STANFORD, CA.- The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University presents “Contemporary Glass,” now on view. In this installation, pieces from the 1980s and 1990s are contrasted with more recent sculptures to illustrate the growing sophistication and technical prowess of some of the best artists now working in glass in America. Works are by Dale Chihuly, Mary Ann (Toots) Zynsky, Richard Marquis, Lino Tagliapietra, Dante Marioni, William Morris, Ginny Ruffner, Richard Royal, Klaus Moje, Stephen Rolfe Powell, and Benjamin Moore.

The installation of nearly 20 works, in the Center's Oshman Family Rotunda and H. L. Kwee Galleria, has several foci. First, the artists and works on display all owe some debt to Italian glass, whether the makers have studied in Venice (the glass center of Italy) or their pieces reflect Italian style or technique. Indeed, over the last 40 years American artists such as Dale Chihuly, Benjamin Moore, Richard Marquis, Mary Ann (Toots) Zynsky, and others have made extended visits to Venice and the nearby island of Murano to study with Italian glass masters. Venetian masters, such as Lino Tagliapietra, have brought specialized knowledge to the United States, where the historical burden is lighter and a sense of freedom and experimentation have affected their work.

Second, Italian glass occupies a unique position at Stanford University since it was the Venetian firm of Salviati that Jane Stanford commissioned at the end of the 19th century to provide mosaics for the decoration of buildings on the fledgling campus. In gratitude, the Salviati company gave Mrs. Stanford more than 200 of the factory's glass pieces, vessels that reside today in the collection of the Cantor Arts Center. Some of these Salviati pieces are included as illustrations on the labels in this installation to suggest the influence of Italian glass design. Although the best contemporary glass artists do not “copy” their Italian predecessors, they reinterpret and extend tradition, making it relevant and fresh.

Third, nearly all of the works are loans from local collectors, a fact that underscores the lively interest in this medium in the Bay Area.