Saturday, May 24th, 10:00 am
IF you’re going, contact Ed Slough at wildhybrid@aol.com
We will be meeting at the entrance @ 10 AM on Saturday, May 24th. Carpools will be organized. This is a wheelchair accessible destination. And we will be enjoying lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Admission Charges
$15 Adults, $12 Seniors
$5 Military, & Students (with ID)
WMODA is a non-profit museum founded in 2014 by Arthur Wiener and his family to inspire appreciation and understanding of ceramics and glass as art forms. This remarkable legacy enables us to celebrate an important aspect of our cultural heritage in an exciting and enjoyable environment.
The WMODA collection features many striking figures made by studio potters during the 1920s and 30s. Creative partnerships in the Chelsea area of London have been discussed previously, and we are now exploring the rest of London and beyond. Pottery statuettes remained highly sought after by collectors in the 1930s, and many sculptors worked for prominent manufacturers, including Royal Doulton and Royal Worcester.
After London’s Great Exhibition of 1851, advocates of the Arts and Crafts movement disparaged ornate factory-made porcelain. Design reformers, such as William Morris, encouraged a return to pre-industrial production methods and inspired artists in other media to work in ceramics. Sculptors modeled in terracotta which was more affordable than carving in stone or casting in bronze. Painters worked on glazed tile pictures which were very popular in Victorian homes as they could be cleaned easily in the sooty interiors caused by candles, coal fires, and gas lights. At Minton’s Art Pottery in London, young women were employed to decorate vases, plaques, and tiles from 1870 until the studio was destroyed by fire in 1875. Pottery painting also became very popular with ladies of leisure in the late 19th century. Chinamania was satirized by popular cartoonists and the new aesthetes were ridiculed in Patience, the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.
Venice has been producing glass since the 10th century, and Murano became the main center in 1291 when glassmakers were ordered to relocate their furnaces to the small island in the Venetian lagoon to mitigate fire hazards. Over the centuries, the Murano masters have changed our perception of glass as an artistic medium.
Chihuly explores new and old techniques, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. He draws inspiration from the world around him, creating statements in color and form which have reimagined conventional, ideas of function and beauty for over fifty years. Chihuly is renowned for vibrantly colored glass vessels, which are formed several layers deep. The masterful technique and compelling designs have captivated art enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. The new Hot Glass Gallery at WMODA is enhanced by Chihuly’s spectacular Persian Wall, formerly at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio Restaurant in San Francisco. The glass rondels look like giant wallflowers on a garden trellis, reflecting Chihuly’s love of flowers and nature.
The 1925 Paris World’s Fair of decorative art gave rise to a new international design style, which became known as Art Deco. The style is characterized by streamlined, geometric designs, bold colors and the use of luxurious materials, reflecting an appreciation for modernity and machine-made objects. Our new Art Deco Gallery at WMODA showcases pottery and porcelain art from the Roaring Twenties and Glamorous Thirties. Have fun with THE entertaining Roaring Twenties Trivia Trail.