Bellevue Arts Museum presents the exhibition William Morris: Native Species, The George R. Stroemple Collection on view in the Pilchuck Glass School Gallery at Bellevue Arts Museum starting October 19. The Museum is honored to present this rare collection which will be unveiled to the public for the very first time. The exhibition is a result from the collaboration between the artist, Morris and the collector, Stroemple. A fixture in the Northwest as one of the most talented glass artist’s working today, William Morris has contributed to the Seattle community as an artist, collector and teacher. Morris discovered his passion for blowing glass at the Pilchuck Glass School, in Stanwood, Washington. There, over the next ten years, Morris developed his extraordinary technical skills, which, combined with his fervent love of the natural world, would produce some of the most astonishing works seen in the contemporary studio glass movement.
Morris had well established his distinctive vocabulary of ideas inspired by nature when, in 1991, he met Portland, Oregon, art collector George Stroemple. This was a fortuitous meeting between two soul mates who loved nature and would soon become friends and eventually collaborators. Traveling together and sharing walks through forests, deserts, canyons, and mountains dense with flora and fauna strengthened their mutual appreciation for the beauty of America’s West.
“I met Bill Morris in 1991, not long after I started collecting Dale Chihuly’s work in earnest. At that time, now more than fifteen years ago, Billy was just on the cusp of national recognition. I marvel now at how explosive his career has been—both in terms of his artistic breadth and critical acclaim.” writes George R. Stroemple.
The thirty-eight blown-glass vessels that make up the exhibition Native Species embody the shared interests of artist and patron. The works grew out of their second collaboration, the first being a renowned series from the early 1990s of Canopic Jars, stimulated by Egyptian funerary artifacts. Throughout his career, Morris has found inspiration in the ancient and natural worlds. Rather than mimicking his sources, Morris reinterprets the past while exploring modern technologies and vocabularies to express his vision in the present moment. The Museum is happy to host the exhibition in the Pilchuck Glass School Gallery, a place that allows the public and glass enthusiasts to learn about the school and its remarkable worldwide influence. Visitors to Bellevue Arts Museum can now experience the art of glass on a regular basis.
“This exhibition fulfills a fundamental objective for Bellevue Arts Museum’s mission of illuminating and enriching the human spirit through art, craft, and design.” states Michael Monroe Director and Chief Curator, Bellevue Arts Museum. “Our focus is on exhibitions featuring artists from around the world who work in media such as glass, fiber, clay, wood, and metal—with a special emphasis on intellectual content, superb craftsmanship, and exquisite design.”
To accompany the exhibition, visitors will find a full color exhibition catalog available in the Museum Store. The publication includes an introduction by Michael Monroe, Director and Chief Curator at Bellevue Arts Museum, an essay by art collector George Stroemple and commentary by renowned studio glass expert, William Warmus. This exhibition was made possible by the generous support from MulvannyG2 Architecture, ArtsFund and Guendolen Carkeek Plestcheeff Fund for the Decorative and Design Arts.
More about William Morris:
Morris is a master glassblower and has traveled worldwide working with Italian masters , Dale Chihuly and he was a student at the Pilchuck Glass School, where he has also served as a gaffer, teacher, artist in residence, Artistic Director and on the Board of Directors. Morris’s work has a strong element of primal, archeology and things found in nature.
