Marlene Rose Blog - Marlene Rose

Marlene Rose Solo Exhibition at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art

May 2, 2019
art, artist, fine art, fort Wayne Museum of Art, glass artist, Marlene Rose

Marlene is delighted that she’s been invited to hold a solo exhibition of her studio glass sculptures at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art (FWMoA) in Indiana from June 1st until August 4th. Titled Cultural Blueprints, the exhibition will feature some of Marlene’s newest works.

Fort Wayne Museum of Art traces its roots back to 1888, becoming a full-fledged museum in 1921. For close to a hundred years now, FWMoA has been enhancing the lives of those in the growing Fort Wayne Cultural District. In 2007, FWMoA added 10,000 square feet to increase the space for exhibitions, programs and visitors to the Museum fulfilling its vision to be the cultural catalyst of the region.

Marlene was struck by the fact that their philosophy is strikingly similar to her own artistry:

The visual arts represent myriad aspects of our collective cultures, historical experiences, and of the human condition. We believe that the visual arts open our eyes, hearts, and minds to the intersecting dimensions of our worlds and, in doing so, add value and meaning to our lives. This added value and meaning develops from the broadening of personal perspectives, promoting increased empathy, sparking moments of self-discovery, fostering the development of new insights, as well as nurturing our human spirit.

This aligns closely with the theme of Cultural Blueprints. Her sculptures are created with a relatively new technique that builds upon the ancient tradition of bronze casting. Each piece is hand cast from molten glass into a unique and modern work of art that resonates with references and allusions to ancient cultures and civilizations.

You can meet Marlene Rose at the gallery on June 1, at 10:30 am. Join her for a guided talk-through of the Cultural Blueprints solo exhibition – free with museum entrance.

Fort Wayne Museum of Art, 311 East Main Street, Fort Wayne, IN, 46802.

Studio Glass Art

The Revival of Glass Art in Sofia Bulgaria

April 6, 2019
bulgaria, fine art, glass art, Marlene Rose

Marlene Rose and two other American glass artists were chosen by Dawn Bennett of UrbanGlass to attend the Second Biennial International Festival of Glass Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Biennial opening was a great success, with copious TV and radio coverage. They were treated like the rock stars of the art world that they are!

Speaking to a packed hall, Marlene shared her glass artistry and passion with nearly 100 students of the Sofia National School of Applied Arts inspiring a spontaneous ovation. The documentary of her studio glass art was a total hit

The School is for artistically gifted students and is the only functional glass facility in Sofia, the bones of which were donated by the America for Bulgaria Foundation, one of the main sponsors of the whole tour. Marlene’s task became to flesh out these bones with begged, borrowed and improvised equipment and somehow impart enough technique to allow for art to happen.

One example is the furnace at the school – it had been well made but by someone with no experience of actual usage resulting in some “interesting” safety issues. Through much ingenuity and many hand gestures, they managed to get a workable setup and persuade a vital extra few hundred degrees from the furnace. This showed the students (and their teachers) what could be done, even with the limited facilities they had.

Marlene believes she was able to show them that they could make good art with what they had. The rest is up to them. And given the students’ voracious desire for knowledge, their surprising command of English (especially amongst the younger ones), she expects good things to come from this incredible experience.

Marlene met and made many friends in Sofia and hopes that she in some small way contributed to the rebirth of glass art in this beautiful country, known in Europe as “The Rose of the Balkans.”

Collections

Rare Vaseline Glass Sculptures

April 2, 2019
glass sculptures, Marlene Rose, Vaseline glass

Vaseline Glass, (also known as Uranium glass) is an extremely rare yellow-green colored glass that was very popular for a century or so, up until the 1920’s. The strikingly beautiful color also glows slightly under any ultraviolet light. As little as 0.1 to 0.2 percent of uranium dioxide is added to the formula of glass to give it the yellow-green tint, according to Vaseline Glass Collectors Inc.

This rare glass got the nickname “Vaseline” because of the resemblance of some pieces to the hue of Vaseline petroleum jelly, which is light yellow in color. One of the rare qualities of this glass is that the color of a piece can actually vary to the naked eye under different light sources.

