ST. PETERSBURG, FL — December 2023 — Imagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art announced an international collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The exhibition, developed by Imagine Museum in partnership with glass artists from around the world and OHCHR, was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica and France to the United Nations.
The exhibition brings together the extraordinary beauty of contemporary glass art with a universal message: that human rights, peace and unity belong to every person.
Founded in 2018 in St. Petersburg, Florida, by artist, author, philanthropist, entrepreneur and human rights advocate Trish Duggan, Imagine Museum is dedicated to uplifting, inspiring and educating audiences through the transformative medium of glass.
Duggan first envisioned bringing a glass art exhibition to the United Nations after learning that the United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed 2022 the International Year of Glass, recognizing the important role glass plays in society. Although the exhibition was delayed following the pandemic, the opportunity to participate in an exhibition at the United Nations in 2023 provided the perfect occasion to bring together two powerful themes: glass art and human rights.
Art as a Universal Language
The exhibition features works by artists from around the world who use glass to explore themes of humanity, connection, peace, freedom and human dignity.
The museum is currently home to two spectacular walls of glass one for Human Rights and the other for Peace. Both were presented in canvas in New York as the glass would be too heavy for the walls. The Human Rights Wall and Peace Wall were collaborations between Swedish Cast Glass Artist, Bertil Vallien and US Artist, Trish Duggan.
As part of the project, Imagine Museum issued an international call to artists in 2022 inviting them to submit a glass tile bearing the word “Unity” or “Human Rights” in their country's language. The resulting collection celebrates the many cultures and languages of the world while emphasizing the common values shared by humanity.
Among the featured works are:
Marlene Rose — Helping Hand and Its Return
Internationally recognized, award-winning sculptor Marlene Rose is known for her extraordinary sand-cast glass works. She created Helping Hand and Its Return especially for the 75th anniversary exhibition, offering a powerful visual expression of compassion, assistance and human connection.
Fahan Sky McDonagh — Vessel for Peace
Created specifically for the exhibition, McDonagh's Vessel for Peace is a bowl symbolizing giving, sharing and openness. The artist sought to convey a sense of connection between people as a pathway to peace. As McDonagh expressed it, “If we can see ourselves in another and be grateful for each other, peace will be our new reality.”
Vivian Wang — Mother and Child
Wang's Mother and Child offers a visual connection to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes that “Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.”
Trish Duggan — Liberty
Duggan's Liberty distills the concept of human rights into a single, powerful word. Liberty represents the fundamental human aspiration to live freely and without oppressive restrictions.
Human Rights and Freedom of Expression
The exhibition also highlights two rights of particular significance to artists and the cultural community: Article 19, which protects freedom of opinion and expression, and Article 27, which recognizes the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community and to enjoy the arts.
For Imagine Museum, the exhibition represents the belief that art can do more than inspire aesthetic appreciation. It can encourage dialogue, cultivate understanding and remind us of our shared humanity.
“The intention of this exhibition is to inspire visitors to look for the beauty in the world and in others,” said Trish Duggan. “When we create peace within ourselves, our families and our communities, that peace can radiate outward into the larger world.”
A Message of Unity
The exhibition builds upon Imagine Museum's broader mission to use art as a vehicle for inspiration, education and positive human connection. Glass—fragile yet enduring, transparent yet capable of extraordinary transformation—provides a particularly meaningful medium through which to explore the human experience.
Imagine Museum is also making human rights education accessible to visitors by providing inspirational quote cards and a complimentary booklet, Imagine Human Rights as Reality, introducing all 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Through this collaboration, Imagine Museum hopes to encourage visitors not only to appreciate the beauty of glass, but also to reflect on the rights, freedoms and responsibilities that connect people around the world.
About Imagine Museum
Imagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art, founded in 2018 by Trish Duggan, showcases contemporary glass art from around the world, celebrating international and American artists and the rich legacy of the American Studio Glass movement. Located in St. Petersburg, Florida, the museum is dedicated to uplifting, inspiring and educating through the beauty and wonder of glass.