Green Lantern

Green Lantern, Nancy Callan (American, born 1964), 2003, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, Museum of Glass
Maker Nancy Callan (American, born 1964)
Date of Creation 2003
Location Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington
Materials Blown glass
Institution Museum of Glass
Credit Line Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artist
Accession Number VA.2005.6
Photo Credit N/A

Artist Nancy Callan’s career is a story that is woven into the identity of the Pacific Northwest–the coming-of-age tale of the Studio Glass community. The Pacific Northwest became an epicenter for glass art teaching and innovation starting with the creation of Pilchuck Glass School in 1971. Callan characterizes artists from the second generation of the movement, those who were instructed in traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques by maestro artists such as Lino Tagliapietra (Italian, born 1934) and Dale Chihuly (American, born 1941). Upon mastering complex methods, Callan has been able to push the medium. In this example, she uses layered colors and asymmetrical forms while incorporating references to American pop culture such as iconic comic book figures where the costuming of these female superheroes is transformative to their characters. Advancing beyond the traditional use of glass, Callan, as so many contemporary artists do, finds herself at the crossroads between the use of the material as ornamentation, now translated into a vocabulary to investigate questions that intrigue us in the 21st century. In this way, she has blazed a new trail as an LGBTQ+ woman, helping to inspire, teach, and mentor the next diverse generation of artists working in glass. Callan made this piece in the Hot Shop at Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, where we invite an array of artists—from maestros to emerging artists—to further develop their craft while enticing visitors to learn more about the story of glass and its connection to our world. Providing, an important hub for the artist working with glass as a contemporary art medium, Museum of Glass, further links the identity of this region of the world with that of this very important American-born art movement.