Past Exhibits
Language of Light: Stephanie Sara Lifshutz
April 26 – October 13, 2024
Stephanie Sara Lifshutz is an artist and educator residing in Brooklyn, New York. She began working with glass while studying at the University of Wisconsin – Madison as a graduate student. As an undergraduate, she attended Franklin & Marshall College, where she studied photography and printmaking. Stephanie’s work is currently part of the traveling group exhibition, She Bends. A solo exhibition of her work, no time at all, was exhibited at Var Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2022. Other solo exhibitions include but i don’t mind, UrbanGlass, 2020 and PLEASE GO AWAY, Rare Air, Governor’s Island, New York. She was the recipient of a 2016 professional development grant from the University of Wisconsin. She currently teaches at Tyler School of Art & Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Feathered Friends: Birds in GLass
April 26, 2024 – September 1, 2024
From Celebrating our feathered friends, this exhibition features artistic representation in glass of birds from across the world. From Antarctic Penguins to Baltimore Orioles, birds have provided inspiration for artists throughout history. Did you know that some of the earliest-cave drawings feature depictions of birds? Join us as we dive into the amazing world of birds in glass, with sculpture and paperweights from contemporary artists such as Renee Lalique, Marc Petrovic, Robin Grebe, Stephen Hodder, Rick Ayotte and Shane Fero. On display in the Kimberly-Clark Gallery beginning this Spring!
Danny Salazar (American, b. 1958) Double Crane Magnum Paperweight, 2008.
Molten: 30 Years of American Glass
May 31, 2024 – August 11, 2024
From seemingly traditional to wildly abstract, glass artwork from the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum collection highlights the range of studio glass experimentation from the 1970s through the 1990s. The Studio Glass movement – with origins in Wisconsin, its spread to the East and West Coasts through a student-teacher network led by glass artist Harvey K. Littleton, and international reverberations – ushered in a new approach. In a radical departure from glass manufactured in factories, studio glass was designed and created by the same person – the artist. From initial studio glass experimentation to more technical subsequent methods, Molten showcases the possibilities unlocked by this new ever-exploratory artistic approach.
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is grateful to the Lee Yawkey Woodson Museum of Art for their loan of Molten.
Harvey Littleton (American, 1922-2013). Double Downthrust, 1976. From the Collection of Lee Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
Cheers! Remarkable Goblets from the Boroff Collection
April 19, 2024 – July 28, 2024
Join us as we celebrate the recent acquisition of twelve glass goblets from the collection of Alan and Barbara Boroff. Showcasing exqusite melding of form and artistic attention, these goblets were collected over the past fifty years and were recently donated to the permanent collection of Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass. Artists represented include Fritz Dreisbach, Claire Kelly, Anthony Schafermeyer, Ruth Siegel, Rita Revere, George Ponzini, Cody Nicely, Minh Douglas Martin, Shane Fero, Michael Egan, Robert Mickelson, Charles Savoie, and George Thiewes.
Shane Fero (American, b.1953). Goblet, 2009.
“My feeling about goblets? They’re like potato chips. Seriously. I feel that if you start somebody with a goblet, it’s very easy to buy another one.”
STAFF PICKS: SELECTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM’S PERMANENT COLLECTION
AUGUST 4, 2023 – APRIL 28, 2024
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is home to more than 5,000 works of art in glass. This exhibition features works hand-curated by fourteen members of the museum’s staff. Highlighting works from each of our four major collections, including Victorian Art Glass baskets, Germanic glass, Studio glass, and paperweights, there’s sure to be something to catch your fancy. On exhibit in the museum’s Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery.of
2024 fox valley area high school glass exhibition
February 23 – April 14, 2024
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass provides extraordinary glass experiences to ignite creativity, spark fun, and cultivate learning for all. We are pleased to exhibit glass art made by area high school students in the 2024 Fox Valley Area High School Glass Exhibition. After creating glass art in the Museum’s Glass Studio, students from over fourteen area high schools have the opportunity to share their work in this public setting. Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass strives to encourage the creativity of talented young artists in the area with this annual exhibit. The 2024 Fox Valley Area High School Glass Exhibition and Glass Experience Days are supported in part by the Lilian Noble Memorial Fund.
Opening and Awards Presentation:
February 22, 2024, 6–8pm, Admission Free
DIRECTING THE FLOW: THE ART OF WES HUNTING
AUGUST 11, 2023 – FEBRUARY 4, 2024
Wisconsin-based artist Wes Hunting creates blown and cast glass vessels and sculpture featuring colorful palettes and murrine inspired by past and present creations of artists working in Murano, Italy. Through the process of “painting” with colored glass and cold surface cutting, his newest creations invite the viewer to gaze inward into miniature worlds, paying homage to the aesthetics of overlay paperweights.
FRESH PICKS: A SELECTION OF RECENT ACQUISITIONS
JULY 7, 2023 – FEBRUARY 4, 2024
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is pleased to present Fresh Picks: A Selection of Recent Acquisitions featuring new works accepted into the permanent collection. Acquired through purchase or donated by generous collectors and artists, these new acquisitions serve to broaden the interpretive scope of our holdings while increasing artist representation. Fresh Picks features new acquisitions by artists including Harvey Littleton, Frederick Carder, Henry Halem, Daum Freres, Verreries Schneider, Petr Hora, Richard Jolley, Pino Signoretto, Henry B. Richardson, Mary Van Cline, Rick Ayotte, Melissa Ayotte, Pietro Bigaglia, Mount Washington Glass Works and Richard Loesel.
