Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Hosts ArtPrize Today

Coinciding with the fifth annual ArtPrize competition, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will host 25 artists from across North America, Europe and Asia in, "Shattered: Contemporary Sculpture in Glass." This group exhibition explores the creative, conceptual and formal aspects of contemporary glass sculpture.

Officially beginning with ArtPrize today, September 18, "Shattered: Contemporary Sculpture in Glass," will remain on display as Meijer Gardens' fall exhibition until January 5, 2014.

"This exhibition is an extremely important opportunity for Meijer Gardens in that it both expands concepts of sculpture today and parallels those artists working in glass," said Joseph Becherer, chief curator and vice president of exhibitions and collections.

"Shattered: Contemporary Sculpture in Glass" breaks down preconceptions about glass art, shattering traditional boundaries for an understanding of sculpture. Although several of the included works are more decidedly sculptural objects, others are complex, multi-faceted installations and multi-media presentations.

"Audiences will no doubt be greatly surprised at the diversity of work on display," said Becherer. "In curating this exhibition, our team intentionally stayed clear of any functional objects so as to underscore this diversity."

As an ArtPrize Exhibition Center, "Shattered: Contemporary Sculpture in Glass" will be free of charge during ArtPrize (September 18- October 6). Exhibition areas will be open to the public during Meijer Gardens' regular business hours, as well as official ArtPrize hours (Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays, Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) On opening day, the public will be able to register for ArtPrize all day and exhibition areas will be on display beginning at 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. All other areas of Meijer Gardens observe regular hours and standard admission fees.

Visitors can register to vote and purchase official ArtPrize merchandise at Meijer Gardens.

Exhibition and ArtPrize Programming

Panel discussion with ArtPrize Artists
Tuesday, September 17, 6:15 p.m.
Fee: Free
Listen to some of today's most innovative glass sculptors discuss their work. Moderated by Joseph Becherer, chief curator and vice president of exhibitions and collections.

Curator's Choice
Friday, September 20, noon
Fee: Free
Join Laurene Grunwald, director of sculpture, exhibitions and installations and Heidi Holst, curator of arts education, as they discuss their thoughts on the works in the exhibition. Share your thoughts and questions about the sculptures.

ArtPrize Adventure (All ages)
Saturday, September 28, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Fee: $3 members, $5 non-members
Be inspired by our exhibition Shattered: Contemporary Sculpture in Glass. Then head into the classroom to create your own inspired piece from scratch art and colored poster board. Preregistration is requested but walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis.

The exhibition "Shattered: Contemporary Sculpture in Glass" is made possible by: The Meijer Foundation, The Louis and Helen Padnos Foundation, William Padnos, the Daniel & Pamella DeVos Foundation, Habatat Gallery, Grand Rapids Sister-City International-Perugia Committee, Grand Rapids Community College and Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Images available upon request. View thumbnails here: http://www.meijergardens.org/media/scms/IMAGES_Shattered.pdf

About the Artists
Dean Alison (Penland, North Carolina) - Backbone, 2013. Cast and blown glass on steel and wood
Daniel Arsham (Brooklyn, New York) - Watching, 2013. Broken glass and resin
Michael Behrens (Düsseldorf, Germany) - Seaforms, 2011. Kiln cast glass
Christina Bothwell (Stillwater, Pennsylvania) - Octopus in Blue Dress, 2013. Cast glass, pit fired raku clay, found objects
Peter Bremers (Born, the Netherlands) - Iceberg & Paraphernalia, 2011. Kiln cast glass
Graham Caldwell (Brooklyn, New York) - Large Polychrome, 2011. Iridescent glass and epoxy
Nancy Cohen (Jersey City, New Jersey) - Polyphony, 2012. Glass, slumped and blown, monofilament
Simone Crestani (Molvena, Italy) - Bonsai Group, 2013. Borosilicate glass flameworked
Beverly Fishman (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) - Artificial Paradise, 2013. Hand blown glass
Giuliano Giuman (Perugia, Italy) - Polifemo, 2012. Tempered glass and painting on glass
Slate Grove (Normal, Illinois) - Everlast, 2012. Blown, sculpted glass, mixed media
Toshio Iezumi (Kanagawa-ken, Japan) - M. 130102, 2013. Laminated and polished glass
Barbara Jagadics (born Hungary, working Prague, Czech Republic) - Mistakes in Glass I, 2011. Pat de verre, hot cast glass
Jiyong Lee (born Korea, working Carbondale, Illinois) - White Cell Segmentation, 2013. Cut, carved and laminated glass
Beth Lipman (Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin) - Laid Table With Fish, 2011. Glass, wood, paint and glue
Joanna Manousis (born Great Britain, working Columbus, Ohio) - Veil, 2012. Water-jet cut mirror, fused Murrini
Walter Martin (Milford, Pennsylvania), Paloma Muniz (born Spain, working Milford, Pennsylvania) - Travelers, 2011-13. Glass and mixed media
Kait Roads (Seattle, Washington) - Cascade, 2013. Blown glass, copper and steel
Mary Shaffer (Taos, New Mexico) - Theater II, 2012. Cast glass
Anna Skibska (born Poland, working Seattle, Washington) - Silva Rerum (Forest of Things), 2012-13. Glass
Stani (Jan Borowski) (born Poland, working Düsseldorf, Germany) - AY-UP, 2012. Hot sculpted glass
Tim Tate (Mt. Rainier, Maryland) - She Was Often Gripped With the Desire to be Elsewhere, 2012. Blown and cast glass, video
Mary Bayard White (Berkeley, California) - Sacred Pollination, 2013. Mixed media installation
Jeff Zimmer (born United States, working Edinburgh, United Kingdom) - We Were All Wrong (The Wrong War), 2012. Multiple layers of enameled and sandblasted glass in light box

About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

One of the world's most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park serves more than a half-million visitors annually. Meijer Gardens was recently ranked in the top 100 most-visited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news. The 132-acre grounds feature Michigan's largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest children's gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer. The internationally acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Moore, Serra, Bourgeois and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with recent exhibitions by Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Dine.

Contact: Andrea Wolschleger | Public Relations Manager | 616-975-3155 | awolschleger(at)meijergardens(dot)org