By Ethan Connolly ’29, Entertainment Design, and Cam Contreras ’29, Creative Writing

To celebrate the renowned works of Lino Tagliapietra, Barbara Basch has displayed a collection of his glassblown art pieces in the Richard and Barbara Basch Glass Gallery at ������Ƶ. The Basch glass collection features over 40 artworks that celebrate Lino Tagliapietra’s marvelous artistry.

Barbara Basch and her late husband, Richard Basch, have collected dozens of glass-blown artworks for their contemporary glass collection since 1993. Their involvement with ������Ƶ began in 2009, when they donated their 300-piece glass collection to the college, which is part of an exclusive gallery there. Various pieces from the Basch glass collection are displayed annually in a gallery that honors both the collection and its collectors. Their involvement did not stop there—as in 2014, the Basches gave a generous donation to ������Ƶ that helped erect the Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center, which has helped transform ������Ƶ.

The Basches became fascinated with Tagliapietra’s works when they first collected one of his pieces several years ago. The seemingly gravity-defying geometric forms, along with the bold color palette used, attracted their attention immediately. They have collected over 40 of Tagliapietra’s glassblown artworks.

Tagliapietra’s career spans well over seven decades, during which he has produced hundreds of uniquely stunning blown-glass pieces. His works derive from centuries-old traditions of Venetian glassblowing that have been infused with his own contemporary art styling to produce exuberantly dynamic forms of art. Tagliapietra’s works have always combined rich history with stunning innovation in a perfect blend.

What makes Tagliapietra’s works so visually stunning are his glassblowing techniques, vibrant color palettes, and sculptural meticulousness. When Basch was asked why she chose to showcase Tagliapietra’s works, she stated, “I want to make him feel honored. He can no longer create glass-blown works because they require a lot of upper-body strength.” The glassblown artworks displayed in the gallery are some of Tagliapietra’s most visually captivating pieces. His Dinosaur series comprises a few glass pieces that utilize scale and color in a breathtaking perspective. The twisting geometry of the thin neck gives way to a vase-like base infused with vibrant colors arranged in a radial form. Basch went on to explain that, with all of Tagliapietra’s works, there was always a level of understanding in chemistry and geometry needed to perfect the techniques used in glassblowing. Fuji, London, and Africa are a few more notoriously beautiful pieces created as an artistic tribute to those countries, with their color palettes being inspired by dominant and primary colors found within the countries. When light shines onto these pieces, the reflected color brings a new vibrance and energy to the space in which they occupy. Each glassblown piece has an intimate connection held together by themes, which serve to form relationships with those observing.

Tagliapietra’s legacy is one that will continue on. From collaborating with fellow artists to having taught students, Tagliapietra’s grasp on glassblowing has blown into other inspiring artists’ hands. Tagliapietra’s mastery of the glass medium has led to a profound career that explored the great possibilities of glassblowing. His legacy is one filled with beauty, innovation, and creative evolution, and it still continues to shape the art form of glassblowing today.

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As she guides guests through the exhibition, she spends equal time on each piece, offering a mix of formal description, process information, and personal narrative — stories of studio visits in Murano, Italy or where in her house each work lives. It’s hard to imagine living in a glass museum. Stumbling through the kitchen in the middle of the night and looking for a glass of water would have all new repercussions. Watching Barbara Basch weave her small frame between the massively imposing and yet frightfully fragile sculptures, might instinctually inspire you to hold your breath. As she confidently rocks and rotates rainbow colored orbs atop white pedestals whose parameters signal, “NO TOUCHING,” she paints a portrait of an intimate relationship with these works. Many of the sculptures did, in fact, live in her kitchen. 

As the title suggests, the works are connected by continuity of shape — the works in the show are primarily circular and spherical. Within the selection, other themes begin to emerge. An excerpt of these works were made by Venetian artists working in Murano, Italy. This corner of the gallery transports the viewer to a medieval archipelago with its aquatic effects and swaths of cerulean and cobalt. One of several works by Lino Tagliapietra titled Medusa (2015), the Italian word for jellyfish and not a reference to the mythological creature, Basch informs, abstractly depicts the aquatic creatures of its namesake. Tagliapietra’s underwater exploration continues across the surface of two orbs, Kuma (2019) and Durango (2019), whose surface treatments bear resemblance to jewellike coral and sea anemones. Between them, several works with great-curving gestures in shades of gold and metallic blue ferry the viewer above ground with the evocation of ornamental Baroque architectural features.

Located in pride of place is a brightly hued highlight of the show, a collection of works by Seattle- based glass artist Richard Royal. Royal’s mix of cast and blown sculptures are full of allusions to art history. The hot sculpted glass, Ode to Mondrian (2019) discloses its meaning in the title, but viewers can arrive at the reference on their own, without the aid of descriptive text. The clear glass is lined on one side with colorful depictions of geometric shapes in primary colors, outlined in black. An untitled yellow blown glass orb with a red swirling stripe gestures towards Op art, with its stretched and twisting optical illusion; and the cast glass, Primarily Red Scroll (2017), invokes the massive sculptures of familiar and household items by the pop art great Claes Oldenberg. 

