis, IN; Joanna Manousis, Columbus, OH; Emily McBride, Louisville, KY; Matthew Paskiet, Holland, OH; Charlyn Reynolds, Elgin, IL; Kenny Sprinkle, Camby, IN; Timothy Stover, Kent, OH; Zac Weinberg, Columbus, OH; Audrey Wilson, Mt. Rainier, MD.

Congratulations Audrey!

James Renwick Alliance Glass Fashion Show - Work It!

The JRA Spring Craft Weekend 2013 started off in fine form - opening at the Washington Glass School and Flux Studios for an afternoon BBQ. The event was packed - great to see the artists and collectors mixing it up.

Later, the JRA had the Glass Fashion Show, MC'd by glass superstar Laura Donefer. Laura got the fashionistas whooping it up at the normally staid Women In Military Service For America Memorial.

Women In Military Service For America Memorial was the venue for the Glass Fashion Show

Inside the presentation hall, once Laura Donefer got started, the place went wild... for glass splendor!

Laura Donefer (L) got the sartorial set shaking.

From mild...

to WILD!

The Emperor's new clothes - featuring Robert Minkoff!

Audrey Wilson was Fierce... Naomi Fierce!

And the crowd went wild!

Later, the models in their creations met with the JRA audience - for chatting and drinks and a pose or two.

JRA 'Master of the Medium' Paul Stankard is surrounded by models.

Glass lass Susan Taylor Glasgow was all smiles at first...but then the lash came out...

and our Michael Janis was put in his place!

Who's A Hottie?

Robert Kincheloe's a hottie - over 200 °F (100°C)!

Kiln casting large forms can test the limits of the size of the kilns the glass is being fired inside. Very large glass forms can require more glass than the mold's reservoir can hold at one time, requiring that additional glass be added during the firing process to fill the mold to the top with glass. Tim Tate is creating a new series - his "Cabinet of Curiosities" and some of the figures are very large.

Tim Tate's cast glass figures are sometimes over 20"H of solid cast glass.

 

Audrey Wilson and Robert Kincheloe suit up to "charge" the flower pot reservoirs inside the hot kilns. 

Audrey gets ready to add the pre-chopped Bullseye glass pieces into the red-hot kiln.

Rob opens the heavy kiln lid and Audrey moves in quickly.

Audrey slides in the glass into the flower pots.

The process is repeated a number of times, each time allowing the kilns to return to hot temps and the green suited elves to cool down.

Rob and Audrey are literally smoking hot artists!

Tim's work will be featured at Chicago's S.O.F.A. Art Fair this November in Habatat Galleries space.

Washington Glass Welcomes New Studio Coordinator

Audrey Wilson

The Washington Glass School welcomes its new studio coordinator - Audrey Wilson!
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Audrey has a BA from Kent State University. Audrey has worked at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio as the studio and teaching assistant, working with the museum's visiting glass artists.  
Audrey's artwork references nature and organic forms, and she specializes in kiln casting, pate de verre and sand casting with mixed media. 

Audrey Wilson Fragility of Human Nature
recycled glass, pate de verre with oil paint  

Besides her work in glass, Audrey has a BA in art education, and will begin teaching classes soon at the school.

Erwin Timmers outlines the studio schedules with Audrey.

Make a point of stopping by the school and introducing yourself to Audrey!