Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass ad India Thompson: Looks Like Home at The Mingei

by Patricia Frischer

Preston Singletary 

 Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass is a stunning exhibition at The Mingei in Balboa Park. Stunning in vision, stunning in view and historically stunning. The fact is that Indian artists were discouraged from doing anything not directly referencing their cultural past. There was no tradition of glass until the 1970s, when Lloyd Henri "Kiva" New, an influential Cherokee artist, educator, and the "Godfather of Native American fashion", revolutionized indigenous art by pioneering modern Native fashion. He co-founding  with Dr. George Boyce, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At first a high school and then a college and now a university and museum and research center.

He brought in Dale Chihuly in 1974 from Rhode Island School of Design to teach. Chihuly introduced glass art to the school and was, in turn, influenced by Native Americans in his own work. His glass cylinders and basket series show that influence. Chihuly is included in this exhibition because of his major role in started this trend.

This exhibition curated by  Dr. Letitia Chambers, also author of the book of the same name with Cathy Short, has been roughly divided into four areas of content. But there are cross over artists in more than one subject area and also pieces that are have more than one subject area in them. And many of the artists collaborate with each other and work in other mediums like clay, wood and metal.

The main content subject are functional objects vessels and textiles inspired pieces in glass that look woven or have wood texture. Animals of the land and sea creatures are sculpted and etched. Ancestors’ voices including petroglyphs are respected and heard. There is a cross-culture influence bringing two worlds together…the spiritual and the real. The show covers 45 years of Native glass art.

The exhibition has been well traveled over the last 4 years. Some of the original works had to be replaced because some of the owners could not part with them for so long. But the artists are all thrilled with this exposure. There are 120 glass art objects created by twenty-nine Native American artists, two Australian Aboriginal artists, as well as two Māori artists.

The exhibition travelled with its own display cases but, of course, each venue is different. We have to applaud Emily Hanna, the Mingei curator, and Jerry Maloney, the installation designer. They are responsible for the creative placement and additional construction for all the Mingei exhibitions and their standards are amazingly high. 

"The glass art created by American Indian artists not only is a personal expression of each artist but also is imbued with their cultural heritage.  These artists have melded the aesthetics and properties inherent in glass art with their cultural ways of knowing.  The result is the stunning collection of artworks presented here."

– Letitia Chambers, Curator

Preston Singletary 

Dan Friday

Preston Singletary and Harlan Reano

Preston Singletary and Harlan Reano

Jody Naranjo and Preston Singletary

Preston Singletary and Marcus Amerman

Preston Singletary and Harlan Reano

LarryAnvakana

Angela Babby

Angela Babby

Raya Friday

Tammy Garcia

Adrian Wall

Joe Fedderson

Ho-Wan-Ut "Haila" Old Peter

Marvin Oliver

Dale Chihuly

Dan Friday

Marvin Oliver

Raven Skyriver

India Thompson: Looks Like Home turns functional basketry on its head.  Curated by Ariana Torres, Mingei Assistant Curator, discovered that this work by India Thompson actually comes from an emotional source. Thompson presents us with an entire bathroom, fire extinguisher, microwave, and refrigerator created out of reeds.  She chooses mundane, everyday objects, because that, for her, is what makes her home, a home. This journey started with trying to make a trout as a gift. The challenges of figuring out different shapes kept her moving forward. Time, repetition and patience are necessary for reed construction. They are also attributes of building a home. 

India Thompson

India Thompson

India Thompson

India Thompson

India Thompson

We also want to give a shout out to the third show on the second floor of the museum. To Catch a Fish contains a world of stories. Here are just three.  Robert J. Lang survived the Eaton Fire in Altadena in 2025 but his home and his origami materials, research and work he owned by other was all burnt to ash. That ash was put into hand-made paper and each of the 50 koi fish on display was created for a square of that paper. The giant fish traps come from the Philippines and are bamboo treated with salt water to prevent insect feasting. They are set in the water against the current. Local San Diego artist Aidelen Montoya research how the local lake trout population were nearly destroyed by lamprey and commercial fishing in the 1940’s.  The red beads in the beaded fish are not just representing the wounded fish, but they are the same number (1150) of lake trout spawning sites in the recovery process. 

