Join the Liebman Institute of Science Innovation (LISI) at McHenry County College (MCC) for an evening of insight, innovation, and artistry as Katherine Gray uncovers the mesmerizing science behind blown glass and its limitless creative potential. “Transparency, Opacity, and Iridescence in Glass” will be held Friday, April 25 from 5:15 – 7:30 p.m. in the Luecht Auditorium at the College, 8900 US Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake.
Gray, a world-renowned glass artist, will explore the compelling medium of glass and discuss how the interplay of light, structure, and perception transforms ordinary glass into an extraordinary artistic statement. Attendees will also learn how materials like metal oxides—developed by NASA for spacecraft windows—create iridescent effects.
From historical glass artifacts to cutting-edge innovations, Gray’s talk will reveal the hidden science behind this ancient yet futuristic material.
“I use a material that we don’t generally ‘see’: glass,” said Gray. “It is often flawlessly clear and colourless, hence invisible in that regard, but also it can be so ubiquitous and banal that it does not register in our psyches either. It is a material that allows us unparalleled connectivity (via smart phones and fibre optics) yet also serves to separate us. To my mind, these two polarities are what set this material apart from so many others, and one of the reasons that I feel compelled to keep working with it as an artistic medium.”
Gray received her undergraduate degree from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and her Master of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been exhibited in prestigious institutions, including the Corning Museum of Glass, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington. She is a resident evaluator on Netflix’s Blown Away, and is a frequent juror and curator in the glass art world. In addition to her artistic career, Gray is a professor of art at California State University, San Bernardino.
Registration is required and costs $7 per person. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. for appetizers and refreshments. The session begins at 6 p.m.
The event is part of LISI’s Speaker Series, which brings cutting-edge science topics to the forefront of our community and collective consciousness. As part of this series, participants will hear from leading researchers and visionaries on a variety of science-based opportunities, impacts, and solutions.
All registration information and more about LISI can be found here.