One collector in Philadelphia built this beautiful Zen Garden around his Vaseline Box Buddha. When it’s lit up at night you can see it from Ben Franklin Bridge, miles away!

Marlene created a number of sculptures out of this unique glass until her supplier ran out. She’s been hunting for another source of supply of this amazing glass for at least a decade. When a loyal collector recently had a casualty with one of his Vaseline glass sculptures during a move he was heartbroken to learn she had no more of the glass.

This motivated Marlene to renew her hunt for a new source of Vaseline glass and thanks to some suggestions on Instagram (welcome to the Age of Social Media!) she was able to connect with a company that imports it from New Zealand and obtained enough for one run in the studio.

Once the replacement piece for her collector has been cast there will be a small amount of Vaseline glass left over, so look out for some stunning new works from Marlene in this rare and beautiful medium.

Exhibitions

Marlene Rose Glass Sculptures & Early Works of Edward Mapplethorpe on Show in Atlanta in April

March 19, 2019
art, exhibition, glass artist, Marlene Rose, sculptures, studio glass

Art lovers and aficionados in the Atlanta area are in for a treat this April. Marlene Rose is exhibiting her Cultural Tension/Glass Sculptures alongside early works of acclaimed photographer, Edward Mapplethorpe. The exhibition is at the Fay Gold Gallery, 161 Mangum Street SW, Atlanta, GA. The opening is April 2^nd from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

Fay Gold, renowned for owning the most important contemporary art gallery in the South for 29 years, has launched a new gallery space on Mangum Street. Fay has represented Marlene for over a decade, but this will be the first time showing her studio glass sculpture work in this converted 1890’s railroad warehouse space.

Edward Mapplethorpe assisted his older brother Robert (1946-1989) in his studio throughout the 1980s. In 1983, Mapplethorpe launched his solo career establishing a distinct and personal style. His luminous nudes, portraits, still lifes, and abstract works have been exhibited and collected throughout the United States, as well as in major cities around the world.

Marlene’s exhibition Cultural Tensions includes some brand-new pieces. So new, in fact, they are still in the works and will be unveiled for the first time at the exhibition opening.

If you’re in the Atlanta area in April, please join Marlene at the opening and share in this exciting exhibition of her new glass sculptures.

(Valet Parking will be available)

Collections

How Collectors Display their Sculptures!

December 17, 2018

Home is where the heart is…. but it is also where the art is!

Art is the touch that ties a home together and reflects the collector’s vision of beauty. A child’s drawing on the refrigerator door, the masterwork above the mantel, all show the inner face of the one who chose and placed it.

No matter the size, the shape or the medium, the heart that makes a home is reflected through art.

Marlene loves being a part of this creation. As she says, “The life inside the art reflects the beauty they see.”

We thought you might enjoy seeing some of the personal styles shown by Marlene’s wonderful collectors.

Uncategorized

SOFA Chicago opens in 5 weeks!!!

September 25, 2018

Represented by

HABATAT GALLERIES

Marlene Rose returns to SOFA Chicago this year with prestigious Habatat Galleries of Michigan. This marks Marlene’s fourteenth year exhibiting at SOFA Chicago… and she is extremely pleased to debut a brand new body of work this year…so new, that Marlene is still working on the finishing touches.

SOFA Chicago… Think of it as an Art Basel, but focused primarily on sculptural objects. Over the last 25 years SOFA has become a dynamic marketplace where a highly select group of dealers present unique masterworks in stunning gallery exhibits.

Hope to see you there!!

SOFA CHICAGO
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

Thursday, November 1, 2017: 5 – 9 pm
Friday, November 2, 11 am – 7 pm
Saturday, November 3, 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday, November 4, 12 – 6 pm

Uncategorized

Exciting Installation for the City of Clearwater…

October 6, 2017

RED ETERNITY RELIC
108 x 43 x 23″

The City of Clearwater contacted Marlene earlier this year about displaying one of her sculptures in the historic district of downtown Clearwater.