Robert J. Lang

Fish Traps (unknown makers)

Aidelen Montoya

Aidelen Montoya (detail)

Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass on view until Sept 20, 2026
India Thompson: Looks Like Home on view until Oct 18, 2026
To Catch a Fish on view until Nov 1, 2026

The Mingei
Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, SD 92101
TUES - THU, SAT, SUN 10am - 5pm, FRI 10am - 8pm,  MON Closed 

Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea at the San Diego Natural History Museum

by Patricia Frischer 

Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea  is entirely made of plastic waste collected along coastlines. These pieces of trash are cleverly put together to make creatures of the sea. Although it is a delightful display for all ages, the real message of the show is to bring attention to the harm this plastic is doing to our oceans. So Dexter the Dungeness Crab and Annie the anemone and the jelly fish underwater environment are really meant for us to pay attention to a serious issue. There is an estimated 75 to 199 million tons of plastic clogging our water.

There are more than 25 creatures, all hand-crafts by the non-profit The Washed Ashore Project out of North Bend Oregon.  The exhibition is on the second floor in a 3000 square foot space with an interaction section for hands on learning. For special events like Nat at Night, the space morphs into an ocean-themed lounge—the Museum’s very own “dive bar.”

Take a close look at the huge variety of plastic that, for example, make up the whale ribs at the entrance of the show, the fierce jaw of the shark and the hanging tendrils of the jellies. 

jelly detail

Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea  on view until Feb 28, 2027
San Diego Natural History Museum
1788 El Prado, Balboa Park
10 AM–5 PM Daily

YOU ARE INVITED SAN DIEGO ART PRIZE CAKE WALK

 

YOU ARE INVITED

SAN DIEGO ART PRIZE CAKE WALK

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 FROM 3-5PM

Hosted by DEBRA AND LARRY POTEET
2425 Lozana Road, Del Mar,CA,92014

To benefit  SAN DIEGO VISUAL ARTS NETWORK and
the San Diego Art Prize 2026
An Eat Your Art Out Event
ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW

 

Join us for an extraordinary evening where art and pastry come together in a delicious celebration. We invite amateur bakers and art lovers alike to participate in this unique event .We are asking those of you who are bakers to supply cakes inspired by the SD Art Prize recipients owned by the Poteets. 

If you bake a cake, we will match you with an artist from the collection before the event and you can let your imagination run wild with decoration!  

Amateur or professional bakers who supply cakes inspired by the SD Art Prize recipients owned by the Poteets will get reduced admittance. 

Cake Bakers: $25 donation + bring an artist-inspired cake. 
                        $10 donation + bring two artists -inspired cakes. 
Once you RSVP you will be given an image and description of the artist and artwork.  We have 25 art works to match. 

Non-Bakers: $40 donation 

Once we have viewed all the cakes, it will be time to eat them! Everyone will be given a collector cake box to enjoy at the event and to take home leftovers 

So put on your thinking toques blanche and let us know if your interest is piqued and if you want to come as a baker or a supporter.  RSVP by July 24 to allow plenty of time for creative baking. This is a limited space event. 

ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW
Questions? -  info@sdvisualarts.net 

Join us for a creative cake celebration with gâteaux galore. Perfectly perfected pastry for patrons of the arts.

At 4:30 pm during the SD Art Prize Cake Walk event the high bids for the Silent Auction to benefit SD Art Prize featuring Deanne Sabeck and Jeffery Laudenslager will be announced

Image of Jeffery Laudenslager credit Sidney Wildesmith 
Bidding opens on Jul 14, 2026 at 8:30 AM PDT

 

This SD Art Prize Cake Walk fundraiser is in support of the 
2026 SD Art Prize Soft Power: On Color, Time, and Resistance 
held for the first time at Oceanside Museum of Art 
Opening on Sept 5th, 2026 and showing  until February 7, 2027.  
2026 SD Art Prize recipients Danielle Dean, Ingrid Hernández, Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio 
Buy tickets here

Soft Power in Practice: A Conversation with the 2026 San Diego Art Prize Recipients
Sun Sept 27th from 2 to 4 pm.  The artists in conversation with curator Dr. Lara Bullock at the Groves Gallery at Oceanside Museum of Art. Limited seating $20-50 Buy tickets here

San Diego Art Prize 2026 Silent Auction - Featured Sculptures by Jeffrey Laudenslager & Deanne Sabeck

Image of Jeffery Laudenslager credit Sidney Wildsmith

San Diego Art Prize 2026 Silent Auction  - Featured Sculptures by Jeffery Laudenslager & Deanne Sabeck
Bids opening on Jul 14, 2026 at 8:30 AM PDT
Auction closes on Aug 9 at 4:00 PM PDT on the occasion of the SD Art Prize Cake Walk (buy tickets now.)

