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Stephen Rolfe Powell: Echoes
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On View: December 2nd, 2016 – January 28th, 2017
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CINCINNATI, OH - Marta Hewett Gallery is pleased to announce Echoes a solo exhibition of recent works by acclaimed glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell. The exhibition will be on view from December 2nd through January 28th, 2017. The gallery will host a reception for the artist on December 2nd from 6-8 pm. This event is free and open to the public.
This exhibition will feature a collection of recent works by internationally recognized artist Stephen Rolfe Powell. Highlights will include his newest series of “echo” glass bowls. Staying true to Stephen’s meticulous choice of color, these symmetrical bowls radiate in a linear pattern from the center, creating an optical spiral of breathtaking color combinations. At over two feet in diameter the bowls commanding scale are a testament to how Powell has pushed the limits of blown glass throughout his career. In addition, the exhibition will include glass wall panels fabricated using his iconic murrine glass designs. These illuminated panels build on Stephen’s well known use of pattern and color to create unique two-dimensional compositions. This process was the inspiration behind a major commission in 2016 for the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Stephen Powell has exhibited with Marta Hewett Gallery since 1991. This is his first solo show at the gallery’s Pendleton location.
Born (1951) in Birmingham, Alabama Stephen Powell studied painting and ceramics at Centre College and received a Bachelor of Arts in 1974. Between 1980 and 1983 he attended Louisiana State University and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics. It was during this time that Powell had his first experience with glass and it has since become a full-time obsession. In addition to producing his work at his studio in Danville KY, he teaches glass Centre College where he has been a professor since 1983, and was integral in founding the renowned glass program at Centre College in 1985.
Stephen Powell has exhibited his work nationally and internationally. He has participated in lectures workshops, and demonstrations across the globe - including in Russia, Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. His work is found in numerous private and public collections including the Auckland Museum, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Mobile Museum of Fine Art, the Huntsville Museum of Art, Corning Museum of Glass, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia and the Speed Museum in Louisville, KY.
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As a testament to his passion for glass education, Stephen Powell was awarded Kentucky’s “Teacher of the Year” in 1999 and 2000. In 2004, he was presented the Acorn Award by the Kentucky Council on Post-Secondary Education. He accepted, in 2010, the Artists Award by the Governor’s Award in the Arts. Recently, in 2013, Powell was presented with the Distinguished Educator Award from the James Renwick Alliance in Washington, D.C.
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