SC artist Steve Hazard creating works for new Smithsonian museum gift shop

South Carolina artist Steve Hazard has been commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution to create works for the new National Museum of African American History and Culture gift shop in Washington, D.C.  The new museum, the Smithsonian’s 19th, will be the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, art, history and culture. The opening is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Following a referral from the Philip Simmons Foundation, Smithsonian staff visited Hazard in his North Charleston studio in November 2015. Buyers for the gift shop have placed orders for fused glass bowls and plates, wearable art glass jewelry, note cards, and a design for a silk scarf.

Steve Hazard, MonkeyTree Vanity Vase

A graphic designer skilled in metal and glass, Hazard has established a style combining fine art, craft and graphic design using cubistic abstracts from traditional and contemporary world art, creating objects, sculpture, furniture and wall panels in glass and metal. His style of dense abstract compositions with overlapping graphics in fused and kiln-formed clear glass reflects his explorations of geometric patterns and color harmonies seen in art from Africa and other cultures. Hazard has received commissions to create original art glass works for numerous dignitaries, including three U.S. presidents and more than 40 leaders in human rights, politics, education, the arts and entertainment.

Since moving to the Lowcountry in 2003, Hazard has traveled the country as a member of the American Craft Council, selling his work at juried art shows and regional art festivals. For the last four years, the South Carolina Arts Foundation has invited him to participate in the South Carolina Art Sale, a fundraising event held annually in Columbia to support the programs of the South Carolina Arts Commission. While the art sale has helped introduce Hazard’s work to a statewide audience, the new museum’s gift shop will provide visibility and daily access to a large, diverse audience of domestic and international travelers interested in contemporary abstract art.

Find out more about Hazard’s work on his website.

Via: Steve Hazard