“Glass brings another dimension to Native American art. Its luminous quality and shadow effect are like a spirit that appears when this lighting is right”
-Preston Singletary
In a unique meeting of European glass-blowing tradition and Northwest Native design, Preston Singletary’s artwork depicts cultural and historical images from his Tlingit ancestry in richly detailed, beautifully hued glass. By infusing traditional design with fresh energy through the use of modern materials, his work pays homage to his forefathers, who feel that the past, present and future are intertwined.
Singletary entered the world of glass blowing as an assistant, learning to master the techniques of the European tradition as he worked alongside Seattle-area artists such as Benjamin Moore and Dante Marioni. He also had opportunities to learn the secrets of the Venetian glass masters while working with Italian legends Lino Tagliapietra, Pino Signoretto and others. In an early – and fortuitous – trip to Sweden to study Scandinavian design at Kosta Boda, Singletary met his future wife, who now resides in Seattle with him and their two children.
Singletary grew up hearing his culture’s traditional stories from his family – both of his great-grandparents were full-blooded Tlingit Indians — and many of those stories provide inspiration for his work. The formline design skills evident in so many of his pieces were acquired through study and collaboration with other prominent Northwest Coastal artists such as Steve Brown and Joe David. Singletary credits mentor Joe David for helping him to take his work to a new level, one that is more spiritually based and culturally expressive of the different Northwest Coast styles. With Northwest Native icons, supernatural beings, transformation themes, animal spirits, shamanism and basketry designs among his many inspirations, Singletary has transformed Northwest Native art and incited other Native artists to utilize the wonders of glass.
Recognized internationally, Singletary’s artworks are included in museum collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), The Seattle Art Museum (Seattle WA), the Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY), the Mint Museum of Art and Design (Charlotte, NC), the Heard Museum (Phoenix, AZ), and the Handelsbanken (Stockholm, Sweden). Singletary maintains an active schedule by teaching and lecturing internationally.
Recently, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, WA, launched a major mid-career survey of his work, entitled Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows. This exhibition features Clan House, his largest commission to date, and will travel to venues across North America.
Singletary was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree in 2010 from the University of Puget Sound. He has been engaged to speak at universities and non-profit organizations across the country, including the 2011 Gates Millennium Scholars Foundation Conference in Los Angeles.