Thomas Scoon

Thomas Scoon Biography

EDUCATION

1990        Masters of Fine Art / Massachusetts College of Art

1988        Bachelor of Fine Arts / Illinois State University

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1991-present   Independent Studio Artist

2003        University of New Hampshire / Adjunct Instructor, Sculpture Dept.

1989-90  Massachusetts College of Art / Adjunct Instructor, Sculptural Glass Casting

1984        Pilchuck Glass School / Teaching Assistant, Glass Blowing

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2015        “Companions” / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2014        “30 th Anniversity Exhibition” / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2012        “Northwood New Hamphshire" / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2011        “SeaFair” / New Arts Concept / Greenwhich, CT

2011        “Scoon and Beck” Art Chicago / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2009        “Figuritive Stones” / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2006        “Glass to Stone, Bronze to Bees” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2004        “Sculpture of Trovia, Scoon, Knapp, Metal,Glass and Light” / Skot Foreman Gallery / Atlanta, GA

2003        “Entwined” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2002        “New Work” / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2001        “Stone Souls”/ Absolute Vision / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL   

               “Portals” / Hodgell Gallery / Sarasota, FL

2000        “Interiors” / Habatat Gallery / Pontiac, MI

1999        “Geologic Logic” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

1998        “Ancestors” / Highline Gallery / Aspen, CO

1997        “Absolute Visions: Fifteen Solo Exhibitions” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

1996        “Origins” / Creiger-Dane Gallery / Boston, MA

1994        “Genealogies” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

1994        “Recent Sculpture” / Miller Gallery / New York, NY

1993        “Seeking the Self” / Dorothy McRae Gallery / Atlanta, GA

1993        “Figurative Glass” / Miller Gallery / New York, NY

1992        “Sculpture of Scoon” / Habatat Gallery / Farmington Hills, MI

1990        “New Sculpture”/ Habatat Gallery / Farmington Hills, MI

MUSEUM & UNIVERSITY EXHIBITIONS

2015        “Cutting Edge” A new Perspective on Glass / Sandwich Glass Museum / Sandwich,  MA

2014        “Glass Today: 21st-Century Innovations” / New Britain Museum of American Art / New Britain, CT

2012        “Contemporary/Anthropological” / Burchfield Penny Art Museum, Buffalo State University / Buffalo, NY

               “Haverty Collection of Studio Glass” / Mobile Museum of Art / Mobile, AL

               “Into the Light,” Illinois Glass, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford IL

               “Spark ans Flame” 50 yrs of Art Glass, Chazen Museum of Art, Univ. of Wisconsin

2001        “Celebration in Glass,” Bachman Gallery, Northern Indiana University

2000        “Millennium Glass: An International Survey” / Kentucky Art & Craft Foundation / Louisville, KY

1999        “The Art of Glass” / Kleen Gallery, Elgin College / Elgin, IL

1998        “A Passion for Glass” / Detroit Institute of Art / Detroit, MI

1997        “Blowing Hot, Cutting Cold: 35th Anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement” / Lakeview Museum of Arts / Peoria, IL

               “Glorious Glass: American & European Art Glass” / Owensboro Museum of Fine Art / Owensboro, KY

1996        “Nine Artist / Nine Visions” / Decordova Museum & Sculpture Park / Lincoln, MA

1993        “Glassforms” / Fuller Museum of Art / Brockton, MA

1992        “Contemporary Glass of Massachusetts College of Art” / Sandwich Glass Museum / Sandwich, MA

1991        “Studio Glass: Selections from the Chordokoff Collection” / Detroit Institute of Art / Detroit, MI

1987        “Young Glass International” / Glasmuseum / Ebeltoff, Denmark

               “Whirlpool Foundation Sculpture Exhibition” / Krasel Art Center / St Joseph, MO

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016        “Catalyst” 2016 / Onessimo Fine Art / Palm Beach Gardens, FL