The whimsical collection is made more so by the personal and anecdotal descriptions generously given by Basch. Her docent tour offers the viewer a fun and subjective take on the typically passive experience of a wall text. Located on the College’s campus, the exhibition offers students and faculty a fun and fresh examination of contemporary examples of the glass medium. ������Ƶ is also home to a state-of-the-art glass blowing facility located in the Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center.    

The exhibition will be on view until March 24 and is open Monday through Friday, 9 am-3 pm and Saturday, 12-4 pm. led by Barbara Basch are offered on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 am. ������Ƶ’s Richard and Barbara Basch Gallery is located on the first floor of the Larry R. Thompson Academic Center at 2363 Old Bradenton Road.

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Lost Summer, an exhibition of large and small scale landscape paintings by Ringling alumni Lee Mayer ’72, Commercial Art, filled the Patricia Thompson Alumni and Skylight Galleries. For the Brizdle-Schoenberg Special Collections curated selection of humorous books, Just the Funny Stuff, Digital Curation and Special Collections Librarian Janelle Rebel offered her top ten humorous picks. 

Storyteller and author Larry Littany Litt gave a reading, performance, and interactive prompt to an audience in the Carol Camiener Plaza. Reading from his book, Mad Monk Improper Parables: Wit, Wisdom, Humor, Laughter and Practical Advice, Litt offered all of the above in a performance that mixed passages from his writing with off the cuff conversation. His performance culminated in an invitation for members of the audience to join him in a symbolic burning of printed tokens. Participants waved the printed sheets over a decorative fire, a fan- blown fabric artifice lit from below, before tearing the page up and throwing the pieces in the cauldron. The ritual was the perfect mix of halloween store decor, sincere intention, and self-deprecating humor, to keep the audience committed. 

At Go Figure! The Figure Enhancement Workshop, in the Selby Foundations Gallery, framed figure drawings by Ringling students were up for sale to take home on the spot, with gallery attendants acting as auctioneers. The sales were part of a fundraiser to raise money for The Figure Enhancement Workshop, known as FEWs, a student-run and student-funded life drawing studio program at ������Ƶ. As part of the programming for the fundraiser, ongoing and informal life drawing classes took place throughout the evening. Students and visitors alike sharpened their skills as onlookers observed. 

Highlights from the first Art Walk of 2023 

A curated selection of the Basch Glass Art collection, Circles and Spheres, was on view at the Richard and Barbara Basch Gallery in the Larry R. Thompson Academic Center. An exhibition of junior and senior year photography work, Chimeras, was on display on the second floor of the Cooley Center, and student design work for a cause was on display, with items for sale, in Design Activism Hub and a Plate for All: Combating Food Insecurity and Food Waste at the Lois and David Stulberg Gallery. And, an Untitled exhibition of colorful, mixed media artworks was on view at the Crossley Gallery.  

To end the night, a live performance by St. Petersburg-based psychedelic post-punk band Liquid Pennies injected some energy into the closing hour of the Art Walk. The show was enjoyed by an eclectic audience of students, families, and retirees, and offered a convivial last note to the evening, with art goers lingering for a pause on their way home.  

The next Art Walk will be held Feb. 24 and promises another evening of exceptional art, experiences, and fun. Art Walk is free and open to the public, and one of many ways ������Ƶ engages the Sarasota community. For more information, visit the ������Ƶ Galleries and Exhibitions website.

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The exhibition showcases the work of these ������Ƶ students who placed in a college-wide competition.

• Briana Uchendu ’21, Illustration
• DeAnna Boyer ’22, Illustration
• Emily Ehlen ’21, Illustration
• Juniper (Jiana) Johnson ’22, Creative Writing
• Jithesh Beeharry ’21, Film
• Katelan Thomas ’21, Visual Studies
• Luna Krizan ’22, Film
• Ezar Savaro ‘22, Illustration
• Steven Staub ’22, Illustration
• Will Mauricette ’24, Film

The exhibition is a collaboration between the organization and Ringling’s INDEX program. INDEX provides students with the chance to work on real-world projects with real-world clients to gain crucial work experience before graduation.

Through the INDEX program, the Newtown Alive Exhibition Series sent out calls for submission multiple times throughout the school year. Each call focused on a specific person, place, or event from Sarasota’s African American history, and included supporting explanatory materials to help inspire and inform student submissions. A panel of judges selected the exhibition winners. 

“Our partnership with ������Ƶ is helping to fulfill the mission of preserving, celebrating and sharing the history, arts, and cultural heritage of African Americans,” said Vickie Oldham. Oldham, along with a team of professionals and volunteers, is leading the Newtown Alive initiative to compile, organize, and package the history of Newtown, the historically black neighborhood of Sarasota in which she grew up.

The exhibit will be on display through October 22 and is open to the community. The gallery is open to visitors from 9 am to 3 pm daily. The gallery is located on campus, on the first floor of the Larry R. Thompson Academic Center. Visitor parking is available in the lot directly in front of the building.

This exhibition was made possible, in part, by the Thompson Creative Fund, The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Exchange, and by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues. This exhibition was also made possible, in part, from the support of the ������Ƶ INDEX Program, Newtown Alive, and Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition.

Contact:
Laura Neff-Henderson, APR
Director of Marketing and Communications
941-330-7436

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