Jewish couple picked up on one of their trips to
Israel.
"Glass begins at our doorpost," she laughs. "It's
also the only piece of non-Murano glass we have."
At first, the couple, members of Congregation Shaarey
Tefila on Manhattan's Upper East Side, did not intend
to build a collection. We were just choosing pieces we
liked," says Spanu.
And what they liked tended to be representative
of the 20th century.
"From
then
on
I
had
a
LYNNE KONSTANTIN
As the years went by, what was evolving into
a
partner."
Special to the Jewish News
a collection grew steadily, and the couple real-
Eventually, Hilbert Sosin became
ized they needed to place boundaries on it.
president of the Art Alliance for
n addition to the almost 300 pieces of
So, except for the mezuzah, all pieces in
Contemporary Glass, a national group
Murano glass from the Olnick Spanu col-
0 0
their collection were hand blown on the
the
couple
helped
form.
Today,
Sosin
has
lection, the DIA will display "Detroit
island of Murano, regardless of the ori-
more than 200 pieces in her collection,
Collects Murano Glass," a supplementary exhi-
gins of the artist. "This way, our collec-
mostly by American artists — many of
bition of 20 works of Murano glass which have
tion speaks of a period and a place," says
whom she knows personally.
found homes in the private collections of eight
Spanu, who celebrates Shabbat with
"Glass is a baby movement," she explains.
local collectors, most of whom are Jewish.
Olnick and their two children during
"I was able to learn about it early, so I got to
Over the past two decades, glass has become
weekly Friday night dinners.
know all the artists. It was a wonderful time."
a focus of collecting in the United States, but
The forms and designs that most inter-
Sosin has loaned the "Detroit Collects" exhibit
nowhere more so than in the Detroit area," says An example of a
est
Olnick and Spanu add further cohe-
one
piece:
a
1999
vessel
by
Tagliapietra.
Graham W.J. Beal, director of the DIA.
checkerboard design
sion
to the collection. "What has always
"Detroit is a center of collecting contempo-
created far Venini in
appealed to us was the work of architects,
rary art in general," adds "Murano" curator
the early 1950s by
A Smart Buy
sculptors and painters. Many of the 20th-
Rebecca Hart, "and the Studio Glass move-
artist Fulvio Bianconi;
In 1958, Lorraine Goldberg was on a post-grad-
century maestri were also involved in
ment had its birth nearby in Toledo. Combine
this example is part
uation visit to Italy, along with a friend and a
those pursuits, and it often shows in their
that with the awareness and excellence of
of the Olnick Spt172U
guidebook,
Europe
On
5
Dollars
a
Day.
work,"
explains Olnick, who adds that
design perpetuated by Cranbrook, and Detroit
collection on display
Neither
knew
much
about
art
glass,
but
as
an
she
and
her husband hope one day to
results in very fertile ground for collecting
at the DIA.
artist and art teacher herself, Goldberg was
bring the exhibition to Israel (previous
gl ass."
familiar with the world-renowned Venini facto-
plans to do so were postponed after Sept.
Habatat Galleries, which has the largest
ry,
which
the
friends happened upon while in Venice.
11, 2001).
inventory of studio glass in the country, has had a hand in
"I was enthralled with their colors," says the West
developing the local interest in glass: One of its four nation-
Bloomfield resident. She bought two small vases, a
al locations is in Royal Oak.
checkerboard design for her mother and a stripe for her
Featured Innovator
Because most local collectors focus on American studio
sister.
"Being
on
such
a
tight
budget,
I
didn't
buy
one
for
"Carlo Scarpa," effuses Spanu, is one of
glass, Hart was eager to show to the public local collectors'
myself.
They
were
$10
apiece.
That
was
too
much
our
all-time heroes."
pieces that expand beyond American shores.
money!"
Born in Venice in 1906, Scarpa's glass-
"The Olnick Spanu collection is one of the premier col-
When Goldberg's mother passed away, Goldberg
blowing career spanned 20 years, many of
lections, but we also have exquisite collections right here, in
inherited
the vase, and now it is on loan to the DIA.
them as artistic director of the Italian glass
the area," says Hart. When choosing which pieces would be
"It's fun to buy something simply because you think
art making company Venini & C. He then
included, Hart considered not only quality, but also works
it's
beautiful, then discover 40-some years later that
became renowned as an
that completed the Olnick-Spanus' picture of what was
you still think it's beautiful. And to find out it's
architect, bridging a gap
being made in Murano.
worth
a
great
deal
of
money
is
just
the
cherry
on
between
the fabric of
For example, because the Olnick Spanu collection
top,"
says
Goldberg.
history-laden
includes two glass boats by Murano-born contemporary
The vase today is worth $6,000.
Venice and the
maestro Lino Tagliapietra, Hart borrowed three vases to
"I don't think anyone, ever got that kind of
revitalization of
round out his body of work.
return on the dollar," she laughs. "I wish I'd
the role of both
She also borrowed three pieces of Laura Diaz de
bought the whole factory.
arts in public life.
Santillana's work. "I went to see her in Venice, and these
Her sister does, too. Since she received the
"That really
were works she was particularly fond of herself and wanted
gift
from
Goldberg
all
those
years
ago,
Aviva
attracted
me to his
included in the show," says Hart.
Robinson and her husband, Jack, have accu-
glassworks," says
mulated approximately 150 pieces of art
Spanu.
Pioneer Collector
glass, about 80 of which have been gifted
From simple geomet-
to the DIA. The Robinsons have loaned
It was at Habatat that Jean Sosin, of Bloomfield Hills, first
ric forms in brilliant, sin-
eight pieces to the "Detroit Collects"
stumbled upon the medium in 1971. Accompanying a
gle hues, to delicate swirls of
exhibition — all the Murano they own
friend who was picking up prints, she walked through the
horizontal f u (threads),
— including the striped Venini.
doors of the gallery, at that time in Dearborn, teeming with
Scarpa's glass is imbued with
Napoleone Martinuzzi, V.S.M.
"My sister," laughs Robinson,
sunlit-reflected glass, and "was overwhelmed. I'd never seen
sculptural form.
Venini 6' C., "Pulegoso," 1930.
"really blew her budget on that
anything like it before," she says.
"[Scarpa] was interested in
trip." Fl
From then on, she was hooked. "My husband, Hilbert,
proportion and the inherent
would drive me there and wait in the car listening to the
qualities of different materials and techniques," explains
For more information,
football game. One day, though, we both got to see [local
Rebecca Hart, assistant curator of contemporary art at the DIA
log on to vvvvw.dia.org
glass artist] Herb Babcock blowing glass. [Hilbert] said it
and curator for the Detroit venue of the exhibition. "He looked
or call (313) 833-1292.
was just like watching a ballet dancer. He called his office
and said he wasn't coming back that day," laughs Sosin.
THE MAGIC OF MURANO on page 58

Detroit Collects

Local art patrons display their own Murano
pieces in accompanying exhibition.

I

12/10

2004

57