Selection of Exquisite and Boldly Shaped World-Class Glasswork by 16 Renowned International Artists Featured at Sarasota Art Museum
Contemporary/Traditional: Selections from the Basch Glass Collection highlights inventive contemporary exploration of the medium’s techniques and artistic innovations
SARASOTA, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2023) – Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design is pleased to present Contemporary/Traditional: Selections from the Basch Glass Collection, on view Oct. 22, 2023-Feb. 11, 2024. Drawn from the Richard and Barbara Basch Collection, Contemporary/Traditional gives a glimpse into the dynamic world of international contemporary glass art of the late 20th and 21st centuries. This exhibition showcases a stunning range of glasswork styles, ranging from delicate figural sculptures to powerful abstract shapes.

Blown and slumped glass,13 4/10 x 25 x 7 in., 20 x 21 x 6 in., 24 x 19 x 6 in., 27 x 18 x 6 in. Collection of Richard and Barbara Basch. Image courtesy of Ringling College of Art and Design.
Contemporary/Traditional reveals how today’s glass artists are pushing traditional boundaries, innovating, and asserting their own vision in their works. The artists featured in the exhibition have mastered classical approaches and chosen to bend or abandon the rules, expand ideas, and develop new techniques, giving a contemporary interpretation of the medium and revolutionizing glass art.
“It’s all about technique for the studio glass artists featured in Contemporary/Traditional, some of whom are reinvigorating centuries-old methods, while others are inventing new ones,” said Virginia Shearer, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum. “From revered pioneers and popular contemporaries to emerging talents, each of the artists in Contemporary/Traditional brings a unique approach to the varied and wondrous use of this fragile and enduring medium.”
Visitors will have a chance to discover more than 40 works by some of the world’s leading glass artists, including artist-duo Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg, Lucio Bubacco, Dale Chihuly, Václav Cigler, Jun Kaneko, Carmen Lozar, married duo Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, Dante Marioni, Debora Moore, Alessandro Diaz de Santillana, Laura de Santillana, Livio Seguso, Preston Singletary, and Lino Tagliapietra.
“We think visitors will be enchanted by the vibrant colors and patterns and sensual and sinuous forms of works by Tagliapietra, Chihuly, and Baldwin and Guggisberg, just as they will be delighted by the exquisitely detailed and ingenious representational works by Moore and Bubacco,” said Rangsook Yoon, the Museum’s senior curator. “Contemporary studio glass artists have transformed the way we think about glass as a serious fine art form. The unexpectedly bold, abstract forms created by such innovators as the de Santillana siblings, Cigler, and Libenský and Brychtová will, I think, open viewers’ eyes and minds to new imaginative territory. I am grateful to Barbara Basch, who has kindly collaborated with me in selecting the works for this exhibition.”

Blown and carved glass, 31 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in, 26 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in, 23 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. Collection of Richard and Barbara Basch. Image courtesy of Schantz Galleries. Photo: Alex Ramsay.
Barbara Basch states, “Richard and I have always enjoyed sharing our collection of studio art glass with as many people as we were able; our mission has been to demonstrate the beauty, the variety of technique and color, and the interpretation of each artist’s inspirations. Each sculpture is unique, and the possibilities are endless!”
Contemporary/Traditional is made possible by, and with thanks to Barbara Basch and her late husband Dr. Richard Basch. Their extensive collection of over 300 unique glass objects and artworks will be donated exclusively to Ringling College of Art and Design. This exhibition is organized by Sarasota Art Museum and curated by Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D., the Museum’s senior curator.

Blown glass, 38 3/4 x 11 x 8 in. © Lino Tagliapietra. Collection of Richard and Barbara Basch. Image courtesy of Schantz Galleries.
This exhibition is made possible, in part, by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.
Sarasota Art Museum is Ringling College of Art and Design’s dynamic laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. As Sarasota’s only museum solely focused on contemporary artists and their work, Sarasota Art Museum showcases art that is happening now. Audiences can learn more about this exhibition by visiting Contemporary/Traditional: Selections from the Basch Glass Collection.
Related Public Programs:
Curator Talk: Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D.
Saturday, Nov. 4
1 pm
Meet in the Sarasota High School Alumni Auditorium
Members: FREE; Not-Yet Members: $20 (includes Museum Admission)
Registration Required
Today’s glass artists are pushing the traditional boundaries of the medium, innovating, and asserting their own vision in their works. They’re turning an ancient medium into an exciting part of the contemporary visual art scene. Join Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D., senior curator at Sarasota Art Museum, to learn how these accomplished contemporary glass artists are playing with forms and creating compelling new artworks.
About Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota Art Museum is a catalyst for appreciation and understanding of the art of our time. As a platform for exposure, education, and experimentation, the Museum inspires new ideas and new ways of being through an endless rotation of transformative, relevant, and pioneering exhibitions and programs designed to elevate and empower all by cultivating discerning visual thinkers and ethical citizens.
Bistro at Sarasota Art Museum is located on the Museum’s campus in Paul Rudolph’s Sarasota School of Architecture 1959 Vocational Shops building. The Bistro fare is inspired by Florida’s regional fruit stands and farmer’s markets and emphasizes local produce, healthy proteins, and artisanal specialty items brought to you by Executive Chef and general manager Kaytlin Dangaran.
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