Press Release
Chuck Savoie
Pattern and Light

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Artist Statement
My work is comprised of an exploration of glass as a material and a sculptural medium over the past 30 plus years. My exploration has focused on 3 distinct bodies of work. In each body of work I create my own glasses from raw materials, both colored and crystal.

The wall artworks are an exploration of both form and color using 3 dimensional glass objects mounted on the wall in a cross between a painting and a sculpture. They create dynamic artworks of form and light that speak to various personal themes. They are at times peaceful; at other times playful and often dramatic.

The free standing sculptures are made of both glass and bronze. Similar to making my own glasses, I do all my own bronze work, both waxing and pouring in my studio. I juxtapose both the texture on the bronze and the cane work in the cut and polished glass to compose an artwork rich in cultural referencing through pattern. I strive to make elegant and prosaic works that reflect the nobility of the human spirit, both its resilience and its ability to grow.

The goblets are very much about my interest in historical glass and textile patterns that reflect the culture in which they were originally made. I love the quality of pattern and form together in the time honored tradition of goblet making. I use various 17th century color formulas that I “weave” in with the crystal to create the rich patterns in the goblets. I feel the pieces embody the festive and the formal spirit of a goblet.

Education
1993 Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture
M.F.A. University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, IL
1991 Master of Art in Studio Glass
M.A., Illinois State University, Normal, IL
1984 Bachelor of Science in Studio Art
B.S., Southern Connecticut State University,
      New Haven, CT

Post Graduate
Extensive lecturing and study programs completed, including:
Bay Area Glass Institute, San Jose, CA
Cleveland Art institute, Cleveland, OH
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Murano, Italy, Pre Graduate Studies
Pilchuck Glass School
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
New York Experimental Glass Shop, New York, NY
Southern Connecticut State University
Penland School of Crafts

Selected Collections
Smithsonian Museum of American Art,
      Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC
Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Montreal,
      Quebec, Canada
Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL
Illinois State University, Normal, IL
Slater Museum, New Haven, CT
Numerous prominent private collections

Critical Acclaim
Savoie takes from tradition and moves it forward... It's what an artist should do and ultimately is what separates art from pure craft.

--Michael Monroe, former curator Renwick Museum Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.