As an American Alliance of Museum’s accredited institution, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass strategically acquires artworks that enhance our mission as a leading glass museum through exhibition, interpretation, and research. Fresh Picks continues the museum’s tradition of celebrating the philanthropy of our generous donors. Through these gifts, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is able to provide extraordinary glass experiences to engage our audiences.
“The Listening Point”, Mary Van Cline
Antique French Paperweights
January 31 – July 23, 2023
Did you know that the first paperweight Evangeline Bergstrom collected was an antique Baccarat from 1847? It was by chance that she found herself in an antiques show in Florida while satisfying her interest in stamp collecting. The paperweight reminded her of a weight that belonged to her grandmother more than fifty years prior. In fact, Mrs. Bergstrom didn’t start collecting paperweights until she was 63 years old! In this exhibition located in the Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery, take a journey into the past and examine antique French paperweights that Mrs. Bergstrom – or her contemporaries – would have collected. Learn about characteristic hallmarks of lampwork, millefiori and sulphide paperweights from the big three factories of St. Louis, Clichy and Baccarat as well as Pantin and St. Mande. Who knows what exciting discoveries you will make?
Under the Sea: Marine Life in Glass
December 23, 2022 – June 25, 2023
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is home to many beautiful glass treasures, including paperweights, sculpture, and Germanic drinking vessels. On from December 23rd through June 16th in the Museum’s Blue Gallery, Under The Sea: Marine Life in Glass, showcases fourteen works of art in which artists have found their muse in the flora and fauna of the world’s oceans. Works featuring fish, kelp, turtles, and water-loving birds by artists including Janet Kelman, Colin Richardson, Josh Simpson, Rick Ayotte, and factories such as Caithness and Perthshire will be on exhibit.
2023 FOX VALLEY AREA HIGH SCHOOL GLASS EXHIBITION
FEBRUARY 24 – APRIL 8, 2023
As a center for extraordinary glass experiences, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass offers unique discoveries to ignite creativity, spark fun, and cultivate learning for all. We are pleased to exhibit glass art made by area high school students in this, the 2023 Fox Valley Area High School Glass Exhibition. After creating glass art in the classroom, and in the museum glass studio, students have the opportunity to share their work in this public setting. Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass strives to expose the community to the versatility of glass while encouraging the creativity of talented young artists in the area with this annual exhibit. The 2023 Fox Valley Area High School Glass Exhibition and Glass Experience Days are supported in part by Chilton Area Community Foundation Fund within the Chilton Area Community Foundation and the Lilian Noble Memorial Fund.
BETWEEN SEEING AND KNOWING
OCTOBER 8, 2022-FEBRUARY 5, 2023
Comprised of hundreds of objects fabricated using multiple glass processes, Between Seeing and Knowing is a large-scale, site-specific installation by artists Anna Boothe and Nancy Cohen. Created as part of a Collaborative Residency that took place at the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass in 2012, the artwork has been exhibited at Accola Griefen Gallery, Philadelphia Art Alliance, and Philadelphia’s International Airport. The installation will be presented at Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass from October 8, 2022 – February 5, 2023.
At its core, Between Seeing and Knowing is the result of both artists’ long-standing interest in and in-depth study of Tibetan Buddhist thangka paintings and the integration of their otherwise very separate studio practices. Thangkas are ordered cosmological paintings, often scrolls, created for the purpose of meditation and composed of numerous visual elements. This installation reinterprets the symbolism in the paintings to create new work that reflects the organizational structure and palette of the paintings, as well as the sense of expansiveness and lack of hard resolution characteristic of Buddhist ideology.
Overall, through this collaboration, its subject matter, and our chosen methodology, we seek to understand, both visually and viscerally, another cultural perspective or expression unlike our own, through our dissection and re-assemblage of elements unique to that culture. Just as collaboration brings forth the opportunity for a deep exchange of ideas and the development of sympathetic approaches to doing what one does, pragmatically and metaphorically, this is our attempt at bridging gaps between cultural approaches to explain the unexplainable.
ANNA BOOTHE:
NANCY COHEN:
MEDITATION SESSIONS
“Between Seeing and Knowing takes as a starting point the artists’ long-standing interest in and in-depth study of Tibetan Buddhist thangka paintings,” which contain numerous symbols and pictures but flow together into one whole experience – a reflection of our inter-connectedness.
January 5, 12, 19, 26
Schedule:
VESSELS FROM THE VAULT
June 4, 2022 – January 22, 2023
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is home to more than 5,000 examples of glass art, most of which are organized into one of four collections categories: paperweights, Germanic glass, Victorian glass, and contemporary studio glass. The vessels on exhibit in the Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery represent collections outside of the museum’s general scope and include works from designers such as Tiffany Studios (Queens, New York), Steuben (Corning, New York), Lalique (Paris, France), and Daum (Nancy, France).
