NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glass Wheel Studio, a contemporary art facility located in the heart of The NEON, Norfolk’s Arts District, announces the opening of two new exhibitions with a commemorative celebration to take place on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, from 7:00 pm–9:00 pm.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1e79d53-9c98-4819-b74f-00e2c8c01195
On view from Feb. 7–March 20, these two new exhibitions will feature works by artists, Jennifer Bueno and Rachel Schmidt. Bueno’s Dioramas for the Anthropocene is an investigation of our changing environment through reinterpreted satellite images depicting everything from light pollution to glacial retreat. By combining these satellite images with hot-sculpted and blown glass, watercolor and oil paint, Bueno aims to alter perspectives and shift sensorial experiences. Alarming images of air pollution and sea-level rise are transformed into jewel-like microcosms floating precariously through the atmosphere.
“Bueno’s work is truly interdisciplinary. It combines science and technology with superb glassmaking and painting to create stunning representations of our planet in flux,” said Cheryl White, Glass Wheel Studio director. “So often, we overlook the impact humans are having on Earth; these compositions provide us a renewed means to visualize and approach this extremely important topic.”
For the DC-based artist Rachel Schmidt, the future may not be so bleak. Her installation, Apocaloptimist: A Future True Story, is an exploration of myths, legends and fairytales created in a constantly expanding urban wilderness. By utilizing scale manipulation, architecture, play, and landscape, Schmidt hopes to expose the magical moments waiting in an imaginary dystopian future. According to The Washington Post, the miniature model city, masks the audience is invited to wear, and small video projections, all create a fictional world where the only downside appears to be the regimented tasks required to navigate the new landscape.
“Schmidt’s playful interpretation of our future is a great contrast to the doom-and-gloom visions we are so accustomed to seeing,” added White. “Everyone wonders what the future will look like, and the merging of nature into the urban cityscape is both a fantastic and a plausible evolution.”
The opening event will allow art enthusiasts to experience both exhibitions while enjoying passed hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. To learn more about these exhibitions, the artists, and Glass Wheel Studio, visit http://bit.ly/GWSSecondExhibition.
About Glass Wheel Studio
Glass Wheel Studio is a contemporary art facility located in the heart of The NEON, Norfolk’s Arts District. The recently renovated 8,500-square-foot space features two rotating galleries and affordable artist studios. Through stimulating exhibitions and an active Studio Artist Program, Glass Wheel Studio aims to cultivate a deep appreciation for contemporary art in glass and beyond. It serves as an incubator for extraordinary ideas and encourages artists across all disciplines to pursue and elevate their craft. For more information visit: www.GlassWheelStudio.com