View past exhibitions and curatorial projects from the PAA:
Creating with the Fourth State of Matter: Plasma Artists in the Studio (June 2023)
Illuminated plasma sculpture — blown glass forms filled with electrified inert gases — is a medium that produces objects of curiosity and wonder, with kinetic light that moves throughout glowing vessels and interacts with touch. But there is much more to plasma sculpture than the finished artwork. The medium’s unique synthesis of art with science and technology sparks curiosity about how plasma sculptures are made. This film compilation from the Plasma Art Alliance features a diverse range of studio practices, providing insight into all aspects of the making process. An exclusive look at experiments with gas mixtures that create unlikely shapes, the construction of custom electronics to power plasma, demonstrations of glassworking techniques specific to the plasma process, gas filling, kiln processing, and more, illuminates the complexity of this medium.
Video edited by Cary Rapaport. Featuring work by Ed Kirshner, Percy Echols II, Wayne Strattman, Tate McAluney, Tom Hardiment & Catriona Baille, Angelina Almukhametova, Mundy Hepburn, Harriet Schwarzrock, Jeff Feigin, Cary Rapaport, Angela McHale, Amy Lemaire, students of Plasma Design at Salem Community College, Norman Moore, Adept Neon Mfg., Chris Burak, and Patrick Collentine. In memory of Bob Iannini, pioneer of plasma and neon electronics.
Light on the Horizon (May 2021)
Video edited by Cary Rapaport. Featuring work by Aaron Ristau & Dina Kalahar, Cary Rapaport, Kamila Mróz, Mark Ditzler, Mundy Hepburn, Shun-Le Huang, Harriet Schwarzrock, Anders Mikkelsen, Percy Echols II, Chris Burak, Angela McHale, Wayne Strattman, Ed Kirshner, Bernd Weinmayer, Jaime Guerrero, Michael Sturtz, Steven Cole, Patrick Collentine, Jacob Willcox, n3rd glass, Eric Roeske & Kira Oglesby, Zach Willis, David Svenson, and David Wilson.
This video was shown at the Glass Art Society’s 2021 Virtual Conference as part of their first annual Film Festival.
A Flowering of Hope (2020)
Featuring work by: George Aitken, Angelina Almukhametova, Emilia Vidal-Hallett, Dan Caven, Steven Ciezki, Steven Cole, Patrick Collentine, Mike daPonte, Jonathan Michael Davis, Alissa Eberle, Candice Gawne, Mundy Hepburn, Eve Hoyt, Ed Kirshner, Abigail Krause, Jess Krichelle, Kaelyn McGowen, Anders Mikkelsen , Museum of Neon Art (MONA), Linda Sue Price, Cary Rapaport, Aaron Ristau, Dina Kalahar, Harriet Schwarzrock, Wayne Strattman, David, Kazumi and Shion Svenson, Bernd Weinmayer, Hoseok Youn
The Plasma Art Alliance’s first virtual exhibition uses the medium of light as a symbol for hope and resilience in challenging times. Each artist’s work is unified by the metaphor of a wildflower garden that blooms anew after a difficult winter.
The Art of Plasma (February 2 – September 3, 2017)
Film by Eric Minh Swenson. Featuring work by Candice Gawne, Ed Biggar, David Svenson, Eric Franklin, Dina Kalahar, Patrick Collentine, Frankie Brown, Ashlin Williamson, Juan B. Martinez, Bernd Weinmayer, Gerhard Hochmuth, Stuart Ziff, Tony Greer, Thomas Wendler, Mundy Hepburn, Ed Kirshner, Wayne Strattman, Carl Willis, Peter David, Kim Koga, Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson, Bruce Suba, Karen Woodward, Aaron Ristau, Michael Hernandez, Jason Chakravarty, Ross Levine, Pierre Jean Tardiveau, Roger Carr, Larry Albright, Michael Pargett, Norman Moore, Mitch LaPlante, Daisuke Nakajima
This film documents the groundbreaking 2017 exhibition “The Art of Plasma” at the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale California. The exhibition was the first of its kind, showcasing plasma light art sculptures created by over 30 artists. The Plasma Art Alliance was born out of this exhibition: MONA’s then director Kim Koga had discussions with artist co-curators Wayne Strattman and Ed Kirshner about their individual journeys developing plasma light art as an art practice. Then, meeting the following day after the exhibition opening, over 30 plasma light artists agreed to form the Plasma Art Alliance (PAA) to support the sharing of the art, science and technology necessary to explore this new media.