Triangle
by Stephen Dee Edwards
Cube on Pedestal
by Jon Kuhn
Granite and Glass
by William Carlson
With three compelling pieces of glass art work from the Sonia and Isaac Luski Collection, Catawba College made its foray into public art on campus. The pieces, on loan from the Foundation for the Carolinas, are displayed in the Corriher-Linn-Black Library on campus. They are from a larger Luski Collection on display at the Waterworks Visual Arts Center in Salisbury through January 31, 2015.
The pieces were created by three of the most renowned contemporary American glass artists, each of whom is still living and at the pinnacle of their profession. On display at Catawba are Triangle, by Stephen Dee Edwards; Cube on Pedestal by Jon Kuhn; and Granite and Glass by William Carlson.
"We hope our display of these three pieces sparks the interest of those who view them and motivates folks to see more of the Luski Collection on display at Waterworks," explained Catawba President Brien Lewis, who helped facilitate the loan of the glass art works from the Foundation for the Carolinas to both Waterworks and the college. "The Luskis have amassed a wonderful collection of such works and find great joy in seeing others appreciate it."
Lewis confirmed that one of the initiatives in Catawba's Strategic Plan was to develop and implement policies and procedures regarding public art on campus, and noted that hosting these three pieces of glass art work on campus was a small but very important first step to achieving this initiative.
To see more glass art selections from the Luski Collection, visit the Spaces Within exhibition through January 31, 2015 in the Norvell Gallery at Waterworks Visual Arts Center, 123 E. Liberty Street, Salisbury, Mondays through Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The opening of the Spaces Within exhibition was hosted by the Salisbury Community Foundation's Board of Directors in commemoration of the Salisbury Community Foundation's 70th anniversary celebration. The Salisbury Community Foundation is an affiliate of Foundation for the Carolinas.
Information about the three artists who have a piece on display at Catawba's Corriher-Linn-Black Library follows:
Edwards
Stephen Dee Edwards (Triangle)
Stephen Dee Edwards was born in Santa Monica, California in 1954. He began his artwork in ceramics and moved to hot, molten glass. He earned his bachelor's degree from San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif., and his Master of Fine Arts degree from Illinois State University, Normal, Ill.
He is a Professor Emeritus of Glass Art at Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y., the area where he makes his home.
His works are in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum – Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C; the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art in Japan; the Cevider Museum in Valencia, Spain; the Kestner Museum in Hanover, Germany; the Oberglas Museum in Bamback, Austria; the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C.; the Charlotte Public Library in Charlotte, N.C.; the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Gastonia, N.C.; and the R.J. Reynolds Corporate Art Collection in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Kuhn
Jon Kuhn (Cube on Pedestal)
Regarded as one of the world's leading glass artists, Jon Kuhn works in cold glass that is cut, polished and fused into various shapes from the inside out. Once created, they appear to change color and radiance when viewed from different angles and under different lighting.
He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Washburn University and his Master of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has worked as an independent studio artist since 1978 and currently lives in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Kuhn's works are featured in more than 40 museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Vatican Museums; the Carnegie Museum of Art; the White House Permanent Collection; the Asheville Museum of Art in Asheville, N.C.; the Mint Museums in Charlotte, N.C.; and the National Museum of American Art.
Carlson
William Carlson (Granite and Glass)
Born in 1950, William Carlson earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Cleveland Institute of Art and his Master of Fine Arts degree from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He was formerly a Professor of Art and head of the Crafts and Sculpture programs at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign from 1976-2003.
In 2003, Carlson became the Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Miami. Currently, he is an Endowed Professor at the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Miami. He is currently building a studio in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
Throughout his academic career, Carlson has completed numerous major public commissions. His works are included in the collections of American Craft Museum, N.Y.C., N.Y.; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, N.C.; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Quebec, Canada; the Smithsonian Institution; The National Gallery of American Art; Yokohama Museum of Art, Yokohama, Japan; and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.
