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December 02, 2022
Shoreview, MN
Cafesjian Art Trust Exhibit |
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Coordinator: Nancy zsand |
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Click on the small pictures to view the full-size photos |
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| Learning about the Venetians Series |
Learning about the Cylinder Series |
Char S & Carol B beside the Putti and Sealife Series |
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| Exhibit space with Persian Wall | John S & Patti F at the Persian Wall | Glass ceiling | ||
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| Melinda H with Tour Guide | Small Venetians Series | Sea Life Series | ||
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| Jared H with Security Guard | Karen H & Barb K beside Chandelier | Persian Sea Form Basket | ||
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| Chihuly Drawing | ||||
| ULLRS LEARN ABOUT BLOWN GLASS ART AT THE NEW CAT MUSEUM On Friday, December 2nd, 20 ULLRs experienced a guided tour of the newly opened Cafesjian Art Trust (CAT) Museum in Shoreview. ULLR Nancy S made arrangements for the tour. The group included new ULLR members Jared and Melinda H. Descriptive words from ULLRs included: wow, oh my gosh, amazing, extraordinary, unbelievably beautiful, fantastic, awesome, etc. Gerard Cafesjian, of Armenian heritage, was a businessman and philanthropist establishing several charitable foundations. He was born in New York and served in the Navy during World War II. He practiced law in New York City for several years, then joined the editorial staff of a publishing company. In 1960 he and his family moved to St Paul where he began a long and distinguished career at West Publishing Company. In 1988 he donated one million dollars to prevent the dismantling and sale of the historic Minnesota State Fair Carousel. Cafesjian had a passion for art that consumed his life for more than six decades. Following his death in 2013, his family relocated his entire art collection in Shoreview, including his art collections from New York and Armenia. The Cafesjian Art Trust renovated a former warehouse in Shoreview to include exhibit space, a reference library, a soon-to-be-opened gift shop, and storage space for the Cafesjian collection that numbers about 5,000 pieces of which 2/3 is art glass. Dale Chihuly is one of the best-known studio art glass artists in the world. He has sculptures and installations in over 200 museums around the world – including the yellow glass chandelier in the lobby of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Chihuly and Cafesjian were friends for over 30 years. During that time, Cafesjian acquired many art glass pieces created by Chihuly’s studio. The current CAT exhibit of only Chihuly art glass is the first public exhibit at the newly-opened CAT Museum. The exhibit tour highlights the friendship between Cafesjian and Chihuly. The exhibit includes a chandelier made up of hundreds of individual pieces, a four-panel ceiling of 250 individual pieces, cylinders, baskets, baskets that resemble clam shells, a Persian wall and Persian sea form basket, Venetians, and the Putti & Sealife Series. ULLRs listened raptly to the tour guide who explained the processes for creating the different art glass sculptures that can involve as many as 20 or more artists blowing each of the components that are later fused together to become the sculpture. ULLRs circulated around the room taking many photos of the beautifully-lit glass art. And, the security guard did not have to arrest any ULLRs for touching or breaking anything! Future exhibits at the CAT will include additional Chihuly pieces, art glass from other well-known glass artists from around the world, and other types of art. There is no charge for attending a CAT tour, but you must make a reservation online to do so. Minnesota is privileged to have the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum in the Twin Cities! Come see it – you will be amazed! |
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