Somewhat of a renaissance has been occurring here over the past few years. New and beautiful luxury condos, wonderful restaurants, boutiques and of course, the Marlene Rose Gallery, have captivated both locals and travelers from around the world.

Everything came together perfectly for this eighth season of “Sculpture 360”, sponsored by the city’s Public Art and Design Program, and the work will be on display through December of 2018.

If you are anywhere near the Tampa Bay area, we hope you will come and see Marlene’s “Red Eternity Relic”.

We are very fortunate to belong to a city that supports the arts.

* To see a video of the installation, click here and scroll all the way to the bottom.

What Marlene says about this sculpture:

These are some of the thoughts that coalesced into this sculpture…

In its form, the Red Eternity Relic refers to a seemingly ancient set of symbols, symbols that seem to me to be almost universal. These shards of what I see are part-remembered memories of the past, and all these are frozen forever into the icy-hot stillness of the glass.

The Eternity Relic is a monument, a reminder of a far-forgotten time and place, a distant empire-universe of the imagination, something lurking just below our consciousness. It is a relic of that particular eternity.

The Circle hints at infinity and the ever-present moment, eternally balanced over the off-center Arm. The Arm and the Spring below it together epitomize action. So, Action, in the eternal Moment, fills our infinite universe with joyous life.

The rich red color on the glass epitomizes the core of our life, while the armature, a proto-human form in dark patina, holds all of this in place.

Now, these are just what I see. You may see something completely different! And you know what, you are right too! That is the joy of art!!!

Uncategorized

SOFA Chicago OPENS in 4 weeks

October 5, 2017

NIGHT BLOSSOM
40x48x4″

MARLENE ROSE
Represented by
HABATAT GALLERIES

Marlene Rose returns to SOFA Chicago this year with prestigious Habatat Galleries of Michigan. This marks Marlene’s thirteeth year exhibiting at SOFA Chicago… and she is extremely pleased to debut a piece from her Trees series, NIGHT BLOSSOM.

This piece represents a milestone in the continuation of Marlene’s artistic journey into the exploration of stripped-down form and texture, while pushing the limits of size. This piece represents a further step, too, in presentation. While it is quite beautiful on its own, it also has built-in illumination that can be tuned as to brightness and warmth of color, making it perfect for any lighting environment.

SOFA Chicago… Think of it as an Art Basel, but focused primarily on sculptural objects. Over the last 24 years SOFA has become a dynamic marketplace where a highly select group of dealers present unique masterworks in stunning gallery exhibits.

Hope to see you there!!

SOFA CHICAGO
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

Thursday, November 2, 2017: 5 – 9 pm
Friday, November 3, 2017: 11 am – 7 pm (10 – 11 am VIP hour)
Saturday, November 4, 2017: 11 am – 7 pm (10 – 11 am VIP hour)
Sunday, November 5, 2017: 12 – 6 pm

Uncategorized

Hawaiian Bell Wall

October 18, 2016

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Last week Marlene was flown out to Hawaii (the big island) by two new collectors to discuss an outdoor installation of her Buddha Wall series. Somehow the whole family managed to tag along!True Hawaiian hospitality resulted in many new friends. One in particular was familiar with another installation nearby that Marlene had created for a client, through the Angela King Gallery of New Orleans. A visit was arranged so Marlene could see one of her babies!

This Hawaiian Bell Wall is installed into a lava wall built specially to frame it.

The form of the Bell in this Wall is descended from the bronze bells of the Han dynasty. During the day the Hawaiian sun plays happily with the colors in the Bells, kicking and splashing, while at night they are illuminated from within to form a focal point for the gorgeous house. The house is built on the Kona side of the Island, and is surrounded by ancient frozen lava flows whose barren strength is punctuated with unexpected bursts of life and color, exactly counterpointing the structure and coloration of this Bell Wall.

The Asian ancestry of the Bells also fits well with the exotic ambiance of the Island aesthetic, and the composition as a whole parallels the fiery and volcanic origin of the land around it, lit by bursts of unexpected color.

A perfect fit, on so many levels…

PS Can’t wait for the next site visit! Marlene’s arm comes pre-twisted!