2015        “Art South Hampton” International Art Fair / Conteassa Gallery / Bridgehampton, NY

2013        “Art Hamptons” International Art Fair / Contessa Gallery / Bridgehampton, NY

               “Collect 2013” International Art Fair / Saatchi Gallery, Plateaux Gallery / London, United Kingdom

                “Art Palm Beach Modern Art Fair” / Ken Saunders Gallery / West Palm Beach, FL

2012        “Toronto International Art Fair" / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

               “Reds” / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

               “Art Palm Beach Modern Art Fair” / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago IL

2011        “Thomas Scoon” / The Stutz 11, Art Box Gallery / Indianapolis, IN

               “Sofa Chicago” / David Richards Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM

               “Art" / The Philharmonic Naples / Naples, FL

               “New Artist” / Contessa Gallery / Cleveland, OH

               “ Sofa  Santa Fe” / David Richards Contemporary / Santa Fe, NM

               “Sofa New York City” / David Richards Contemporary / Santa Fe, NM

               “London Art” / Plateaux Gallery / London, United Kingdom

2010        “Sculptors” Beck, Musler, Royal, Scoon / Ken Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2009        “Hot, Cold Glass Exhibition”/ Micalea Gallery / San Francisco, CA

               “Sculpture & Painting" / Gallerie MX / Montreal, Ontario, Canada

               “Sculpture“ / Los Ols Fine Art / Ft Lauderdale, FL

2008        “A Decade of New Hampshire Visual Artist Fellows” / Sharn Arts Ct. / Sharon, NH

               “Cold and Hot Glass Sculpture” / Micaela Gallery / San Francisco, CA

2007        “Chicago Contemporary & Classic” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

2006        “Art in the Park Modern Art Fair” / Marx- Saunders Gallery / Chicago IL

2000-11  “Art Palm Beach Modern Art Fair” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago, IL

1996-10  “Sculpture,Object, and Functional Art Fair” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Chicago IL

2000-04  “Toronto International Art Fair” / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1989-09  “International Invitational” / Habatat Gallery / Boca Raton, Fl.

1999-08  “Sculpture, Object and Functional Art Fair" / Marx-Saunders Gallery / New York, NY

2002-04 “Southwest” / Scherer Gallery / Sedona, AZ

2002-03  “Outdoor Sculpture” / Leighton Gallery / Blue Hills, ME

2002        “Art Miami Art Fair” / Skot Foreman Fine Arts / Miami, FL

2001        “Texas International Art Fair” / Skot Foreman Fine Arts / Dallas, TX

2001-06  “Art Miami Art Fair” / Marx-Saunders Gallery / Miami, FL

2001        “Santa Fe Art Fair” / Skot Foreman Fine Arts / Santa Fe, NM

1997-08  “Gallery Artist” / Sandra Ainsley Gallery / Toronto,Ontario, Canada

1997-03  “Art Walk” / Riley Hawk Gallery / Cleveland, OH

1993-99  “Gallery Artist” / Imago Architectural Art Gallery / Palm Springs, CA

1994-97  “Sculpture” / Habatat Gallery / Aspen, CO

1996        “Art at the Prudential” / Prudential Center / Boston MA

1995        “Stockbridge Glass Invitational” / Holsten Gallery / Stockbridge, MA

1995        “Sculpture, Object and Functional Art" / Habatat Gallery / Chicago, IL

1994        “Third Masterworks of Contemporary Glass” / New York Experimental Glass Workshop / New York, NY

1993        “Glass Weekend” / Creative Glass Center, Miller Gallery / Millville, NJ

1992-94  “International Figurative Invitational” / Miller Gallery / New York, NY

1990        “Sculpture for the Nineties” / Federal Reserve Bank Gallery / Boston, MA

