Friday March 6th, 2026 6:00pm-8:30pm
Join us at Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts for the reception and artist talk for our solo glass exhibition Streptomyces by MiNHi England. This reception is an opportunity to meet a professional glass artist and hear them speak first-hand about how and why they create their artwork. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. RSVP here!
Event Schedule:
6:00pm-6:30pm Arrival and exhibition viewing
6:30pm-7:00pm Artist Lecture by MiNHi England in Red Eye Theater
7:00pm-8:30pm Exhibition viewing and snacks at Foci MCGA Gallery
The Solo Exhibition Streptomyces by MiNHi England, Netflix Blown Away Series 3 Finalist, explores the paradox of Streptomyces bacteria as a metaphor for grief. Through material transformations represented in glass, MiNHi’s artwork reflects how loss, illness, and love can metabolize decay into survival. The exhibition is on view March 6-May 9, 2026 at Foci MCGA. This event is supported by grant funding from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG). View Travel & Parking Info, Accessibility Details, and FAQ here.
Artist Biography:
MiNHi England is an independent artist and educator who works primarily in glass. Born in Germany and raised in upstate New York, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Alfred University, School of Art and Design, with a concentration in glassblowing and metal casting. She now lives in Seattle, WA, where she owns and operates Top Hat Glassworks, a collaborative studio that supports emerging and early-career glass artists.
In her practice, MiNHi explores major life experiences and transitions, using glass, neon, and other illuminated elements to give form to contemporary existential themes. Her work examines the complexity of emotion through repeated forms, reflective surfaces, and figurative gestures. By incorporating mirrored distortions and shifting light, she reveals how inner turbulence and recurring patterns in life can shape, and sometimes distort, our sense of self.
England’s work has been collected and featured throughout the United States, including Bellevue Art Museum, Habatat Galleries Glass International, and SeaTac Airport. In 2023, she was featured in American Craft Magazine's "Remembering Well" edition, recognizing her work in grief through glass. After earning runner-up on the hit television series, “Blown Away,” she has made appearances as a public figure and glass artist around the nation and internationally and she continues to travel as an educator in the arts.
