Who We Are
Glowtown was conceived by internationally renowned artist, Sharon Louden.
With an M.F.A. from Yale University, Sharon has been exhibiting in museums and galleries since 1991. She has also been an educator for nearly 30 years to students of many ages, from college level on down and has been conducting Glowtown workshops across the country since 1999:
“In the summer of 1999 at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, I had the experience of creating Glowtown with a group of about 30 children. We worked together for an entire day building a town that glowed in the dark and consisted of cotton dental rolls, glue, cardboard, popsicle sticks, and luminous paint. The idea was to build a town that could be transformed when the lights were turned off. This workshop was directly inspired by an installation I did at the Aldrich Museum entitled Tips.
Since then, I have conducted this workshop all over the country in many venues, including the Education Departments of many museums including the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Katonah Museum of Art and the Birmingham Museum of Art. Participants of all ages have participated in my workshop, from young children to high school students to adults in corporate team building retreats. Glowtown is for all ages and meant to be an exercise to bring people together to create a fantastical world with simple materials, creating a wonderful experience along the way.”
The Executive Director of Glowtown is Vinson Valega. He coordinates all of the preparation neccessary for a successful workshop, working hand-in-hand with partner organizations in the lead-up to the "Big Day."
Vinson is also a Media Producer, Jazz Musician & Activist.
Finally, Sharon and Vinson are assisted by various assistants that work in Sharon's Brooklyn studio, in addition to the many wonderful volunteers of all ages who generously give their time and effort on site at each Glowtown workshop.
