Public Lecture:

The Laguna Murano Chandelier: A Remarkable
Work of American and Venetian Glassmaking

by Marissa Hershon

 

Marissa Hershon, Curator of Ca’ d’Zan and Decorative Arts at The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, will present “The Laguna Murano Chandelier: A Remarkable Work of American and Venetian Glassmaking.” This lecture will explore the seminal work, Laguna Murano Chandelier, from a variety of angles: the collaborative nature of glass blowing, the influence of glassmaking traditions in Murano, Italy on 20thcentury American studio glass, and the talents of major figures involved – Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra and Pino Signoretto. To provide a broader context, the lecture will also delve into the Laguna Murano Chandelier’s place within Chihuly’s prolific career and legacy, considering his pioneering role in the development of the American Studio Glass Movement and the many glass artists that he has taught and worked alongside.

Ms. Hershon oversees the research, interpretation and growth of the museum’s glass collection, and curates The Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion at The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. As an art museum professional for twenty years, she has previously worked at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Chrysler Museum of Art, The Cincinnati Art Museum and The National Museum of Women in the Arts. Hershon has been a contributing author for museum catalogs, including Masterworks: Glass from the Chrysler Museum of Art, as well as articles on a variety of topics, such as 20th- and 21st-century studio glass and Tiffany Studios glass designs. She received her BA in art history from Tulane University and MA in the history of decorative arts from The Smithsonian Associates & Corcoran College of Art + Design.