ALEXANDRIA, VA-Ruth Gowell and Alison Sigethy are two glass artists who have studios at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. A new museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, Imagine Museum, showcases works made of glass. The work of these two artists has been selected for the museum’s upcoming exhibition, OpART/Glass.
The honor is especially significant for two reasons. First, the museum hosts only one exhibition per year. Second, it is open to glass artists from around the world.
“This kind of accolade is no surprise for artists like Ruth and Alison. We are very proud of them for being selected for this prestigious exhibition,” said Torpedo Factory Director Brett John Johnson. “Ruth’s and Alison’s work speaks to the caliber of art shown in the Art Center on a regular basis.”
Gowell is known for intentionally creating and encasing bubbles inside glass to achieve optical distortion. Sigethy, on the other hand, uses bubbles in the piece “Seen and Unseen” to activate the negative space inside glass, which makes viewers believe they are looking at a living thing.
I think of it like a black hole,” she said. “Even if you can’t see some components, you know they are there because they change the paths the bubbles take.”
OpART/Glass opens Jan. 18, featuring the work of 45 artists from seven countries, including the US, Germany, and Japan. The exhibition runs through April 18. An opening reception will be held Jan. 19 on Facebook Live.
See the work of both artists locally by visiting the Torpedo Factory Art Center, open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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