These artworks most greatly differ from antique art glass in that they were generally hand-made in smaller quantities and without the use of molds, though some exceptions exist, such as the Lalique Ceylon vase. In fact, numerous qualities associated with art glass can be found in the baskets created during the late Victorian period (1870-1901), such as the wide color palette and opulent adornments. The innovations made during this era had a profound influence on glassmaking during the early 20th Century.
Many of the vessels included in this exhibition were created in the Art Nouveau style (1890-1910) and feature undulating, colorful forms created by applying metal oxides to the artwork while in the furnace. The iridescent Favrile glass developed by Louis Comfort Tiffany represents one particularly noteworthy innovation of the period, wherein the final color was not only a part of the surface, but embedded within the structure of the glass, itself. Other exhibited examples are more resplendent of the Art Deco period (1918-1939), in vogue during the time between the first and second World Wars. Art Deco glass is frequently characterized by bold colors, faunal motifs and geometric patterns such as the blue acid-etched vessel created by Daum Studios, the Acacia vase from Lalique, and the Stamford Vase designed by Frederick Carder (1863-1963) for Steuben.
NEW TO US: RECENT ACQUISITIONS
MARCH 26 – DECEMBER 4, 2022
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is excited to announce an exhibition of new acquisitions to the museum’s permanent collection. On from March 26th thru December 4th in the Museum’s Blue Gallery, this exhibition will highlight work by artists such as Howard Ben Tré, Kari Russell-Pool, Rick Ayotte, Lisabeth Sterling, Stephen Hodder, Audrey Handler, Richard Ritter, Klaus Moje, Marvin Lipofsky, Barry Sautner and Eric Hilton. This exhibition continues the museum’s tradition of celebrating the philanthropy of our generous donors. Through these gifts, we are able to continue engaging and educating our audiences about the exciting world of glass art.
PRIMORDIAL SHIFT AND THE ART OF MICHAEL MEILAHN: A RETROSPECTIVE
APRIL 23 – AUGUST 21, 2022
Primordial Shift is an installation dealing with the implications of genetic modification of corn. It consists of 32 hand-blown glass ears of corn averaging 4′ high suspended on stalks of cast bronze and blown glass, tethered with rope from the ceiling combined with audio and video projected as a backdrop to create an illusion of corn gently swaying in the field.
The creative force behind the project is Michael “Mick” Meilahn, who like others of his generation, learned glassmaking as a university student in Wisconsin in the 1970’s, and subsequently participated in the wave that became The American Studio Glass Movement. In the 20th Century, a paradigm shift occurred in genetics, when scientists discovered how to unravel genetic code; the genetic code itself, DNA; and the commodification of GMOs and implications for consumers. Meilahn’s installations are about the fragility of glass and genetic modification. They afford museum patrons the opportunity to experience the story of corn, its production, and agriculture from the perspective of this unique and amazingly talented and visionary artist. Furthermore, his work speaks to the importance indigenous peoples have played in cultivating corn, “… a symbol as sacred to Native Americans as the cross was to Christianity.”
Other works of Meilahn’s creation, including Bonanza Blue, a seven foot diameter basket featuring large ears of blue corn, are slated for inclusion in the Primordial Shift exhibition and serve to broaden the viewers’ understanding of the artist’s relationship with agriculture and the natural beauty associated with earth. Works selected for inclusion in the exhibition will be drawn from the artist’s personal collection, private lenders, and the permanent collection of Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass.
ARTIST GALLERY TALK
Thursday, August 18, 6:00 – 7:00 pm CT
Join artist, Mick Meilahn and museum staff as he presents his inspiration, concepts, and development of Primordial Shift, as well as select pieces within his retrospective exhibition. This event is FREE and open to the public.
About the Artist:
Michael “Mick” Meilahn grew up on a family farm near Pickett, in Central Wisconsin. After graduating in 1964 from high school in Ripon where he excelled in art, he entered the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to study agriculture. He subsequently switched his major to art, after he realized agri-business was not his passion. At UW-River Falls he took his first course in glass, and in 1966 he started blowing glass. As an undergraduate, Mick Meilahn spent a Quarter abroad working with glass legend Erwin Eisch in Frauenau, Germany (on the Bavaria/Czech border, an area with a rich tradition of glass making). After graduation in 1971, he spent a year in Bolivia as an idealistic Peace Corps volunteer intent on helping people in South America by sharing the knowledge he’d learned from farming. After that, he enrolled at Illinois State University in Normal, where Joel Philip Myers had begun a glass program, and earned his Master’s degree in art.
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is grateful to David J. Wagner, L.L.C. for providing assistance with the display of Primordial Shift.
WE THANK OUR EXHIBITION SPONSORS:
Paperweight Collector’s Association Member Artist Showcase
February 1 – May 21, 2022
PAPERWEIGHTS IN BLOOM:
SELECTIONS FROM BERGSTROM-MAHLER MUSEUM OF GLASS
FEBRUARY 19, 2022 TO MAY 22, 2022
Paperweights in Bloom: Selections from Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is being exhibited at the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh, WI.
