Cafesjian Art Trust Museum: Glass Art Beyond Chihuly

“All of the people in [Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side] were from the Warhol Factory,” says Andy Schlauch, executive director of the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum (or the CAT Museum for short). “I’m slowly building a collection of everybody in the song.”

We’re leaving Schlauch’s office, on our way to explore the two glass exhibits currently at the CAT Museum, but he can’t help pointing out the striking black-and-white photograph of transgender icon Candy Darling on our way out his door.

The 1973 image, titled “Candy Darling On Her Deathbed”, centers a woman curled up on an adjustable hospital bed flanked with large vases full of flowers. Darling’s body is angled toward the camera and her arms are stretched overhead. A bright, white sheet is pulled up to her chest: only the puffed short sleeves of her silk shirt, her head, and her arms are visible. Her platinum blonde hair and dark eyes give high fashion, seduction, and exhaustion all at once. A single black rose rests on the bed in front of her.

This photo is obviously not glass art, nor is it related to either exhibit that Schlauch is about to guide me through. But, the image (and Schlauch’s in-progress Walk on the Wild Side collection) sets the tone for our journey. Schlauch has an infectious delight for art — both popular and lesser-known. That delight combined with an eye for the beautiful and a heart for the underrepresented makes for a diversity of perspectives and styles that define these exhibits, both of which showcase the breadth and depth of glass art.

There are currently two exhibits open at the CAT Museum: From Origins to Horizons: The American Studio Glass Movement, which will run through December 21, 2024, and Midwest Voices in Contemporary Glass, which runs through October 5, 2024. Both are well worth a visit.

From Origins to Horizons: The American Studio Glass Movement — Through December 21

From Origins to Horizons is currently in the main gallery at the CAT Museum. This exhibit provides an overview of the glass movement from the 1960s through today with a special emphasis on expanding existing notions of what glass art can be.

“Everybody, of course, knows Dale Chihuly, and those that do usually love him,” says Schlauch, “but he really is the tip of the iceberg.”

Minnesotans are likely most familiar with Chihuly’s chandelier-like “Sunburst”, which has been prominently displayed at Mia for over two decades.

Chihuly is included in the 42 pieces that make up From Origins to Horizons (the Pendleton blanket inspired “Black Cylinder #46”), but so too are many others.

“I want people to see the sheer variety of approaches and voices in glass,” explains Schlauch.

Some of the pieces include a photograph of the artist at work alongside the description. Schlauch gets a teasing glint in his eye as we approach the photo of Chihuly’s frequent collaborator, William Morris.

“I’ll say I’m sorry to the gay men who read your magazine,” he chuckles, “this was the only picture I could find of William Morris with his shirt on … He usually only wears Teva sandals and shorts.”

Glass art is often associated with cisgender white men. As Schlauch guides me through the exhibit he excitedly points out queer artists, people of color, and women who have made and continue to make important contributions to this art form.

The same can be said for the art styles. There are practical pieces like goblets and paperweights. There are decorative discs and arcs and so much more. For me, though, it is the mixed media pieces that I keep returning to — works like Therman Statom’s 1999 piece “Queen of Hearts” and Mary Shaffer’s 1994 piece “Memory”. “Queen of Hearts” is an erratic jumbo playing card plastered with found items. “Memory” is a tantalizing rectangular drip of glass oozing off an industrial hook.

“Using glass as a sculptural material is a deliberate choice by these artists for one reason or another,” says Schlauch, “Historically it’s been considered purely decorative so it ends up in an obscure gallery — it’s just not shown as contemporary art. I really wanted to talk about it from that perspective.”

Midwest Voices in Contemporary Glass — Through October 5

There are ten pieces in Midwest Voices in Contemporary Glass, which is the Museum’s first juried exhibit. Jurors included Schlauch, Alejandra Peña-Gutiérrez, Director of the Weisman Museum, and Anna Lehner, Executive Director of Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts.

“[This exhibit has] a pretty nice, wide berth of representation across the Midwest region,” says Schlauch.

The pieces in this exhibit once again highlight the diversity of the art form. Emily McBride’s “heap” is a pile of glass rings connected by yellow cable ties. Erik Burt’s “Neon Briefcase” is (surprise!) a briefcase full of neon lights. Ali Van’s “The Mandarins” is a trio of three delicate glass baubles encasing ugly bits of organic matter. Abegael Uffelman’s “Everyday” is an interactive piece exploring micro-aggressions.

The remaining six pieces are equally striking and innovative.

Cafesjian Art Trust Museum 101

The Cafesjian Art Trust Museum was created to showcase the art collection of Gerard L. Cafesjian. If that name sounds familiar, it might be because the businessman and philanthropist was part of a group that saved an antique merry-go-round that the Minnesota State Fair tried to retire after 75 years of service. This merry-go-round, which now bears his name, has been spinning in Como Park ever since.

The CAT Museum opened in 2022, so it is still quite new and remains an underappreciated part of the Twin Cities art scene. Previously an engineering firm, the CAT Museum was reimagined by architecture firm Mohagen Hansen. Its new design is stunning — the exterior is a patchwork of sparkling blue squares, ranging in hue from cornflower to sapphire. The inside is inviting and intimate, featuring a relatively open floor plan, tons of natural light, bookshelves that divide spaces, and hobbit-like arched hallways that just feel cozy.

There is no admission charge to access the CAT Museum. Use of the facility’s library and tours of its exhibits are free to the public with a reservation, which visitors can create on its website (listed below). The space is open every week Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

So go. Make a reservation for a tour and wend your way through the current exhibits. The people who keep the space running are delightful, the building itself is lovely, and the art is beautiful and thought-provoking.

Cafesjian Art Trust
4600 Churchill St.
Shoreview, MN 55126
www.cafesjianarttrust.org