Glass Impressions: Vitreographs and Studio Glass from the Collection

Glass Impressions celebrates the dynamic sculptural and pictorial dimensions of glass. Drawn largely from the permanent collection, the exhibition pairs vitreographs—prints produced with a glass plate—with contemporary studio glass. Dazzling in color and dynamic in composition, these vibrant works demonstrate the experimental and cutting-edge approaches that contemporary artists and glassmakers have applied to this timeless material in recent decades.

Incorporating both abstract and representational imagery, vitreographs are the result of unique print processes that were developed by glass artist Harvey Littleton at Littleton Studios in Spruce Pines, North Carolina, in the 1970s. Artist Judith O’Rourke served as a studio associate at Littleton Studios for nearly two decades, during which time she produced her own works and assisted countless visiting artists to create vitreographs, some of which are on view here. This exhibition highlights a facet of the Museum’s extensive collection of vitreographs, all created at Littleton Studios and gifted to the Museum by O’Rourke in 2013.

Accompanying these works on paper are examples of cast and blown glass by leading contemporary glassmakers. Revealing diverse sculptural approaches and forms, these objects attest to the versatility of this ancient material, as well as the creativity and technical skill of their visionary makers.