The Figge Art Museum will host “Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight,” an immersive exhibition blending Tlingit oral tradition with contemporary glass art, from Feb. 14 through Aug. 2.
The exhibition was organized by the artist and the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington. It tells the ancestral creation story of Raven, a trickster figure who releases light into the world. An internationally acclaimed artist, Mr. Singletary is of Tlingit heritage. He uses glass sculptures paired with sound and light to create a multisensory journey through the narrative.
The exhibition opens Saturday, Feb. 14, during the Figge’s Second Saturday event. It features free admission for all and programming including live storytelling, music and artmaking. A public exhibition celebration and artist talk with Mr. Singletary is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, from 5-8 p.m.
“What excites me about this exhibition is how naturally it invites people to experience it together,” Figge Executive Director and CEO Melissa Mohr said.
Mr. Singletary is known for fusing European glassblowing techniques with Northwest Coast Indigenous design. His work expands the expectations of Indigenous art. It also honors cultural knowledge embedded in formline design and imagery of transformation.
“Singletary’s use of glass allows the story to feel both intimate and expansive,” said Vanessa Sage, Co-Senior Curator at the Figge. “The material carries light, movement, and reflection in ways that mirror how stories move through communities.”
