ROBERT DANE - Artist Statement

The themes I have always focused on are of a continuum revolving around life and growth. There is an optimism inherent in my work which I have tried to reinforce in the face of a seemingly constant barrage of negativity and pessimism coming at us from many sources. The beauty of Nature in its many forms continues to inspire me and inform my work. We are often too absorbed by the day to day of our own small existence to visualize and recognize the grand scheme which is transpiring around us. My aim is to celebrate the beauty of the progression of life as it ever unfolds and reveals itself.

My most recent series of sculpture is inspired by the folkloric tradition of Afro-Cuban percussion and dance. The music that came from Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas is based not on the individual, but on the group efforts of the community. It takes everyone in the group, playing their part, to create the melody. I find a strong correlation between this community ritual, and the teamwork of the Italian glassblowing tradition. These pieces are blown and hot-worked solid glass, mounted on wooden bases. I celebrate the expression of community, it’s music, rituals and identity, with my masks, drums, and dancers.

EDUCATION:

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts 2002

Pilchuck Glass School 1988, 1989, 1998

Penland School for Crafts 1982

University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1977-78

Massachusetts College of Art, Boston 1975 BFA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

1996-2005 Dane Gallery, Nantucket, MA

1994 Miller Gallery, New York, NY

1993 Snyderman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1991 Snyderman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Vespermann Gallery, Atlanta, GA

1989 Snyderman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Kurland/Summers Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1987 Holsten Galleries, Pahn Beach, FL

Sara Squeri Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

The Hand and the Spirit, Scottsdale, AZ

1985 Holsten Galleries, Palm Beach, FL

Barstons Gallery, Baltimore, MD

The Hand and the Spirit, Scottsdale, AZ

1984 Saugatuck Gallery, Westport, CT

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS:

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY

Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY

Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA

Glasmuseum, Ebeltoft, Denmark

Museum of American Glass, Millville, NJ

Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT

Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD

OTHER PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:

Atelier Restaurant, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Central Park South, NYC

Four Seasons Hotel, Miami, FL

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Ritz Carlton Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Ritz Carlton Hotel, Grand Cayman

University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City, IA

AWARDS AND HONORS:

1999 Best of Show, Sculpture, Artists Association of Nantucket

1998 Scholarship: Pilchuck Glass School

1996 Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant

1996 Best of Show, Gallery 57 Collection, Springfield, MA

1995 Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant

1994 Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant

1991 Masterwork Fellowship, Creative Glass Center of America, Millville, NJ

1988 Massachusetts Artist Fellowship, Artists Foundation, Boston, MA

1986 Medal Winner; "International Art Competition" 112 Greene Street Gallery, New York, NY

1984 Award Winner: "Capitol Glass Invitational" Glass Gallery, Bethesda, MD

Scholarship: Penland School for Crafts, Penland, NC

1981 Glass Prize: "Crafts Concepts '83" Jewish Community Center, Margate, NJ

1982 First Prize: "Crafts 16 Juried Competition" Museum of Art, Penn State University, University Park, PA

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

1982-Present Independent Studio Artist

1996-Present Co-owner of Dane Gallery, Nantucket, MA

1988-89 Teaching Assistant, Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA

1984 Artist in Residence, Artpark, Lewiston, NY

1979-82 Professional Glassblower, Josh Simpson Glass, Inc.,Shelburne Falls, MA

1977-78 Teaching Assistant-Drawing, University of Massachusetts,Amherst

1975-76 Assistant Instructor-Ceramics, Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, MA

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

2006 American Craft, June/July, “Commissions”

2004 “The Art of Glass,” Nantucket Magazine, by Rose Gonnella

“Artist Profile,” The Nantucket Independent

2003 The Artful Home, Guild Publishing

Geometry From Euclid to Knots, Prentice Hall, Cover Photo

2002 “Glass as Art”, Nantucket Today, Profile by Terry Pommett

2001 Object Lessons, Guild Publishing

Contemporary Glass, Guild Publishing

1998 American Craft, April/May 98, "Commissions"

1994 American Craft, Dec. 93/Jan. 94, "Acquisitions"

1992 American Craft, April/May, pp. 48-49, "Portfolio"

Corning Museum of Glass Calendar, Cover Photo

1991 Glass Art, May/June, pg. 32

1990 Greenfield Recorder, 5/10/90, Exhibition Review

1989 Contemporary Glass, Suzanne K. Frantz

Gulfshore Life, Aug./Sept., pg. 56

1987 Cincinnati Post, 6/26/87, Exhibition Review

1986 Works in Glass, Ferdinand Hampson

Cape Cod Antiques and Art, September

1985 New Work, Winter/Spring, "New Work in New York"

American Craft, Oct./Nov., "Gallery"

