HARUE SHIMOMOTO

“I appreciate the feelings I get from even the most unspectacular nature, and the small things in everyday life,” Shimomoto says. “I find the small beauties of nature are the ones that most change my view.” The fragility of a glass environment has an immediate visceral impact, which Shimomoto appreciates. But she says, “I do not want the viewer to be too conscious of the glass. I almost believe that glass itself is too beautiful to be a medium. Many people see glass as functional object or decorative material. I want to break those images of glass and give it a different quality. Therefore, I am careful to make my work stronger than the medium.” In her work Shimomoto is striving for what she calls “a strong quiet: the quiet of a mountain.”  (written by Jody Clowes)

Harue Shimomoto received her MFA in the UW-Madison’s Department of Art, where she developed a body of work that moves beyond the wall to create pathways through a complex network of glass rods, transforming any space into a meditative journey. Shimomoto received her BFA from Tokyo’s Mushashino Art University in 1995, and also spent time studying at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Harue has worked as a teaching assistant and interpreter at Pilchuck School of Glass, as well as the director of large scale projects for artist Toots Zynsky, and flame working assistant to Brent K Young.

In 2012, she was artist in residence at the University of Wisconsin. Previous to that, she was the finalist for a public art project in the Superior New Academic Building at the University of Wisconsin. She has received many awards and distinctions for her glass work, including a CGCA Fellowship from the Creative Glass Center of America and the Anne and Robert Mayer Bolz Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

2010 Teaching Assistant and Interpreter, Pilchuck, Stanwood, WA Kimiake and Shinich Higuchi Workshop. 2009-2017 Director of Large Scale Projects Development TOOTS ZYNSKY, INC.

2005 Artist Assistant and Interpreter, Notojima, Japan Toots Zynsky workshop.

2004 Artist Assistant, Cleveland, OH Flame working assistant to Brent K Young.

2003 Artist assistant and Interpreter, Kanazu Art Forest, Fukui Japan Toots Zynsky workshop 

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIP

2012 Recipient, University of Wisconsin Artist in Residency program. Nominated for Emerging Artist for Glass Art Society Conference.

2009 Finalist for Public Art Project (University of Wisconsin-Superior New Academic Building) Recipient, CGCA Fellowship Program, Wheaton Art Village, Millville, NJ

2006 Project Assistant. For glass department in University of Wisconsin.

2005 Anne and Robert Mayer Bolz Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI

2004 Jack Zipp excellence in glass scholarship, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland OH CIA Honorary scholarship, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland OH CIA summer workshop scholarship, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland OH

2003 Transfer portfolio scholarship, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland OH 1

1993 Graduations Exhibition, Excellence Award Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan