'Transparency: An LGBTQ+ Glass Art Exhibition' Makes West Coast Debut at Museum of Glass

Pearl Dick. Us, 2017. Blown, sculpted glass; 12 1/2 x 16 x 6 inches. (Photo by Randy Korwin. Courtesy of the National Liberty Museum.)

The nation's first museum exhibition of Studio Glass works produced exclusively by artists in the LGBTQ+ community, Transparency: An LGBTQ+ Glass Art Exhibition makes its West Coast debut at Museum of Glass on October 12, 2019. 

Curated and organized by the National Liberty Museum, this three-dimensional mediation on queer experience emphasizes the importance of being open about identity, a hallmark of liberty and creative freedom.

Transparency, which originally opened for Pride 2017, speaks both to the medium of glass and to the artists' freedom to acknowledge their identity, regardless of the political or artistic consequences. It includes work by more than 20 glass artists, including Nancy Callan, Pearl Dick, Tim Tate, Kim Harty, Joseph Sircoulomb, and Sabrina Knowles and Jenny Pohlman. The featured pieces were chosen by the artists, keeping with the spirit of self-advocacy and creative self-expression that characterizes Pride.

"The National Liberty Museum's mission is to promote freedom and self-expression, and nothing better exemplifies that more than this groundbreaking exhibition," said Meegan Coll, Director of Glass Programs at the National Liberty Museum. "We are so excited that we could partner with Museum of Glass to not only bring the work of these artists but also the message of Transparency to the West Coast."

The opening of Transparency at Museum of Glass correlates with Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience, happening October 17-20. Refract is the nation's newest festival showcasing creative uses of glass in the Pacific Northwest. 

• In partnership with Refract, Museum of Glass will celebrate Transparency with an opening party, including a meet and greet with several participating artists, DJ, cash bar, and free access from 12-2pm on Sunday, October 20.

'Seaform Pavilion, Chihuly Bridge of Glass' - Museum of Glass, Tacoma

About Museum of Glass

Located in Tacoma, Washington, Museum of Glass is a premier contemporary art museum dedicated to glass and glassmaking in the West Coast's largest and most active museum glass studio. 

Opened in 2002, the Museum has established a reputation for hosting impactful and engaging artist residencies, organizing nationally traveling exhibitions, and creating unique programs for visitors while building a growing permanent collection chronicling the development of modern and contemporary glass. 

Museum of Glass provides an environment for artists and the public to ignite creativity, fuel discovery, and enrich their lives through glass and glassmaking. 

• Museum of Glass is a non-profit organization sponsored in part by the City of Tacoma Arts Commission, ArtsFund, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, The Dimmer Family Foundation, and the Driscoll Foundation.

SOURCE: Museum of Glass