Paperweights in Bloom highlights more than fifty antique, vintage and contemporary glass paperweights from the collection of Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass. Featuring floral motifs in the lampwork and millefiori styles, this exhibition serves as a companion to Rooms of Blooms and Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence showing at The Paine in Oshkosh and is held in conjunction with the biennial meeting of the Paperweight Collector’s Association, May 18-22 in Appleton.
The Paperweight Collectors Association, Inc. (PCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to appreciating and collecting glass paperweights. For over a half century, PCA has championed the study and collecting of antique, vintage, and contemporary glass paperweights. The mission of the PCA is to promote education: to increase knowledge about paperweights, their creators, and the astounding glass medium from which they are created.
Fox Valley Area High School Glass Exhibition
February 24 – March 27, 2022
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass strives to expose the community to the versatility of glass while encouraging the creativity of talented young artists in the area. The encouragement of our young people and their development in the arts is crucial to our future economic and social development. We are pleased to exhibit glass art made by high school students in the Fox Valley area. Through creating art in the classroom and at home, students have the opportunity to share their work in a public setting.
Our sincere thank you goes out to our exhibition sponsors: Oshkosh Fine Arts Association, Jack Richeson & Co., The Art Haus, The Hang Up Gallery of Fine Art, and The Lilian Noble Memorial Fund.
Between Us:
A Retrospective of Work by John Littleton and Kate Vogel
October 1 – February 13, 2022
John Littleton and Kate Vogel are nationally renowned American Studio Glass Movement artists who work and reside in Bakersville, North Carolina. Their creative partnership began in the mid-to-late 20th century when they began collaborating on their first glass pieces in 1979 after meeting as art students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
John Littleton and Kate Vogel create sculpturally blown and cast glass works and installations that speak to the importance of their relationships to one another, their family, and their community. This retrospective exhibition highlights important works, milestones, and innovations in their shared careers, all while tying their experiences and influences back to John’s father, Harvey Littleton, an American glass artist, educator, and one of the founders of the American Studio Glass Movement.”
Harvey Littleton, whose influential work will also be show in the exhibition, is often referred to as the “Father of the Studio Glass Movement.” In his role as an educator, he initiated the first hot glass program offered by an America University at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and promoted the idea of glass as a course of study in university art departments in the United States. Littleton’s students went on to become the dominant figures in the American Studio Glass Movement while broadening the study of glass art and university-level hot glass programs throughout the U.S.
Kate Vogel and John Littleton’s work has appeared in several group exhibitions, such as the Sculpture Objects and Functional Art (SOFA) in Chicago and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C. Their glass works can also be seen in private and public collections in North America, Europe, and Asia. Locations include the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock, AR; the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts in Switzerland; Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark; the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY; The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA. Features on their work have appeared in various publications—such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and CBS Sunday watch Morning.
Between Us: The documentary film
Between Us: Closing Celebration
VICTORIAN GLASS BASKETS
OCTOBER 9, 2020 – JANUARY 14, 2021
During the reign of Alexandrina Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, and Empress of India (1837-1901), English and American glass factories responded to the rise of consumerism and the increasing desire for everything glistening and ornamented by creating and marketing fanciful glass table decorations for middle and upper-class households. The art glass basket reached the height of its popularity between 1880 and 1890. These colorful and highly decorated works of art glass represent both ingenuity and technical skill. Frequently embellished with ruffled rims and applied handles shaped in loops or decorated with thorns, these baskets proved to be popular wedding gifts and were a mainstay in Victorian homes. Now on exhibit in the Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery.
New On View
May 28 – August 22, 2021
Since 1959, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass has cultivated what has become the world’s largest, most representative collection of glass paperweights on public display as well as a burgeoning contemporary studio glass collection. In 2011, the museum reaffirmed its commitment to glass by shifting its mission and collection focus to exclusively represent that medium.
A museum collection is its foundation. Following in the footsteps of founders Evangeline and John Nelson Bergstrom and Ernst and Carol Mahler, today’s donors to the permanent collection recognize the importance of exhibiting, researching, and preserving works of glass for future generations. The museum’s collection is evolving due to the many donors who have helped it grow through their generosity.
This exhibition showcases more than 200 acquisitions of paperweights and contemporary studio glass collected by Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass during the past three years. A special highlight includes a significant selection of antique and contemporary glass paperweights from the collection of longtime supporters Gary and Marge McClanahan. New On View includes important works from artists such as Lisabeth Sterling, Marvin Lipofsky, Ken Rosenfeld, Debbie Tarsitano, and Marc Petrovic, many of which have never been publicly exhibited.
Opening Celebration Zoom Event!
