Into the Deep

Into the Deep will introduce visitors to the similar properties between glass and water, taking them on a journey through the wide possibilities of glass and the beauty of marine life.

The pieces in the exhibition reflect the movements, textures, shapes, and colors associated with being underwater through the medium of glass. "By creating artwork inspired by the ocean, each artist has captured both the fragile beauty of the marine environments and the delicate nature of glass,” shares Into the Deep curator, Katie Buckingham. [...]

Artists in the exhibition, whose work is traditionally inspired by the ocean or animals, feel similarly. Kelly O’Dell, who created a glass clam and mussel with barnacles for Into the Deep during her 2015 residency at Museum of Glass, does not consider herself an animal rights activist or expert, but understands that her work has the power to influence how people view their natural surroundings. From rhinoceros and elephant busts to clams and mussels, O’Dell often works with animal forms. “As I get to know the animal, I learn of its fragility. I experienced this with the barnacled pieces. As I researched the idea, the shells, the barnacles, I learned about the reality of ocean acidification, and how it can drastically affect the ocean’s life forms,” shares O’Dell.

Into the Deep includes more than 55 pieces, 15 of which were made in the Museum of Glass Hot Shop. Alfredo Barbini, Dale Chihuly, Shayna Leib, Kelly O’Dell, Kait Rhoads, Raven Skyriver, and Hiroshi Yamano are amongst the 16 national and international artists featured in the exhibition. Three digital tours, using STQRY QR codes, will accompany the exhibition. The first, written by University of Washington, Tacoma, (UWT) professor and biologist Bonnie Becker, will offer a scientific supplement to the artwork in Into the Deep. The second will detail how specific pieces in the exhibition were made. The third will provide information about each featured artist and their personal connection with the ocean.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website