To Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota This Summer
Glass blowers from Duncan McClellan’s Hot Glass Workshop in St. Petersburg will display their works at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Fla., throughout the summer in an exhibit entitled, “In Dialogue with Nature—Glass in the Gardens.”
The Duncan McClellan Gallery is partnering with Selby Gardens to bring a botanically-themed art glass exhibition to Sarasota. Additional talks and a demonstration glass blowing class with a traveling hot shop will take place throughout the summer months. An Opening Reception is scheduled to take place at the Gardens on Friday, July 13.
In addition to works by internationally renowned glass artist Duncan McClellan, visitors to Selby Gardens will have an opportunity to see works by Mariel Bass, Danyell Bauer, Eric Claycomb, Josh Cocozza, Lindy Irhman, Susan Rankin, Tommie Rush, Alexis Silk and Sasha Tepper-Stewart. Items on display will be available for purchase with a portion of the sales going to support Selby Gardens’ mission of plant research, conservation and education.
Four special glass classes including a special glass blowing event are scheduled to take place during the exhibit. The first, class is on July 18, and is entitled, “Brilliant Glass Images in Watercolor.” On July 21 the McClellan Gallery’s mobile glass lab will come to the Gardens to give demonstrations of etched and stamped glass as well as glass blowing demonstrations revealing the fascinating process behind the creation of the beautiful glass objects displayed in the “In Dialogue with Nature” exhibit at Selby Gardens.
The DMG Mobile Glass Lab was originally created to bring the excitement of hot glass art to schools throughout the Tampa Bay area. The July 21 event will include introductory talks and will be free with general admission to Selby Gardens.
Duncan McClellan himself will give a Keynote Presentation at the Gardens on July 25 to highlight some of the works on display and to discuss his distinguished career. McClellan brought a new vitality to the St. Petersburg art scene when he opened his 10,000 sq., ft, gallery and gardens in a tomato warehouse in St. Pete’s Art Warehouse Art District.
And on August 21, visitors to the Sarasota Museum exhibit in Selby Gardens will have an opportunity to tour with an expert when Dr. David Berry will lead a “Walk and Talk Tour of the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion at The Ringling in Sarasota.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is located at 900 S. Palm Avenue in Sarasota. For more detailed information on the exhibit or the special programs related to “Dialogue with Nature—Glass in the Gardens,” visit www. selby.org/calendar/event-list/. Information on Duncan McClellan, his gallery and onsite glassblowing demonstration as well as the Duncan McClellan Education Project may be found at www.dmglass.com and dmgschoolproject.org.
Written by Jackie McCallum. Photos courtesy of Duncan McClellan Gallery