A trend of social commentary has emerged among the latest generation of glass artists, a conceptual development evident in “Fired Up: Glass Today,” an exhibition curated by Brandy Culp, Richard Koopman Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut. There are over 100 artworks by 57 artists in the exhibit. Included are works by luminaries of contemporary glass such as Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra and others, that foundationally frame perspectives by a new generation of glass artists combining consciousness raising content with aesthetics and technical skill.

I spoke recently with Aaron Schey, co-owner of Habatat Detroit Fine Art, which represents a number of artists in “Fired Up: Glass Today” (including UK artist Hannah Gibson whom I met at the exhibition’s press opening). Schey and I discussed the current of activism as a phenomenon amongyoung artists, that he is calling the “New Glass Movement.” He noted that these artists want a social mission imbedded into their contracts so that a percentage of sales goes directly to their causes, typically up to 25% before the gallery/artist split, which Habatat accommodates. This philanthropic paradigm isn’t new, but its prevalence signals a greater shift among artists toward leveraging their art commerce to effect goals of social change.