Bringing Glass to Life

The first public art museum founded in the Western United States, the Crocker Art Museum was established in 1885 and is now one of the leading art museums in California. It serves as the primary regional resource for the study and appreciation of fine art, offering a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions and programs to complement its collections.

In 2016, the Sacramento-based museum hosted a temporary exhibition, “Glass for the New Millennium”, which featured masterworks from the Kaplan-Ostergaard Collection.

“When illuminating glass, color rendering is the most important element. You must have true, accurate colors to bring out the best in glass,” said Matthew Isble, Exhibit Designer and Chief Preparator for the Crocker Art Museum. “We wanted something in the 3000K range that would mimic sunlight. SORAA LED lamps perfectly light the art glass pieces, making them sing.”

In putting together this important show, Isble and the team from the Crocker reviewed and tested LED lamps from four different companies. As they narrowed down their choices, the Crocker team opted to visit SORAA’s LED fabrication facility in Fremont, Calif. Ultimately they chose SORAA VIVID MR16™ and PAR 38 LED lamps for the exhibition.

“Glass for the New Millennium” challenges how the public perceives mass, volume and form of glass. Surveying the work of 70 dynamic global artists who push the medium’s boundaries, the exhibit included important pieces from the 20th century studio movement, such as the life-sized, figural forms of Karen LaMonte, cast-glass abstractions of Richard Whiteley, and the expectation-shattering sculptures of Masahiro Asaka and Christina Bothwell.

“We needed a light source to make the glass come to life, bringing out the shapes, forms and colors. SORAA’s LED lamps illuminate glass beautifully,” said Isble. “At the SORAA facility, the company’s production team explained how their LEDs are made. It was clear to us that the SORAA team members are serious about perfect lighting.”