Insight: a Collector's Guide to Contemporary Glass, Ferdinand Hampson

1984 Glass: State of the Art 1984, Ferdinand Hampson

1981 American Craft, Oct./Nov., "Gallery"

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2004 “Mastercraft 2004” Gumps, San Francisco, CA

2003 “Mastercraft 2003” Gumps, San Francisco, CA

1998 "'Glass: A Group Exhibition," Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ

"Stockbridge Glass Invitational,"Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA

1997 "Stockbridge Glass Invitational,"Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA

1996 "Mass Glass" Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA,

1995 "One of a Kind, One of Many," Society for Arts and Crafts, Boston, MA

"Stockbridge Glass Invitational," Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA

1995 "6th Annual Glass Show," Hodgell Gallery, Sarasota, FL

1994 "Collective Brilliance: Contemporary Glass," Albany Museum of Art, Albany, GA

"Treasures in Our Midst" Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA

"Glass Today: 1994," Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek, WI

"SOFA Chicago” Chicago, IL Represented by Miller Gallery, NYC

1993 "Tiffany to Ben Tre: A Century of Glass," Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

"21st Annual International Glass Invitational" Habatat Galleries, Farmington Hills, MI

"Stockbridge Glass Invitational," Holsten Gallery, Stockbridge, MA

1992 "What's New” Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

"Architectural Glass" Vespermann Gallery, Atlanta, GA

"20th Annual International Glass Invitational" Habatat Galleries, Farmington Hills, MI

"International Exhibition of Glass '92," Kanazawa, Japan

"SOFA Chicago, Represented by Creative Glass Center of America

"8th Annual International Glass Invitational," Judy Youens Gallery, Houston, TX

1991 "1Oth Annual Celebration of Glass" Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek, WI

"7th Annual Glass Invitational" Judy Youens Gallery, Houston, TX

1990 "MASSACHUSARTS" Mills Gallery, Boston, MA

"Kanazawa Competition '90" Kanazawa, Japan

"Fellowship Winners" Leverett Crafts and Arts Center, Leverett, MA

"National Glass Invitational," Judy Youens Gallery, Houston, TX

1989 "The Vessel: Studies in Form and Media" Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum, LosAngeles, CA

"Massachusetts Artist Fellows at Jacobs Pillow" Beckett, MA

1989 "American Glass Artists" Naples Art Gallery, Naples, FL

"Stockbridge Glass Invitational" Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA

1988 "Contemporary Art Glass" Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL

"Palm Beach Glass Invitational" Holsten Galleries, Palm Beach, FL

"Glass Today 1988" Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek, WI

"Snap, Crackle, Pop - Massachusetts Artist Fellowship Winners" Artists Foundation Gallery, Boston, MA

1987 "Glass '87 in Japan" Tokyo, Japan

"New Glass at New Bedford" New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, MA

"Fine Crafts of New England" Main Street Gallery, Nantucket, MA

1986 "Glass America 1986" Heller Gallery, New York, NY

“14th Annual National Glass" Habatat Galleries, Lathrup Village, MI

"Geometric Impulse - Glass" Snyderman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

“Glass is the Medium" Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI

“36/86" Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, MA

"Palm Beach Invitational" Holsten Galleries, Palm Beach, FL

1985 "Crafts National" Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY

"Glass Today 1985" Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek, WI

"Capitol Glass Award Winners" Glass Gallery, Bethesda, MD

"12th Annual National Glass" Habatat Galleries, Lathrup Village, MI

1984 "Glass America 1984" Heller Gallery, New York, NY

"12th Annual Glass Invitational" Habatat Galleries, Lathrup Village, MI

"Sculpture in Glass" America House Gallery, Tenafly, NJ

1983 "11th Annual Glass Invitational" Habatat Galleries, Lathrup Village, MI

“Feet of Glass" Maryland Art Glass Alliance, Baltimore, MD

“Capitol Glass Invitational" Glass Gallery, Bethesda, MD

"Glass Today 1983" Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek, WI

1982 "24th Contemporary Crafts Exhibition" Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE

"Make it New" University Art Gallery, University of New Hampshire

“Hot Glass" Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT

“Crafts 16 Juried Exhibition" Museum of Art, Penn State University, University Park, PA

1981 "Crafts Exhibition" Springfield Museum of Arts, Springfield, MA

1980 "American Glass 80" Westlake Gallery, White Plains, NY

1979 "Containers" Danforth Museum, Framingham, MA