Touring the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion with Curator Marissa Hershon

"Rose Dress" by Karen LaMonte (2002)

The Kotler Coville Pavilion at Ringling Museum opened to the public in 2018. And when I say "to the public," I mean it. Admission to the Pavilion is free, providing an opportunity for a discrete art outing for Asolo Rep theatergoers and art lovers a bit short on time. Be warned, though. You're going to want to linger.   

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Pavilion with Marissa Hershon, curator of the Museum's glass collection. Hershon also serves as the curator of Ca d'Zan and Decorative Arts. Ca d'Zan is of course the Ringlings' former home, and Hershon's job of maintaining the property got bigger after last year's hurricane season. Repairs are still ongoing. The Museum's Decorative Arts collection contains more than 6,000 objects, many of which are displayed in the 36,000 square foot Ca d'Zan. I'd love to dig into that collection with her sometime. But the topic at hand was the art glass on display in the Pavilion. It is stunning. 

The Museum's glass collection includes more than 400 pieces. While a number of the works were donated by the Kotlers and the Covilles, the Museum has added to the original collection and continues to do so. Approximately 60 works are on display at any given time, with at least 10% being rotated each year. The next rotation will happen in June, and Hershon promised the changes will be noticeable.

"Yellow Amulet" by Laura Donefer (2012)

Curating an exhibit involves more than just thinking about a theme or what works complement each other. Hershon also considers the identity of the artists whose work is being displayed. The goal is to feature artists across the spectrum -- young and old, established and new to the scene, men and women. For today, I'll focus on work by some of the female artists in the collection. 

Laura Donefer's "Yellow Amulet" is an example of a work of art that is both beautiful and holds a powerful story. Let's start with the name of the work. An amulet is an ornament intended to bring protection against evil or danger. Okay. Then there's the color yellow that references the yellow Star of David-shaped badge that Jewish people were required to wear in Nazi Germany. Yes, this work has a Holocaust theme embedded in it. 

The Holocaust was more than just a history lesson for both Donefer and Margot Triest-Coville. Donefer had relatives who were held captive in concentration camps and eventually murdered there. Coville lost her own parents to Auschwitz. Determined to save other families from suffering a similar tragedy, Coville led ten Jewish children across the border from France into the safety of Switzerland. She was a mere 13 years old at the time. These stories, as well as the stories of all Holocaust victims and survivors, are embedded in "Yellow Amulet." Wow. 

Not all of Donefer's work is so heavy. While a tiny bit off point, I can't resist mentioning that Donefer has curated the Murano Glass Society Fashion Show multiple times. This isn't your run-of-the-mill fashion show with models strutting down a catwalk. Instead, imagine a parade of gondolas ferrying people wearing imaginative costumes made of glass down Venice's canals. How cool is that? To see some pictures from the 2018 Festival, click here. And for a bit more on Donefer, click here. I would love to meet her. 

"Bridesmaid Returns to the Shore
of Her Full Moon" By Amber Cowan (2019)

"Bridesmaid Returns to the Shore of Her Full Moon" by Amber Cowan is a work Hershon brought into the collection. She calls it a "masterpiece." While we know that size doesn't matter, at 32' tall, 22' wide and 9-1/2' deep, it's one of the larger works in the collection. The depth of the work is particularly striking and is dictated by Cowan's process.   

Cowan is known for using salvaged glass in her work. In this case, the glass came from Fenton Art Glass Co. of West Virginia. The company was in the glass-making business for more than 100 years and was known for the innovative colors of its wares. The striking Periwinkle Blue caught both Cowan's and Hershon's eyes. 

To create this work, Cowan used a flameworking torch to melt the glass and shape it into flowers, leaves, feathers and, a bit mysteriously, marbles. Hershon noted that while made in the 21st century, "Bridesmaid" has a distinctly Rococo feel. (As I'm sure you recall, "Rococo" works of art and architecture were known for their dramatic, ornamental and, dare I say, busy style.) In the midst of the garden stands a girl looking at a full moon. She is the bridesmaid for which the piece is titled and was also made by Fenton Art Glass. If you look closely you'll see that a hummingbird is pecking at the moon. What it's trying to achieve is up to you to decide. For a better image of this work, click here. And for more on Cowan, click here. 

"Enrico's Walls" by Judi Elliott (2018) 

I'll leave you with a look at "Enrico's Walls" by Judi Elliott. As the first work that Hershon acquired for the collection, it has a special place in her heart. Hershon acknowledged that the piece looks somewhat simple on its face. But as we know, appearances can be deceiving. 

Elliott is an Australian artist whose work is inspired by architecture. More specifically, her art pays homage to the buildings designed by architect Enrico Taglietti. And why not? Elliott lived in an "Enrico House" for many years. She likened the experience to living in a work of art. 

While we can't see it here, "Enrico's Walls" has a different composition on the back with darker hues. It's a metaphor for a house with an exterior and an interior. Or, if we want to go deeper, it's like each of us with the face we show to the world and our inner selves. Elliott's work is also inspired by Jungian psychology which, according to AI, "emphasizes the importance of the unconscious mind and its role in personal growth and psychological wholeness." I'll leave that for you to consider, but I like the fact that this work, like others in the Ringling's collection, can be appreciated on different levels. As the saying goes, it's more than just a pretty face. For more of Elliott's Taglietti-inspired work, click here. 

Thanks to Hershon for sharing some of her favorite works in the collection with me. Our time together was both informative and fun, and I hope I get the chance to do it again after the June rotation. For my previous blogs about the Kotler-Coville Pavilion itself and Karen LaMonte (whose "Rose Dress" opens this post), click here and here. And while the works are of course best to see in person, you can click here for images of what's currently on display. Happy viewing!