Now open at the Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas, is Steuben Glass: Stories Engraved in Crystal, which will be on view through July 6, 2024. The exhibition will highlight Steuben Glass, which was founded by Frederick Carter in 1903. The company was known for its variety of colors prior to the Great Depression, which would threaten the company’s existence in the early 1930s.
Tom Lea (1907-2001) and Lloyd Atkins (1922-2002) at Steuben Glass, Trail Driver, 1959, engraved crystal, 9 x 10 x 10”. Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas. Bequest of H.J. Lutcher Stark, 1965, 41.8.4.A-B.
“A restructuring of Steuben Glass saved the company. Steuben made a dramatic shift in its production and aesthetics in the 1930s. It pivoted to make works only of clear crystal. The new president, Arthur A. Houghton Jr., brought architects and artists into the firm. They brought an emphasis on beautifully designed forms. Their work was sophisticated and modern, yet simple,” the museum notes. “They also brought a new emphasis on pictorial imagery. The transparent glass worked as a surface for engraving. Artisans used copper wheels to cut images into the glass surface. Steuben artists often created images that told American stories.”The exhibition will feature 33 glass pieces, some of which will include Western imagery, including a stunning piece engraved by artist Tom Lea and pieces from the American Ballard Urnseries.
Steuben Glass (founded 1903) and Sidney Waugh (1904-1963), American Ballad Urn, Pioneer, 1943, engraved crystal, 7 x 2½”. Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas. Bequest of H.J. Lutcher Stark, 1965, 41.8.6.E-F.
“This exhibition reveals the artistry of Steuben engraved glass, with a focus on themes of Americana. Included are designs with subjects of the wilderness, exploration, presidential history, and nature. Texas artist Tom Lea used the transparency of the medium in his design for the work Trail Driver. The bowl features the cowboy on one side with the cattle on the other so the viewer looks through the bowl to complete the scene,” says Sarah E. Boehme, Stark Museum of Art curator. “The American Ballad Urn series comprises four urns, each representing an iconic figure—an Indian, trapper, pioneer and cowboy. Like the four verses of a musical ballad, the images tell a story about American history. Artist Sidney Waugh designed the frontier types during the World War II-period, when America sought heroic figures and a strong national identity.”
For more information on the exhibition, visit www.starkmuseum.org. —
Powered by Froala Editor
