Alternate Closures

New works in glass and print by Emily McBride

September 13- November 20, 2019

Reception: November 15, 2019 6:00pm

My work is influenced by my surroundings, my daily routines and commutes, and the visual noises in my periphery. This new collection of work is inspired by the I-35W highway construction in Minneapolis spanning from Fall 2017-Fall 2021. When living in the city, construction is commonplace, ongoing, an inconvenience that quickly becomes the norm. The safety signs and fluorescent colors blend into the urban landscape. By altering material and surface I intended to transform a mundane scenery of daily commute into an unfamiliar curiosity. This installation is an ode to the debris, the bridges that stood for decades, the machines that tore them apart, and the bright colors and patterns that shroud the asphalt and concrete as they make way for more. 

“These projects represent a significant undertaking in building better roads and a multimodal transportation system that supports a growing economy and a stronger community.”  -MN Department of Transportation

Emily McBride is an artist and craftsperson residing in the Twin Cities. Her sculptural glass forms often use repetitive and meditative processes that navigate a simple complexity. Paired with large scale altered photographs she creates immersive installations that generate dialog between viewer, material, object, and image. In 2016, she received her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA and in 2009 received her BFA from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She is an Instructor, former Board Member, and Program Coordinator at Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts in Minneapolis, MN.

emilymcbrideglass.com

@emilymarymcbride

emilymmcbride@gmail.com

Special thanks to Eoin Breadon and the University of Wisconsin River Falls Glass Club for inviting me to spend a semester as Artist in Resident to work with the students and begin this new series. Also, thanks to Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts for its welcoming community and staff and for providing me the opportunity trade work time with studio access and resources. It is centers like Foci MCGA that young artists need for support and development in pursuing their artistic paths.