Vetri features HART students

Vetri International Glass in Tacoma is holding a special exhibition showcasing the work of three promising young artists from the Hilltop Artists in Residence Tacoma (HART) program. The show will be on display through Feb. 8, 2009. An opening reception was held on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Vetri International Glass and the Hilltop Artists in Residence have teamed up to provide the Hilltop students an experience with the business side of the art world—a subject often overlooked in arts education programs. After meeting with gallery representatives Sarah Traver and Rosie Daniel, the students were asked to send portfolios to the gallery proposing an exhibition of their work, an intimidating process for artists at any stage in their career. Trenton Quiocho, Gnoulim Ninhnapah and Jake Merritt, who work together as glassblowers on the HART production team, were selected to be featured in this season's exhibition. 

Trenton Quiocho came to the program at the age of 15. Now 17, he has assisted the glassblowing team at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, WA, competed in the annual Twisty Cup Pro Am competition at M Space, and become a member of the production team at HART. Inspired by his father's love of fixing old Volkswagens, Quiocho embraces the focus and care it takes to be a skilled glassblower and successful artist. His work incorporates bold color combinations and sleek forms referencing the classic style of the Italian masters.

Self-proclaimed "beader" Gnoulim Ninhnapah is the first flameworker from HART to be featured at Vetri.  Her beautiful, highly detailed glass beads exhibit her uniquely sensitive approach. After watching her older brother complete the Hilltop program, Ninhnapah was drawn to working with glass and exploring its possibilities within the medium. Seeing glass as a canvas, she strives to create each of her beads with a sense of wonder and grace. A student at HART since age 13, Ninhnapah has worked on several important commissions and participated in technical demonstrations at the Museum of Glass and the Indianapolis Children's Museum of Art.

The third artist exhibiting at Vetri is Jake Merritt, a recent graduate who has worked in glass for the past year. Merritt found an anchor for his passion in the arts and excelled in the program. Now on the production team at HART as well as at two reputable Tacoma glass studios—M Space and Tacoma Glassblowing Studio—he has all but completely filled his time with glass. Merritt's pieces are characterized by his use of simple, refined forms to emphasize the intricate cane design consistent in his work.