A mother, father and their adult son are filling The Woodlands Arts Council gallery with glassblown sculpture starting Tuesday, Aug. 11, in a free exhibition that runs nearly two months.

"Heart of Glass: A Family Shaped by Fire" showcases the work of Michael Kerry Brown, Sally Pennington Moore and their son Patrick Kerry Brown. Each artist approaches molten glass differently: Michael Kerry Brown builds expressive sculptural forms, Sally Pennington Moore blends science with art, and Patrick Kerry Brown channels themes of mental health and music into his pieces.

The family also runs Glassblowing Houston in Tomball, where they teach the craft to students of all experience levels. Patrick Kerry Brown discovered glassblowing when his parents opened that studio. He took a week-long introductory class and never looked back.

On his artist biography page, he describes the pull of the medium: "Much like the fluid sounds of jazz and blues I grew up on, glass seemed to move to the beat of its own drum." His work now spans series he calls Cane, Hot Assemblage, Incalmo, Murrini and Sculpted, drawing on nature and music.

Curator Annette Palmer selected the family's work for the exhibition. According to Woodlands Online, Palmer said the pieces "reveal a household working in harmony, while allowing each artist's unique voice to resonate with clarity." The council, which has invested $1.8 million in community arts programming over 21 years, operates the gallery year-round.


How to visit

The exhibition is free and open to the public at the TWAC gallery, 9450 Grogans Mill Rd., Ste. 160, The Woodlands. Gallery hours are Tuesdays through Thursdays, 1 to 4 p.m., through Oct. 8.

An opening reception is set for Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP is encouraged at the TWAC events page.

Upcoming community events