Join us at the Museum of Northwest Art for a lecture and book signing with Matthew Kangas, curator of the exhibition, “Permanent Immigrant: Italo Scanga in the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Collection”.

Italo Scanga’s biographer, Matthew Kangas, author of Italo Scanga 1932-2001, will share stories about the artist’s childhood, emigration to the US, and travels back and forth to Italy after his higher education in America and subsequent university art school teaching jobs.

Illustrated with photographs from the Italo Scanga Foundation archive and his book, Kangas will explain the artist’s extraordinarily wide education—how he graduated from American high school in two years, received a BA in one, and attended graduate school at Michigan State University to receive his MFA soon thereafter. His teaching jobs on the East Coast at Rhode Island School of Design and Temple University in Philadelphia coincided with his first marriage and growth of his family. After moving to the West Coast and remarrying, Scanga intensified his friendship with Dale Chihuly and became a regular artist in residence at Pilchuck Glass School. While there, he met and invited many prominent contemporary artists who participated in the process of integrating glass into contemporary art, perhaps his greatest legacy.

Cost: Free for members | $5 suggested donation for non-members
As always, admission to the Museum is free. Want to become a member? Join us today.

Please RSVP using the form below. Questions? Email us at education@musuemofnwart.org.