Select works from the exhibit
The museum is grateful to the following donors of works exhibited in New on View:
Gary and Marge McClanahan
The Estate of Wayne and Jean Roper
Bruce and Judy Bendoff
Gerald Silverstein and Bob Zimmerman
Barry and Donna Rice
David Huchthausen
Heller Gallery NYC
Betty Smith Memorial Fund
Marion Shepard Memorial Fund
Fred and Sharon Schomer
Bud and Libby Hoffman
Bonnie Marx
Family of Leon DeJongh
David Woods
Marjorie Bergstrom Moore Memorial Fund
Richard V. and Irene V. Simpson, in memory of Marion Bouman Giles
The Robert M. Minkoff Foundation, Ltd
Sharon Karmazin
Stephen Knapp Family Trust
Audrey Handler
The Marvin Lipofsky Studio
Gordon ParkThe family of Sylvia Vigiletti
Jill G. and Frank J. (Jack) Pelisek
Docents Know Glass
January 22 – May 16, 2021
Since our doors first opened in April, 1959, docents have played an integral role in sharing the story of Evangeline Bergstrom and her passion for collecting and expanding upon our knowledge of glass as an artistic medium. Through the efforts of docents past and present, visitors have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the time and expertise necessary to create works of glass art. Their continued enthusiasm and spirit of volunteerism exemplifies our vision for being The Place for Exciting Discoveries in Glass.
With combined docent experience totaling more than 75 years, our volunteer guides have selected works for exhibition from the permanent collection that are most significant to them. From antique paperweights and Germanic glass drinking vessels to Victorian baskets and contemporary glass sculpture, Docents Know Glass is sure to inspire an appreciation for everything Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass has to offer – including our fantastic docents! This exhibition is curated by our current docent corps, including Liane Butitta, Gail Dolan, Chris Grunwald, Kay Hendrickson, Pat Rosenak, Mary Ellyn Vicksta, and Jeff Zdrale, and is supported in part by the Richard L. Johnson Memorial Fund.
/ˈdōsənt/ (noun) a person who acts as a guide, typically on a voluntary basis, in a museum, art gallery, or zoo.
Select Works from the Exhibit
Fox Valley Area High School Exhibition
March 4, 2021 – April 18, 2021
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass strives to expose the community to the versatility of glass while encouraging the creativity of talented young artists in the area. The encouragement of our young people and their development in the arts is crucial to our future economic and social development. We are pleased to exhibit glass art made by high school students in the Fox Valley area. Through creating art in the classroom and at home, students have the opportunity to share their work in a public setting.
This year has been a challenging year. The Covid-19 pandemic has restricted many glass art-making activities at both the high schools and at our own studio. The students and art teachers that contributed to this exhibit made the most of their creative time and really came through to make a wonderful show. Friends and family of the student artists, as well as the general public, are encouraged to view the exhibit during the month of March.
Featured Work
Form and Feeling – Expressions of Humanity
September 01, 2020 – December 31, 2020
This Richard L. Johnson memorial exhibition emphasizes the representation of human emotion and expression in figurative works of glass. Simultaneously strong and fragile, the glass pieces featured in this show draw a significant parallel to the condition of human feeling, be it pain, joy, anger, confusion, embarrassment, or a myriad of other emotions.
Perthshire Paperweights from the Collection of Les and Angie Smith
September 28, 2018 – September 20, 2020
View more than 900 weights from the renowned Scottish paperweight maker, Perthshire. This exhibit is the first showing of the gift to Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass from the collection of Les and Angie Smith. Perthshire paperweights are known for their superb quality that rivals that of 19th century French makers.
Exhibit sponsors include The Parsley Kreilein Bravo Fund to honor collaborative glass artists Johne Parsley and Peter McDougall.
Wisconsin Ideas, Global Influences
October 10, 2019 – February 22, 2020
This exhibition focuses on the wide-reaching impact Wisconsin glass artists have had on shaping the global landscape of contemporary studio glass during the past 70 years. Exploring the many qualities of the medium, these artists have developed meaningful, lasting works for new generations of audiences and collectors.
The exhibit includes the work of artists Eoin Breadon, Beth Lipman, Chuck Savoie, Deanna Clayton, Keith Clayton, Stephanie Trenchard, Michael Meilahn, Wes and Wesley Hunting, John Littleton and Kate Vogel, Kristin Thielking and Lisa Beth Robinson, Jeffrey Stenbom, Lisa Koch, David Huchthausen, Kent Ipsen, Harvey Littleton, Audrey Handler, Marvin Lipofsky and Doug Johnson.
Reflecting Perspectives: Artists Confront Issues of Diversity and Inclusion
April 18 – September 22, 2019
The Reflecting Perspectives exhibition focuses on how artists use the power of their art to promote diversity and inclusion. The complex social, cultural and environmental challenges shaping our global landscape inform the artists’ work and provide a backdrop for advancing dialogue in these areas. The exhibit includes the works of Joyce J. Scott, Tim Tate, Preston Singletary, Marcus Amerman, Helen Lee, Pearl Dick, Raven Skyriver, Einar De La Torre, Jamex De La Torre, and John Moran.
Sharper Edges:
Women Working on the Edge of Glass
November 15, 2018 – February 17, 2019
Women are a formidable force in the growth of contemporary studio glass, despite the challenges they face receiving a level of recognition their male counterparts enjoy. This exhibit examines select female artists speaking with distinct viewpoints on social issues of politics, gender biases, stereotypes, and environmental concerns.
Contemporary artists on view include the grande dame of contemporary studio glass, Audrey Handler, as well as Susan Taylor Glasgow, Beth Lipman, Lisa Koch, Stephanie Trenchard, Carmen Lozar, Kristin Thielking, Deanna Clayton, Lisa Beth Robinson, and Jennifer Caldwell.
