Acclaimed muralist Natalie Lanese joins Toledo Museum of Art for Sara Jane DeHoff GAPP Residency

Eye On Art | 07/30/2025 10:00 am

The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) is pleased to welcome acclaimed muralist Natalie Lanese for the Sara Jane DeHoff Guest Artist Pavilion Project (GAPP) residency. Known for large-scale murals, immersive installations, and playful geometric motifs, Lanese will be in residence at TMA from August 5-14, engaging visitors through public demonstrations and a special artist lecture.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Natalie as our next GAPP artist,” said Alan Iwamura, TMA’s glass studio manager. “Her dynamic approach to abstraction, blending repetition, and vibrant color schemes reshape our perception of space in powerful ways. Her work invites us to question visual boundaries and embrace the tension between spontaneity and control which is a signature element in glass. This makes her a perfect fit for the spirit of experimentation that defines the Sara Jane DeHoff GAPP residency.”

Lanese will offer a free public lecture on August 8 from 6-7 p.m. in the GlasSalon in TMA’s Glass Pavilion, where she will share her artistic inspiration, process, and experience. Attendees should note that some of the content in the lecture may include adult themes.

During her residency, Lanese will also conduct a series of artistic demonstrations at 2 p.m. on August 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, and 15. These dynamic sessions provide visitors with an opportunity to experience the creative process up close, watching her work alongside skilled glassmakers and discovering how she brings her signature patterns and vibrant color palette to life through this dynamic medium.

Lanese, a Cleveland-based artist, has an art career spanning multiple decades. She has exhibited her work in major institutions such as MOCA Tucson, the Akron Art Museum, and the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, with permanent public artworks installed in San Diego, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Cleveland, OH. She is a former lead painter with Graphite Design + Build for the ProMedica Museum of Natural History at the Toledo Zoo, and she is a 2019 recipient of the Toledo 20 Under 40 Award.

Established with the opening of the Glass Pavilion in 2006, the Sara Jane DeHoff Guest Artist Pavilion Project (GAPP) residency invites both established and emerging artists to push the limits of glass as a medium. Artists selected for GAPP receive the opportunity to experiment freely, working alongside the museum’s skilled glass studio staff. In addition to hands-on studio work, GAPP artists share their creative process with the public through lectures, demonstrations, and collaborative engagements, fostering a dialogue that extends beyond the walls of the museum.

For more information about Lanese’s residency, visit www.toledomuseum.org.

ABOUT THE TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART
Recently named the 2025 Best Art Museum in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) is a beloved cultural institution in Toledo, Ohio, and a global leader in the museum field. Established in 1901, its renowned collection features over 25,000 works, ranging from antiquity to contemporary art, and includes one of the finest collections of glass in the world. Situated on a 40-acre campus, TMA integrates art into people’s lives through its world-class collection, engaging exhibitions, robust educational programs, and community outreach.

Admission and parking to TMA are always free, welcoming everyone to explore its galleries. The museum is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed on Monday, Tuesday, and select holidays. TMA is located at 2445 Monroe St., just one block off I-75, with exit