The new Myrna and Sheldon Palley Pavilion for Contemporary Glass and Studio Arts features a stunning $.3.5 million glass collection with masterpieces by Dale Chihuly, Richard Jolley, William Carlson and others, as well as 3-D art by some of the most talented artists in contemporary art.

The Palley Pavilion opened on May 1, 2008 thanks to the vision of long-time University supporters and alumni Sheldon & Myrna Palley, who donated their $3.5 million collection. The first major addition to the museum in 12 years, the pavilion will be used for exhibitions, programming, research and teaching.

Showcased in 3,500 square feet of gallery space are 113 pieces, 70 from the Palley’s collection, as well as works contributed by Janet and Joseph Shein, Joan Baxt and Bernie Bercuson. The works are housed in four galleries, one named for Beaux Arts and another for the Matus Family. Through their aesthetic beauty and intricate details, they mean to impress and inspire all who see them.

Artists represented in Palley Pavilion include:

William Morris (b. 1957, California) is considered one of the most gifted and innovative glass artists in the U.S. today. He lives and works in Seattle, where he originally worked as Dale Chihuly’s gaffer (master glassblower) in the early 1980s. Morris’ work is strongly influenced by his interest in archaeology, ancient pagan cultures, and mythology. He also acknowledges the influence of Italian glass artists in his work. He is especially known for his unique treatment of surface, which he achieves by various techniques, including etching and acid washing. Morris is represented in prestigious national and international collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre.

Dale Chihuly (b. 1941, Washington) is lauded for revolutionizing the Studio Glass movement. He studied interior design, architecture, and glassblowing at the University of Washington, received his MFA at the University of Wisconsin, and another MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he helped establish the glass program. He is also a co-founder of the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington. After losing an eye, as a result of an accident in 1976, Chihuly no longer has the depth perception necessary to handle molten glass himself. Rather, he conceptualizes each project on paint and canvas and employs a team of glass artists, which executes his concepts. This practice has taken the single object into the realm of large-scale, often multi-part contemporary sculptural installations, which balance content with an investigation of the medium’s translucency and transparency. Chihuly is represented in every major museum that owns and collects fine contemporary studio glass.

 Jun Kaneko (b. 1942, Japan) moved to the United States in 1963 to study at the Chouinard Institute of Art where, under the influence of Fred Marer, he was attracted to ceramics. He studied with Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, and Jerry Rothman in California during a time that is now described as the contemporary ceramics movement. He has taught at a number of prestigious schools including Scripps College, Cranbrook Academy of Art, and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1990, he established a studio in Omaha, Nebraska, where he primarily works. Particularly well known for his large Dango (meaning ‘dumpling’ or ‘closed form’ in Japanese) series, his work is included in more than forty museum collections including the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Therman Statom (b. 1953, Florida) grew up in Washington D.C., where the Statoms were, according to the artist, the first African-Americans on the block. He credits Katy Noland, the daughter of painter Kenneth Noland, with whom he attended Georgetown Day School, with introducing him to the innumerable galleries and museums of Washington D.C., which he was soon frequenting. Initially attracted to ceramics, Statom studied at Pilchuck Glass School, earned his BFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design, and his MFA in sculpture from the Pratt Institute. Known as an innovator, Statom has, throughout his career, pushed the boundaries of his medium, creating huge, painterly glass installations in public as well as private spaces. His work is included in numerous distinguished collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Afro-American Museum of Los Angeles.

William Carlson (b. 1950) received his MFA in 1976 from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He is currently an Endowed Professor at the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Miami. He was formerly a Professor of Art and head of the Crafts and Sculpture programs at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Carlson creates laminated sculptures that incorporate materials ranging from glass of his own making, to bits and bands of commercially produced safety glass and Vitrolite, as well as a wide variety of granites. Addressing his concern with issues of interior space, geometry, texture, and color, Carlson has significantly impacted the contemporary art glass movement as both an artist and an educator. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, he is represented in numerous private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Hokkaido Museum of Art in Sapporo, Japan.

Robert Arneson (b. 1930, California; d. 1992) is one of the founding fathers of American ceramic sculpture. He attended the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and receivedhis MFA from Mills College, before becoming the head of the ceramics department at the University of California, Davis. Arneson was greatly influenced by fellow Californian, Peter Voulkos, who had studied Pablo Picasso’s works in clay, but he rejected the notion that ceramic artists should produce only utilitarian or decorative items. Political and social commentary was important to Arneson and his work forced viewers to examine themselves as well as their attitudes about art. Over time, Arneson made the self portrait his primary subject matter. Although by definition self-referential, the ironic and humorous self-portraits were used as vehicles to present universal concepts and feelings. Arneson was part of a dynamic group of irreverent California Pop artists whose work has come to be known as “Funk Art.” His ceramics are found in the most prestigious public and private collections both here and abroad.

View building and selections from the collection