Designer Eva Zeisel Turns 100 Years Old

Erie, PA, November 11, 2006 --(PR.com)-- In 2005, just days after industrial designer Eva Zeisel turned 99 years old, an exhibit featuring her work debuted at the Erie Art Museum. Now one year later, Zeisel is celebrating her 100th birthday and the Museum continues to celebrate a century of her work.

“Eva Zeisel: The Shape of Life” includes 200 designs from as far back as the 1920s.  Featuring work from the Museum’s permanent collection and additional pieces from the private collections, the exhibit spans her career and follows her development as a designer through the late-1990s.

Many of Zeisel’s later works featured in the exhibit are editions of earlier designs created when Zeisel partnered with The Orange Chicken. The relationship between The Orange Chicken and Zeisel began in 1998, with the shared idea of bringing Zeisel’s timeless designs as well as never before seen products to a fresh, updated gallery market. Working closely together, Zeisel and The Orange Chicken produced a series of limited edition designs that incorporated a new line of glaze finishes, and the use of new materials, such as sterling silver and glass.

The Museum also lays claim to many of the works in the exhibit.  “The Shape of Life” features more than 180 pieces from the Museum’s collection, pieces that are rarely seen because of the Museum’s limited gallery space.  These pieces, including a rare sterling silver nesting tray based on a 1957 Eva Zeisel design, are on display until June 2007, when the collection will begin touring to other museums.

Eva Zeisel turns 100 years old on Monday, Nov. 13, but you can see the centenarian’s work during the Museum’s regular hours, Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.  Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for students and seniors and $2 for children under 12.  Admission is free to all on Wednesdays.

###