Audrey Handler is one of the first female students in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Glass Program under Harvey Littleton and a founding member of the Glass Art Society. She began her studies in 1964 and continues to make work from her Verona studio. We will be honoring her and her work as a separate focus during this time. As one of the first women of glass, she helped to break the proverbial glass ceiling for the celebrated women working today and we are glad to have her in Wisconsin.
This Just In! New Acquisitions to the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass Collection
April 14- November 4, 2018
Museums rely heavily on gifts of time, talent and treasure. Treasures from generous patrons, who were once passionate owners of incredible pieces of history, art or specimens of some sort, make up the dominant portion of the collections experienced on view in most museums. Limited acquisition budgets for the most part, create the selective few objects that are able to be very selectively purchased.
It is this generosity, curiosity and patronage that is celebrated in This Just In! In 2017 and 2018, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass was offered a number of contemporary glass sculptural objects from a variety of patrons to expand its contemporary glass collection. A selection of these gifts will be on view adding new dimension to the exploration of contemporary glass as art at Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass.
All of the museum’s collections began through gifts and the Contemporary Studio Glass Collection began with a gift in 1991 by Don and Carol Wiiken. The collection has continued to grow through gift, primarily and a few purchases.
In this featured exhibition, new acquisitions include: works by Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, Richard Royal, Stephen Rolfe Powell, Jose Chardiet, Ke’Ke’ Cribbs, Clifford Rainey, Jon Kuhn, Emily Brock and Therman Statom, Richard Jolley and many others, sharing over 30 works by contemporary artists.
In 2017, a major gift came from the Herbert and Jane Rozoff Collection of 25 contemporary works in glass. The collection offers a personal selection reflecting their relationship with some of the artists, as well as gallery owners who carried their work. When searching for a home for these beloved pieces, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass was recommended by another contemporary glass collecting friend with whom the museum has had a long relationship and the match was made.
Additional gifts were made that continue to build the depth of the museum collection through Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass’ association with contemporary glass collectors in the Midwest. Bruce and Judy Bendoff, Chickee and Steven Rosen, Bonnie Marx, Barry and Donna Rice, Jane Humzy and Peter Debreceny, Jacob and Molly Fishman and as well as, Burt and Libby Hoffman are among those who have expanded the museum collections recently through generous contributions. This exhibition offers highlights from those gifts, sharing the intention of these generous donors with our audience.
Searching for Excellence
September 8, 2017 – February 11, 2018
The Searching for Excellence exhibition includes a curated selection of approximately 50 contemporary glass objects from private collections located throughout the Midwest. Through the representation of objects from private collections, this exhibit explores how private collectors assist museums in building collections for the public benefit.
The exhibit includes works from founders of the Studio Glass Movement up to and including contemporary masters. Represented artists include Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, Lino Tagliapietra, William Morris, Paul Stankard and others.
Quantum: an installation of glass, light, and sound – Jon Clark • Angus Powers • Jesse Daniels
April 23 — August 20, 2017
Quantum – detail
Imagine your sense of wonder as a child looking through the glistening dew on the grass in the morning light. Quantum is an exhibition that recalls that sense of wonder and more in a total environment, or installation, created by Jon Clark, Angus Powers and Jesse Daniels. This glass, light and sound filled environment suggests their response to the power and intimacy of such a moment in nature and how this experience changes with time.
Quantum is about experiences with natural phenomena and a sense of scale: both large and small. It is about transient matter, such as light and time, and how they evolve. The artists have created an immersive scene that engages our senses through glass surfaces, video projections with flickering light, as well as atmospheric sound designed to suggest changes in light and time.
Bending Brilliance: Neon and Plasma Sculpture
Abbey Normal, Jacob Fishman
09.10.2016 – 02.19.2017
Bending Brilliance: Neon and Plasma Sculpture is an exhibition of works by artists who use light as their medium. Since the early 20th century, neon lights have been used in advertising signage. From those beginnings the art form has evolved to include works by artists who use light, dark and shadow to transform an environment, create a composition or extend the familiar genre of signage to playful use of puns and thought-provoking themes.
In this exhibit, view work from neon artists who play with light and illumination. In the kinetic plasma sculptures science and art blend to provide a sense of animation, science fiction and wonder for the viewer. Together, these artists provide a magical and whimsical combination of individual styles.
