March 1, 2022
The University of Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery and UMW Glass Program are proud to announce an exhibition, artist’s lecture, and hot glass demonstration by renowned Northwest Native glass artist, Preston Singletary.
The community is invited to attend the events below free of charge:
Friday, March 18
Fine Arts Gallery Reception: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Gallery Talk: 6:30-7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 19
Community Lunch – Bulldog Lounge in the SUB: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Artist’s Lecture – Beier Auditorium: 2:30 – 3:15 p.m.
Hot Glass Demonstration – Emerick Studio: 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
The art of Preston Singletary has become synonymous with the relationship between European glass blowing traditions and Northwest Native art. His artworks feature themes of transformation, animal spirits, and shamanism through elegant blown glass forms and mystical sand-carved Tlingit designs.
Singletary learned the art of glass blowing by working with artists in the Seattle area including Benjamin Moore and Dante Marioni. As a student and assistant, he initially focused on mastering the techniques of the European tradition. His work took him to Kosta Boda (Sweden) where he studied Scandinavian design and met his future wife. Throughout his 30+ years of glass blowing experience, he has also had opportunities to learn the secrets of the Venetian glass masters by working with Italian legends Lino Tagliapietra, Cecco Ongaro, and Pino Signoretto. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Puget Sound.
Now recognized internationally, Singletary’s artworks are included in museum collections such as The British Museum (London, UK), The Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), The Seattle Art Museum (Seattle WA), the Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY), the Mint Museum of Art and Design (Charlotte, NC), the Heard Museum (Phoenix, AZ), and the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.).
Singletary maintains an active schedule by teaching, lecturing, and exhibiting internationally. In 2009, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, WA, launched a major mid-career survey of his work, entitled “Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows.” In 2018, he launched a new traveling exhibition with the Museum of Glass, titled “Raven and the Box of Daylight”, which will push the boundaries of glass as a medium for storytelling.
For more information, please contact Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery Director, Nathaniel Freeman ([email protected] or 406-683-7059) or Associate Professor of Fine Arts, Ruth King ([email protected] or 406-683-7344).