Our silent auction proudly features two extraordinary sculptures by acclaimed artists Jeffrey Laudenslager and Deanne Sabeck, whose works explore movement, light, and the transformative power of art.

Their featured works offer collectors a rare opportunity to acquire exceptional pieces from artists whose creations inspire wonder, contemplation, and a deeper connection to the world around us.

Deanne Sabeck

                                             

Deanne Sabeck

The Philosopher’s Stone I, 2026

3-D printed polymer with metal fitting

Dichroic glass

Kinetic sculpture

Artist Proof from a limited-edition TBD

Height 17 inches, length and width 8 ½ inches

In The Philosopher’s Stone I, Deanne Sabeck draws inspiration from one of history’s most enduring alchemical symbols: the legendary substance believed to transform base metals into gold. Combining 3-D printed polymer, metal fittings, and shimmering dichroic glass, the sculpture unites ancient mystical concepts with contemporary materials and technology. Its kinetic elements introduce movement and change, allowing light and perspective to continually reshape the viewer’s experience.

The work references the geometric foundations of alchemical thought. Beginning as early as the third century, alchemists associated the circle, square, and triangle with the harmonies required to achieve transformation. Sabeck incorporates these symbolic forms into a dynamic composition that suggests balance, convergence, and the possibility of metamorphosis. The iridescent qualities of the dichroic glass further evoke the shifting states of matter and perception central to alchemical practice. 

Beyond the quest for material riches, the Philosopher’s Stone came to represent a deeper journey of spiritual refinement. For philosophers and esoteric practitioners, the transformation of lead into gold symbolized the elevation of human consciousness—turning ignorance into wisdom and imperfection into enlightenment. Sabeck’s sculpture invites viewers to reflect on this timeless pursuit, presenting transformation not as a destination but as an ongoing process of growth, discovery, and self-realization.

Deanne Sabeck is an internationally recognized glass artist whose innovative “Light Sculptures” transform light itself into a sculptural medium. Originally trained as a painter, Sabeck spent decades mastering the art of glass before developing her signature approach. Using bent, cast, fractured, and etched reflective glass, she creates immersive installations that refract and disperse vibrant color across surrounding spaces. Her work challenges viewers’ perceptions of reality while celebrating the beauty and mystery of light. Sabeck’s notable commissions include public artworks, installations at San Diego International Airport, and exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States.

Jeffery Laudenslager

 Jeffery Laudenslager
TGGM, 2026 (Teal, Green, Gold, Magenta)
5-Point Star Series
3-D printed polymer with metal fitting
Kinetic Motion
Artist Proof from a limited-edition TBD
Height 15 inches, length and width 8 ½ inches

In TGGM, Jeffery Laudenslager transforms the familiar five-point star into a complex spatial form composed of a single, continuous loop of material. Rendered in vibrant teal, green, gold, and magenta, the sculpture twists and folds through space, creating a dynamic interplay between geometry, color, and movement. The work appears to defy a fixed beginning or end, inviting the viewer’s eye to travel endlessly along its uninterrupted path and it turns with the slightest touch or breath of air.

Part of Laudenslager’s ongoing Star Series, which also includes 7-, 9-, and 11-point variations, the sculpture explores how simple geometric systems can generate surprising complexity. Each star is constructed from one continuous strand, emphasizing connection, continuity, and transformation. As the piece moves, the shifting perspectives reveal new alignments and relationships, making the form appear to change while remaining fundamentally the same.

The series presents what can be described as an “ubiquitous point of view”—a perspective that exists everywhere at once and cannot be fully grasped from a single vantage point. By combining mathematical precision with sculptural elegance, TGGM encourages contemplation of infinity, interconnectedness, and the multiple ways we perceive and understand the world around us.

Jeffery Laudenslager is renowned for his elegant kinetic sculptures that bring motion to life. Crafted primarily from titanium, his outdoor works harness the energy of the wind, creating movements that range from the exhilaration of a roller coaster’s near miss to the meditative flow of a tai chi routine. Through a masterful balance of arcs, angles, precision, and engineering, Laudenslager distills complex geometric forms into graceful, powerful expressions that continuously evolve with their environment.

