Michener Art Museum’s original exhibition, “Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural,” opening Saturday, April 12, features the debut of the internationally known glass artist’s newest, monumental work, an eight-foot-tall stained-glass dome designed for a single viewer.
On view through September 14, the immersive stained-glass environment, also titled Super/Natural, represents a “three-tiered cosmos” that explores the idea of biophilia, the human tendency to connect with nature.
Schaechter, who lives and works in Philadelphia, produced “Super/Natural” in a year and a half as artist-in-residence at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. During her work on the piece, Schaechter attended lab meetings with a team of researchers and scientists who study the neural and biological basis of aesthetic experiences. Their research, and Schaechter’s recent work, explore relationships between art, beauty, morality, and the brain.
The “Super/Natural” dome’s 65 panels are filled with imagined insects, flora, plants, and birds, encouraging visitors to imagine themselves subsumed in the natural world, with all its beauty, violence, decay, and growth. The central stained-glass structure, reminiscent of a church, creates a sanctuary space for the secular.
“My goal is to invite viewers into a deeply personal, immersive experience that explores the connections between self, nature, and imagination,” Schaechter said. “We are ultimately connected to, not just observing, nature.”
Curated by Laura Turner Igoe, the Michener Art Museum’s chief curator, “Super/Natural” also features nine additional stained-glass pieces by Schaechter to complement the dome and provide a context for the debut of her new work. These pieces similarly examine the cultural construction of nature and are presented along with a series of drawings and sketches related to the dome.
“It was thrilling to work with Judith on this exhibition and see the Super/Natural dome evolve over the past couple of years,” Igoe said. The artist “embraces awe and wonder in order to encourage viewers to consider their own relationship with the natural world.”
Schaechter’s work is collected internationally and included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Smithsonian, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Hermitage in Russia, along with numerous others. Among other honors, Schaechter was inducted into the American Craft Council of College Fellows in 2013, received a lifetime achievement award from the Glass Art Society in 2022, and was the recipient of the Smithsonian Visionary Award in 2024.
Born in Florida and raised in Massachusetts by a microbiologist father and social worker mother, she earned bachelor of fine arts in glass from the Rhode Island School of Design.
“The Michener is honored to be the first institution to exhibit Judith Schaechter’s Super/Natural,” said Michener Art Museum executive director Anne Corso. “Schaechter’s work honors the tradition of stained glass and yet pushes the boundaries of the medium with her intricate process and complex imagery — it is truly awe-inspiring.”
The Super/Natural dome will next appear in an exhibition presented by the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco, California.
Interior viewing times for the Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural dome are Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Related programs include:
Make & Mingle: Metal Tooling inspired by Judith Schaechter, Thursday, May 1, 6 to 8 p.m. $50. One-night workshop exploring metal tooling inspired by the flora and fauna in Schaechter’s stained-glass art. Learn to manipulate soft metal sheets, creating textured designs that reflect nature’s beauty. Designed for all abilities.
Art After Dark: Kaleidoscope of Colors, Thursday, May 1, 6 to 8 p.m. Included with general admission. A fun, casual evening at the museum with live music, cash bar, and a self-guided scavenger hunt. Explore the galleries through the lens of colors. Weather permitting, bar and music will be outdoors. Bar service available to those 21+ only. No outside alcohol permitted.
Artist Talk with Judith Schaechter, Wednesday, May 14, 1 to 2 p.m. $20. Hear from the artist about her unique glass practice and how the dome project came to life through a pairing with Penn Medicine’s Center for Neuroaesthetics.
Beyond Words Book Club: The Glassmaker. Thursday, June 5, 6:30 to 8 p.m.; and Thursday, July 17, 1 to 2:30 p.m. $20 per session. A chance to explore literary selections through thoughtful conversation and gallery selections. “The Glassmaker,” by Tracy Chevalier, will be paired with pieces from Schaechter’s exhibition. Explore connections between Chevalier’s tale of glassmakers and their connection to Schaechter’s pieces and practice.
Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural, Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown Pennsylvania. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Open until 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. $15 general admission; free on second Sunday of each month. www.michenerartmuseum.org.