1988        “Figurative Translations” / Habatat Gallery / Chicago, IL

AWARDS, GRANTS, CORPORATE & PUBLIC ART

2010        Royal Caribbean Cruise Line / FL

2007        Finalist for New Hampshire Legacy Fund for Old Man on the Mountain Commission

2003        Northwater Capital Management / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2002        Rose Corporation / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2000        Talisker Corporation / Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1999        New Hampshire Artist Fellowship / NEA Sculpture

1998        Newquant Capital / New York, NY

1990        Keyport Insurance Co. / Boston MA

1988        Whirlpool Figurative Sculpture Award

COLLECTIONS

Knoxville Museum of Art / Knoxville, TN

Mobile Museum of Art, Haverty Collection / Mobile, AL

Hunter Museum of Art / Chattanooga, TN

Casine Collection / Sydney, Australia

Private Collection / Kingdom of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia

Private Collection / Mumbi, India

Art in the Embassy Program / US State Department, DC

Detroit Institute of Arts, Chordorkoff Collection / Detroit, MI

Glassmuseum / Ebeltoft, Denmark

Detroit Institute of Arts, Robinson Collection / Detroit, Mi

Private Collection / Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Private Collection / Delhi, India

PUBLICATIONS

2011        “Thomas Scoon Dialogues” Hard Cover Book

2001        “Absolutely Visionary”  Where Chicago Magazine (July)

1999        “Sculpting a Name for Himself”  Concord Monitor (April)

1997        “Marx-Saunders Features Scoon Sculpture”  Daily Herald (July)

               “Review”  Pittsburgh Post Gazette (5/31/97)

1995        “Portfolio” American Craft Magazine (November Issue)

1994        “Vital Connections”  Gay Chicago Magazine (August Issue)

               “Review”  The New Art Examiner (October Issue)

1993        “Glass Motif”  The Villager (4/14/93)

1992        “Review”  Glass Magazine (Spring Issue)

1990        “Review”  The Boston Globe (7/19/90)

               “Corning New Glass Review” #6, #9 & #10

Thomas Scoon Description

Thomas Scoon’s sculptures can be seen in the collections of the Knoxville Museum of Art, TN, The Mobile Museum of Art, AL, The Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga, TN, The Casine Collection, Sydney, Australia, The Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, and the Glassmuseum, Ebeltoft, Denmark. His work is part of private collections around the world, including the locations of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Mumbai, India, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Delhi, India. The solo shows and group exhibitions in which Thomas participated between the years of 1990 and 2015 are extremely numerous as are the publications that have given him merit. 

Thomas obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Illinois State University in 1998. He continued his education at Massachusetts College of Art, gaining his Masters of Fine Art in 1990. 

His work as a professional artist has been augmented through the years by teaching positions at several schools. In 1984, Thomas worked as a Teaching Assistant for Glass Blowing at Pilchuck Glass School. From 1989 to 1990 he taught Sculptural Glass Casting as an Adjunct Instructor at the Massachusetts College of Art, his alma mater. In 2003, Thomas again taught as an Adjunct Instructor of Sculpture, this time at the University of New Hampshire. 

Thomas Scoon Statement

“In my work, I create figures from sequences of stone and glass. The figures rise from the external landscape where I live, a place filled with remnants of stonewalls and glacial erratic. I gather stones from quarry rubble and from New Hampshire neighbors who allow me to choose stone from their land. The glass portions of the sculpture are combined with these found stones, suggesting human figures. I try to choose rocks that evoke the feeling and gesture of human forms, specifically torsos and heads. I will look for a flat rock with a curved edge and tapering form to suggest torsos or the triangulation of stone with a cleft that may hint of a head. I do very little to alter these stones in the process of making sculptures, perhaps just chiseling or cutting a bit. Instead, I seek to emphasize qualities already naturally present.

The layering of kiln-cast glass with the stone allows for light to pass through the figures and for what I hope embodies the spiritual and physical essence of human nature into each sculpture. By marrying fire and materials of earth with the modern process of casting glass, there is a fusion of composition and chance.”