Portland, OR – Bullseye Gallery examines the trajectory of mid-career artists Martie Negri, Nathan Sandberg, and Amanda Simmons. Evolve is on view May 7 – June 28.
Exhibited in conjunction with Bullseye’s Emerge 2014, an international juried exhibition of rising talent in kiln-glass, Evolve highlights the recent work of three former Emerge finalists. Martie Negri (New York), an art therapist and a 2006 finalist, translates her history working with textiles into undulating patterns that reference Rorschach tests. Nathan Sandberg (Oregon) won the newcomer and academic award in 2004. His work has evolved from delicate, playful forms to massive cast sculptures that derive their texture and shape from the often-overlooked aspects of the city. Amanda Simmons (UK), a former medical perfusionist and graduate of the Central Saint Martins School of Art & Design, had just finished a residency at North Lands Creative Glass when her elegant vessel forms, inspired by nature, were selected for Emerge 2012. Evolve highlights the development of these artists in the years since they were identified as rising talent in the world of kiln-glass.
The Emerge competition recognizes the efforts of students, early-career artists, and artists from other media who are rising through the ranks of kilnformed studio glass and design, but have not been represented by a major gallery at an art fair. Selected from hundreds of entries, the finalists are evaluated on the excellence of their concept, craftsmanship, and design by a panel of three jurors. The 2014 jurors were independent curator Kathleen Moles, artist Emily Nachison, and James Yood, Critic and Associate Professor of Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Selections from both Emerge 2014 and Evolve will travel to the Bullseye Resource Center Bay Area, the Pittsburgh Glass Center, and the Bellevue Arts Museum.