Exhibiting artists include
| John E. Bannon | Sarah Blood |
| Bradley Corso | Jacob Fishman |
| Roy Tom Galbraith | Petrie Fishman |
| Ed Kirshner | Mitch LaPlante |
| Bruce Nauman | Jed Schleisner |
| Wayne Strattman | Monica Wulfers |
| Michael Young |
THANK YOU: AN EXHIBITION OF CAST GLASS
BY JEFFREY STENBOM
June 4 – August 21, 2016
In this installation, the works form a cohesive message that speaks to the void left for all of us over senseless loss and destruction, crossing the shattered boundaries and
Everlasting Impact, 2015
weaving together threads to create a new whole. Art is a powerful tool that has equipped Jeffrey Stenbom, and Iraq War veteran, with a language to speak beyond the words of destruction and proffer healing. Stenbom immerses you, the viewer, in a world of artifacts and remnants devoid of identity in order to place you, in the middle of the action. You stand in the footprints of the soldier; you become the Unknown Soldier. His repurposed uniforms are woven into a universal symbol for which they stand. Thank You is an installation that can speak to all of us, not just warriors or veterans, but to those who have suffered and overcome grief, anguish, desperation and deep despair. Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass has examined the medium of glass for its functional, decorative as well as gloriously sculptural capabilities of playing with light for many years, and is pleased to demonstrate the continuum. Here, Stenbom uses the method of installation art as a provocative means to immerse you into the space as a participant within a unified arrangement of objects assembled to create meaning. As a contemporary material, glass is capable of using its properties of transparency, translucency, opacity, strength and fragility to transform a message into something deeply meaningful. Throughout the centuries of its use, glass has been an alluring material that has amazed the maker and the beguiled the beholder. We invite you to absorb its poignant message through its transformational properties.
Transcending Time: A Survey of Works in Glass by Italian Maestro Lino Tagliapietra
Lino Tagliapietra, Concerto di Primavera 2000
October 8, 2015 – February 14, 2016
Since the mysterious lure of the glass factory on the Island of Murano drew him in at the age of 11, glass has been intertwined with his soul. Lino Tagliapietra earned the honor of Maestro by the time he was 25. Over the course of his illustrious career, he has traveled extensively, first sharing his Italian masterful techniques with Americans and they with him. This began with a visit to Murano by Dale Chihuly in 1968 and Lino followed with a visit to Pilchuck in 1978. The exchange has led to in an ever-changing exploration of glass as an expressive material: alive, flowing and boldly colorful. These results of unparalleled workmanship, continuous innovation, and collaboration can be seen in this exhibition of over 50 works by the Maestro. View the exhibition catalog.
Works were on loan with the assistance of Schantz Gallery, Lino Tagliapietra, Inc. and private collections organized by Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass.
William Morris: Native Species
William Morris, Selections from Native Species, 2004
The George R. Stroemple Collection. A Stroemple/Stirek Collaboration
April 18 – September 6, 2015
Throughout history, patrons of the Arts have brought the work of talented artists to the public. William Morris: Native Species demonstrates this modern story of collaboration and patronage between artist, William Morris, and collector, George R. Stroemple.
Morris and Stroemple, friends for many years, share a respect for the profound beauty of the natural world, which grew into the 2004 commission of 38 vessels inspired by the flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest. Morris pays homage to the 19th century French Art Nouveau glass artist Emile Galle, as well as honors Stroemple’s request to consider the shapes and colors of the 19th century Japanese Meiji period objects he also collects.
The resulting works adeptly articulate all of these references while retaining their own presence, intricately wrought with pine needles and cones, aspen trees, dragonflies, pheasants, ground squirrels, acorns, wild grasses, lizards, and cedar boughs.
Beauty Beyond Nature: The Glass Art of Paul Stankard
Paul Stankard, Honeybee Swarm Orb, 2010
Organized by The Robert M. Minkoff Foundation
September 13, 2014 – February 15, 2015
Beauty Beyond Nature: The Glass Art of Paul Stankard presents 70 works spanning the influential career of this artist from the private collection of Robert M. Minkoff. Minkoff encountered Paul Stankard’s work in 2005, and in a brief period built a definitive collection that has chronicled one artist’s creative journey in glass for us all.
Retrospective: an Exhibition of Kiln-formed Glass, Organized by Bullseye Glass, Co.
Klaus Moje, Object 12, 2005
April 12 — August 24, 2014
In 1974, two recent graduates from the University of Wisconsin and one from San Jose State University set up a glass factory in the backyard of a ramshackle house in Portland, Oregon. The Bullseye Glass Company was founded with collaboration and experimentation at its core. Forty years later this legacy is seen in the work of artists who have worked with Bullseye to develop new materials and techniques.
Featured Artists: Klaus Moje, Catharine Newell, Jessica Loughlin, Silvia Levenson, Richard Whiteley, Narcissus Quagliata, Rafael Cauduro, Stacy Lynn Smith, April Surgent and Tanja Pak
Glass Artists of the New North:
Creativity in Our Midst
Beth Lipman, Still Life with Detritus, 2013
September 15, 2013 – February 16, 2014
This exhibit features the creative and innovative work of nationally and internationally renowned glass artists who live and work in The New North region. Within the Northeast Wisconsin area, there are a number of accomplished artists who are recognized for their capabilities of enriching the intellectual, economic and creative environments of the region. These artists have managed their own businesses as gallery owners, artist and entrepreneurs, creating work for exhibit and sale to a national audience. The goal of this exhibition is to meld the interest in innovation in the business community with the creativity and innovation of the artists in our midst.
