Collection Focus: Frances and Michael Higgins
On view through October 12, 2024
Racine Art Museum (RAM)
Racine, Wisconsin
www.ramart.org
In the late 1940s, contemporary glass production was given new energy as Frances (1912 – 2004) and Michael (1908 – 1999) Higgins reinvigorated the ancient practice of glass fusing. Capitalizing on the post-World War II interest in bright colors and abstract patterns, the Higginses produced mostly functional items sold through major retailers and worked with glass companies until they formally established their private studio in Illinois. Frances and Michael’s partnership—both personal and professional—seemed to fuel their creative energy, and they devoted their lives to creating a seemingly endless array of plates, bowls, dishes, vases, and more.
Racine Art Museum recently established an archive collection of 75 works created collaboratively and individually by the Higginses. For example, in addition to production glassware, there is a large, multi-faceted frieze of trees, buildings, and butterflies attributed to Frances and a “treasure chest” of glass, wood, and fiber assigned to Michael. This volume of work—a large portion of which debuts in this exhibition—offers a chance to look at modernist glass through the works themselves and through the lens of a creative partnership with nuanced gives and takes.
Find out more here: https://www.ramart.org/…/collection-focus-frances…/
[Image: Frances and Michael Higgins, Three Table Articles, 1965 – 1999. Glass, sizes vary. Racine Art Museum, Gift of Craig B. Johnson. Photography: Jarvis Lawson]
