With an eventful year behind us and a promising year ahead, we’re thinking gratefully of all our friends, clients, and collaborators from around the world. Thank you! 2021 was an exciting time for Bullseye Studio and for large-scale kilnformed glass projects. Here are a few highlights, along with some previews of upcoming projects.
Elks Children’s Eye Clinic Sensory Garden at OHSU
Landscape architects Mayer/Reed commissioned Bullseye Studio to fabricate a series of kilnformed glass components for the exterior of the award-winning facilities of the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic, at OHSU in Portland, OR. The L-shaped glass components were successfully installed as part of a textured wall in the clinic’s outdoor “garden of the senses.” It is wonderful to think of patients, visitors, and staff enjoying the dynamic color and light these pieces will bring to one of the world’s premier eye clinics. For more project details…
Elks Children’s Eye Clinic “Sensory Garden” glass located at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. Designed by landscape architects Mayer/Reed. Photograph courtesy of Mayer/Reed.
Photographs above courtesy of Mayer/Reed.
Thick Glass
Thick and color-rich kilnformed glass slabs filled the studio this year. The works shown below, fabricated for Greg Lundgren, exemplify some of the wonderful effects that thick slabs make possible. At top, a 4″-thick single-colored slabs dazzle with light interactions while conveying luxurious depths of color saturation. Below that, a 3″-thick glass rainbow demonstrates how color transmission from thick glass can range from whimsical to sublime (and often manage to be both at the same time).
Multnomah County Central Courthouse Lobby Artwork
Artist Lynn Basa’s 25’ x 71’ artwork had its inaugural year presiding over the lobby of the new 17-story Multnomah County Central Courthouse in Portland, OR. Composed of 120 5′ tall x 3′ wide panels made entirely of kilnformed glass, the 1,775-square-foot artwork represents Bullseye Studio’s ability to deliver fabrications that faithfully translate artworks from different mediums to kilnformed glass at large scale—and at budget. For more project details…
Spencer Finch at The Corning Museum of Glass
Artist Spencer Finch (James Cohan gallery) was commissioned by The Corning Museum of Glass to create a large glass installation located near the entrance to their Contemporary Art + Design hall. Finch created a 14’ x 26’ artwork for this commission and selected Bullseye Studio to fabricate the 16 fused glass panels it requires. The stunning finished piece, representing thermal signatures in the glass, was installed in 2021. Additional project details and jaw-dropping imagery of the completed installation coming soon! For more project details…
Kilnformed Glass Artworks at the University of Oregon
2021 also presented Bullseye Studio with the chance to assist Portland-based artist Jessica Jackson Hutchins’ fabrication of 10 vibrant kilnformed panels that now help welcome students to the University of Oregon. We’ve watched the project’s story unfold and want to celebrate it as an exciting instance of fused glass bringing color and light to a higher education setting. To learn more about Jessica Jackson Hutchins, visit Marianne Boesky Gallery.
Jessica Jackson Hutchins’ standing in this brilliance, located in Unthank Hall in the Hamilton-Walton building at the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. Photo by Jonathan Bagby, courtesy of Jessica Jackson Hutchins.
Prototype development / Kilnforming exploration – Nancy Lorenz
Artist Nancy Lorenz partnered with Bullseye Studio to explore the translation of several mediums and ideas into kilnformed glass. As an artist known for using abstraction, materiality, and craftsmanship to push the boundaries of what an art object is and can do, we were honored to facilitate her exploration of kiln-glass and kilnforming (fusing). To learn more about Nancy Lorenz, visit nancy-lorenz.com.
Bullseye Studio’s New Kiln, “Titan”
One unique challenge from 2021 involved maneuvering our newest and largest custom kiln to its station in the studio. Its size made navigating it through our building quite an adventure. Talk about “mind your fingers” and “lift with your legs”! But our efforts and investment could not have been more worth it. With Titan, as we named it, we are comfortably able to form artworks up to an impressive 14′ in length x 4′ in width. This increased production capacity allows us to accommodate the growing need for larger monolithic works required by major commissions and building projects.
Other Projects of Interest
So many great projects to share! Here are images from just a few of the diverse works that have been keeping our kilns warm. We will start with side table slabs, move to stunning wayfinding signage, and finish with one-of-a-kind round dining tables. Take a look!
Side Table Slabs for PittWorx
Wayfinding Signage for Amses Cosma
Textured Round Dining Tables
Projects and Partners in 2022
Here are some projects and partners we’re excited to share more about in the coming year!
James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA) — A large ecclesiastic project comprised of twenty-nine kilnformed windows, each 32′ tall
Walker Macy — Large (and small) outdoor wayfinding signs for the Oregon Coast Aquarium
Coriolis Design — A grand staircase made of kilnformed glass risers and treads with custom texture
Laurel Porcari — Wall-hung artwork panels for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
Amy Johnson — An exterior 2-panel, wall-hung artwork for a private commission in Arizona
McMow Art Glass — A custom all-glass coffee table for a private residential commission in NYC
GBD Architects — Entrance doors and large transom window for a historic and repurposed courthouse in Portland, OR
Anne Labovitz — A kilnforming exploration and prototype development partnership
And we’re excited about current fused glass explorations with artists Jeffrey Gibson (for a temporary exhibition) and Diane Samuels (for a large outdoor commission). More details to come.
Thank You
Thank you again for your interest and support. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions or ideas. We look forward to collaborating with you in the new year. Cheers!