Featured Artist: Beth Lipman, Michael Meilahn, Charles Savoie, Deanna Clayton, Keith Clayton, Stephanie Trenchard, Jeremy Popelka, Wes Hunting, Scott Amrheim, Jon Chapman, Thomas Fleming, Wesley Hunting, Beth Wenger – Johnstone, Cory Kwakkel, Jenna Larson, Linda Muldoon, Nick Nebel, Kristin Thielking, Keven Brunett, Mary Jo Weidert, Sharon Fujimoto, and Mitch Baker
University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Glass Legacies
Michael Meilahn, Red Ball III, Smart Number Series, 2010
April 13- September 1, 2013
Started in 1968 by Doug Johnson and taken over by Jon Engrebretson, the UW-River Falls glass program is one of the oldest BFA glass programs in the country. The program has produced countless talented and successful alumni. This exhibit focuses on the legacy started by early glass students as well as the work of more recent alumni.
Featured Artists: Eoin Breadon, Patrick Casanova, Jon Clark, Stephan Cox, Pauly Cudd, Jim Engrebretson, Renee Engrebretson, Erik Halvorson, Doug Johnson, Fred Kaemmer, Gene Koss, Joseph Limpert, Michael Meilahn, Colleen Ott, Nolan Prohaska and Brita Swanson
Button Bonanza: The Debut of the William H. Blanning Bequest with Selections from the Beadell Collection
August 6 – September 8, 2013
Button Bonanza features selections from the nearly 300 glass buttons from the estate of William H. Blanning of Washington, D.C. Many of the objects are stunning paperweight buttons, which as their name suggests, resemble glass paperweights in miniature form.
These tiny works of art demonstrate the incredible artistic and technical abilities of their makers.
Artists featured in the exhibition include Charles Kaziun, John Gooderham, Ray Banford, and Ronald and Dorothy Hansen.
The Legacy of Littleton and His Students
Harvey Littleton, Blue Mobile Arc, 1988
September 15, 2012 – February 24, 2013
This glass exhibition joined with 160 others across the nation in 2012 to celebrate Harvey K. Littleton and the founding of the American Studio Glass Movement. As a University of Wisconsin-Madison art professor in the early 1960s, Littleton began the first university glass program and forever changed how we view art through glass.
Featured Artists: Harvey Littleton, Christopher Ries, Dale Chihuly, David Huchthausen, Tom McGlauchlin, Audrey Handler, Gary Beecham, Fritz Dreisbach, Michael Taylor, Marvin Lipofsky, Henry Halem, John Brekke, Bill Boysen, Vernon Brejcha, Brent Cox, Jack Ink, Kent Ipsen, Colleen Ott, Tom Philabaum, Dan Schwoerer, John Littleton and Kate Vogel
Ricky Bernstein’s Kitchen Dreams and Other Stories
Ricky Bernstein, Kitchen Dreams, 2004
April 14-September 2, 2012
Step into a comical world of 1950’s pop culture with Ricky Bernstein’s Kitchen Dreams. Using glass, aluminum and childhood memories, artist Ricky Bernstein pieces together everyday life through a caricature of social roles and cultural icons. Bernstein’s life-sized collages animate a bold, bright, somewhat surreal world, bound to bring you a good belly laugh.
All That Glitters
Christopher Reis, Desert Flower, 2004
October 1, 2011 – February 19, 2012
All That Glitters was based on the simplicity of form and glimmer of glass in contemporary cold-worked sculpture. Experience the sensuality of light as it is manipulated by artists and transformed into color and pattern. Artists were selected based on the visual effects of their sculpture and the common theme of working in cold glass methods: polishing, cutting, laminating and faceting, to exploit the reflective and transmissive qualities of light that glass manages like no other material, except perhaps, diamonds.
Featured Artists: Christopher Ries, Kreg Kallenberger, Toland Sand, Sidney Hutter, David Huchthausen, Jon Kuhn, Michael Taylor and Donald Friedlich
Glass from the Habsburgs
to the Czech Republic
Unknown, Humpen,
October 9, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Glass from the Habsburgs to the Czech Republic features the museum collections complemented by loans of other glass from Central Europe to develop a chronological view of some of the highest artistic achievements between 1573 to the present day.The exhibition showcases the exquisite collection of Germanic Glass drinking vessels given by Ernst and Carol Mahler, founding members and former presidents of the board of directors.
In addition, selections from the personal collection of Eric Kaplan and Barbara Moser of Moser Art Glass, created in Meierhofen near Karlsbad, as well as Bohemian and Czechoslovakian paperweights from the collection of Gary and Marge McClanahan are included in the exhibition. Contemporary Glass of Central Europe including Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland from five private collections will complete the timeline of artistic achievements in glass over a period of nearly 500 years.
The Italian Influence in Glass
October 10- February 21, 2010
Stephen Powell, Sultry Jealous Cheeks, 2001
The Italian Influence in Glass considered the origins of techniques from the Romans, to the considerable innovations in style of the Venetians, and now the work that artisans of Murano are presenting for glass artists to infuse into a new bold statement. Examples of the Italian influence in this exhibition are objects created with mosaic techniques from the Roman Empire of the mid first century B.C.E. to the mid first century.
The influence continues to the paperweight form of the 19th century and carries through to the current period with the innovative work of the Venini, Barovier, and Seguso factories. As before, these artists have influenced the work of contemporary glass artists such as Harvey Littleton, Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra and Richard Ritter, and others. Wisconsin artists include, Michael Meilahn, Wes Hunting, Jeremy Popelka and Charles Savoie.