LIGHT IN TRANSMISSION Pittsburgh Glass Center’s First Neon and Plasma Exhibition Opens Feb. 5
Penn Avenue Arts District will soon be aglow when Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on its first neon and plasma exhibition on Friday, Feb. 5 called, “Light in Transmission: A Neon and Plasma Light Exhibition.” This exhibition is a survey of the diverse range of light art within the shared medium of both neon and plasma sculpture curated by Percy Echols II, an artist, creator of the podcast “Taming Lighting” and PGC’s first recipient of the Ron Desmett Memorial Award for Imagination with Glass. Funded by The Fisher Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, this exhibition features the work of 16 artists and will be on view to the public in person and online through May 9, 2021 at Pittsburgh Glass Center.
“As an artist, I chose those who had impacted my creative process, education, and expanded my world view on the nearly unlimited potential of neon and plasma light as an artistic medium. As a curator, the people I invited present expressions of light, within a variety of shared and differing experiences, skills, and techniques. ‘Light In Transmission’ is a multilayered expression of my excitement in this growing community be it the undying light of neon, or the obscure nature of plasma. Past, present, or future, there will be light,” said Echols.
Participating artists include:
Shown Above: Michael Flechtner
Virtual Opening Celebration,
Friday, Feb. 5 at 7pm ET
To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, PGC will host a virtual opening celebration onFacebook Livefeaturing remarks by curator Percy Echols II and a neon demonstration by LIT artistMichael Flechtner of Southern California and vice president of the board of directors for the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, CA. He creates two- and three-dimensional neon art. Over the years, he has created a number of forms in various sizes that include sea life, aircraft, radios, cameras, etc. The smallest 3-D plane he made has a 6” wingspan and the largest 3-D shark 7’ long.
Shown Above: Danielle James
Science of Glass
To help shine a light on the science of glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center will offer neon and plasma lesson plans for educators created in cooperation with Carnegie Science Center and will also offer neon and plasma classes and workshops this summer with Echols and visiting instructors including:
Neon and Plasma Globes - Two-day workshop
Plasma Vessels Using Glass Soder with Ed Kirshner - 1-week class
It’s All About the Light with Patrick Collentine - 1-week class
Echols is currently perfecting a mobile plasma lab at PGC to conduct demonstrations for the public and bring plasma capabilities into different studios at the Center through grant funding from The Fisher Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation and Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh, a collaborative grant program of The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments. Soon he will be able to take this portable station into schools as a teaching device that will allow students to realize the wider possibilities of crossovers between art and science. He is refining the design of the mobile lab so that it is less technically intimidating and takes inspiration from setups and designs shared by neon and plasma artists that he follows.
“Plasma brings something unique to glass, and that is to invite touch, something very difficult. By producing light through the use of electrified gases it removes the barrier between the viewer and art with its animated glow, allowing an invitation for play as it responds to the viewer's proximity and touch,” Echols said.
On the Left: Percy Echols at PGC
About Percy Echols II
Percy Echols II is passionate about plasma or plasma neon, a process requiring the technical and artist expressions of glass with the alchemical and scientific application of excited gases and specialized equipment used in neon.
Echols’ interest in plasma began in 2014 at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA. He was introduced to the medium through furnace glassblowing in a class taught by Patrick Collentine. He continued working in plasma while pursuing his BFA at Illinois State University while also working with a local neon and sign making shop in Bloomington, IL.
After graduation in 2016, Echols worked at Pittsburgh Glass Center as a studio technician apprentice. During that time he designed and built his first mobile neon lab, a compact and mobile system for vacuuming and filling vessels for plasma or neon tubing. He performed his first public demonstrations, conducted workshops and continued to experiment with the medium. In addition, he used the lab to collaborate with artists such as Robert Mickelsen and Chris Ahalt to create new work.
Echols launched a blog and podcast called “Taming Lightning” in May 2017 to connect with a larger plasma and neon community, build a network, conduct research and share ideas among artists and makers that use the medium.
Percy Echols II was selected as the first recipient of the Ron Desmett Memorial Award for Imagination with Glass from Pittsburgh Glass Center in 2018. The award recognizes artists who think outside of the box, practice curiosity, and take risks to create unique, imaginative works in glass or incorporating glass, characteristics that PGC’s late co-founder Ron Desmett valued.
Echols participated in a neon, plasma, and light exhibition on Murano called “Vetro Illuminato” during the Glass Art Society (GAS) Conference in May 2018 in Murano, Italy.
Shown Above: Percy Echols at PGC