Funds raised to support the 2026 San Diego Art Prize, Soft Power: On Color, Time, and Resistance held for the first time at Oceanside Museum of Art featuring year's Art Prize Recipients: Danielle Dean, Ingrid Hernández, Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio.
Opening on Sept 5th, 2026 and on view until February 7, 2027.  Reception Sept 19th 5 to 7 pm. Buy tickets here

Panel Discussion - Soft Power in Practice: A Conversation with the 2026 San Diego Art Prize Recipients on Sunday, September 27th, 2026, 2 to 4 PM, Limited seating $20-50 Buy tickets here
OMA 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, CA 92054

A Tale of Two Art Activated Spaces in La Jolla with one Curator

by Patricia Frischer

Jess Bergman

The San Diego Art Directory (SDAD) has two exhibitions now on view as part of their Activated Spaces Program. The idea is to curate and install rotating exhibitions of artwork in business spaces throughout San Diego — from cafés and offices to boutiques and co-working spaces.

Both exhibitions are curated for SDAD by Blanca Lucia Bergman, MBA (Art Unites/Mental Wellness for Artists) who was challenged to put together work for two quite different spaces, but both in La Jolla. Seen and Whole is at the Congregational Church of La Jolla and In Situ is at Unscripted Spaces. The audiences for these works could not be more different. The average age at the Church is early 80’s while the clients at the interior design space are ultra contemporary.

Even with two such extremes, Bergman was able to find more than one artist who had work that could live in both spaces. Above and below are two images each by Jess Bergman and Ana Maria Herrera. With careful choice of the artwork, you have the graphic impact that a modern space demands, as well as the more contemplative appeal of work which spurs the imagination. Several other artists are represented in both spaces although the selection here could not include the huge selection that is on view at both spaces.

At Seen & Whole, Cecilia Anastos, who is represented in both spaces, give us a punch of color in a surrealist composition. Abbygail Zanoni almost shouts out the message that we all need to be heard. The bright changing lights of Janet Hansen, led one the parishioners to wonder what the minister would look like wearing this as vestments. Julio Martha multi-media sculpture is meant to disintegrate with a picture of his younger self symbolizing his growing distance from a younger self.  The stunning photos by John Mireles almost look like paintings, maybe because the subject is of transsexuals in full war paint. Missy Galang and Laurie Batter carry forward the figurative theme but in quite different ways. The works are in two of the communal rooms of the church, which are used for all sorts of gatherings. Bergman was able to move furniture to showcase the art and keep it all very conversational. 

 

Jess Bergman

Ana Maria Herrera

Ana Maria Herrera

Cecilia Anastos

Abbygail Zanoni

Janet Hansen

Julio Martha

John Mireles

Missy Galang

Laurie Batter

Unscripted Spaces is laid out like a home on two floors with a living room at the entrance, a kitchen, bedroom, dining room and bathroom.   Continuing the figurative theme at In Situ, Adrian Huth contributed the perfect bedroom painting. Wonderful pottery by Greg Lowe is spread out on both floors. There is a hallway leading to the staff room that has been made into a fantasy world with work by Finnigen Rynehart.  A charming transparent floral kimono in unusual dark tones hangs over the bathtub by Doshi.

Jean Keane’s  quiet photograph of umbrellas, joins the very pared down sculpture of a kneeling figure by Franco Vianello. Anna Zappoli never fails to impress with her high contrast works with the integrity of a seasoned artist who can instill emotion in the most abstract of works. Galina Marcus provides another pop of color with portraits with no faces. 

Adrian Huth

Greg Lowe

Greg Lowe

Finnigen Rynehart

Jean Keane

Franco Vianello

Anna Zappoli

Galina Marcus

Blanca Lucia Bergman says that her choices were made with intuition, studied thought and care, and they were spot on for the viewers of both. 

Seen & Whole
Congregational Church of La Jolla (CCLJ)
On view until Aug 29, 2026
1216 Cave St, La Jolla, CA 92037
Open during Church events

 In Situ   
Unscripted Spaces
On view through September 2026  
7730 Girard Avenue, San Diego, CA 92037
Open during showroom hours. Contact to confirm is suggested: 619 361 1055  info@unscriptedspaces.com