_*TRANSFORMED BY FIRE*_ was a career-spanning exhibition of ninety objects by June Schwarcz, considered the nation’s premier enamelist. For 53 years she had been fashioning exquisite objects that are contemporary yet ageless. Along with enameling – the fusing of colored glass to metal—June Schwarcz’s work often employs electroplating—the process of coating a metal surface with more metal, using a chemical bath and a current. Her distinctive forms also arise from her use of thin copper foil and mesh.
Organized and presented originally in 2008 by the Fresno Art Museum and curated by Jacquelin Pilar under the title _JUNE SCHWARCZ – Expressionism’s Fire and the Resonant Form_, Fresno Art Museum’s Council of 100 Distinguished Woman Artist for 2008, Selections from the Forrest L. Merrill Collection, this exhibition was adapted for its Mingei International Museum presentation.
The exhibition was accompanied by an eponymous Mingei International Museum publication and a video entitled June Schwarcz, Enamel Artist. _*TRANSFORMED BY FIRE—An Enameling Workshop*_ was presented by artists from the San Diego Enamel Guild on Sunday, April 25.
Forrest L. Merrill and June Schwarcz assisted in organizing this exhibition. The exhibition was funded in part by The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and The County of San Diego Community Enhancement Program.