Student glass projects on display in KC gallery

Fourteen students from ESU's glass-forming program will have their work displayed in a Kansas City gallery next month.

"It's a significant event for students to be able to show their work in a major city gallery district," said assistant professor Patrick Martin, who teaches the glass-forming courses at ESU. "They'll see the type of gallery they could be working with once they graduate, and get a head start making contacts with collectors, gallery owners and other artists."

"Transformation: Works by Emporia State University Glass Students" was an idea Martin had been informally discussing with the owner of the Millennic Glass gallery for some time. The show, however, was fast-tracked when another installation was unexpectedly cancelled.

The student work represents the wide range of techniques offered in the ESU program. On display will be glass vessels, sculptures, solid castings and "slumps" - created in a kiln by allowing plate glass to melt into a mold.

Martin encourages students to go beyond the pitchers, goblets and salad bowls produced by commercial studios. "We're not learning production, we're learning to work with experimental glass forms - but all glass-forming techniques can translate into the more traditional products."

The ESU glass studio is the only college program of its kind in the state. It recruits heavily from Emporia High School, one of the few high school glass programs in the country, said Martin.

Five Emporia High School alumni - Michael Hernandez, Steve Protheroe, Shelley Ayers and recent ESU graduates Kristin Taylor and Phil Prewitt will have pieces in the show.

Graduates of the program are prepared to start their own glass studios, work for other artists or continue with graduate study, said Martin.

"Transformation" will open Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m. at Millennic Glass, 1901 Wyandotte, Kansas City. The exhibit will be on display Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. through Feb. 28.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>