Eagle Hat, Preston Singletary (born 1963)

Preston Singletary works in the European tradition of glass art while incorporating motifs from his Tlingit heritage. Stability and transience are held together in “Eagle Hat,” as light shines through the carved glass, resulting in detailed projections of an eagle. By shaping a traditional Tlingit hat in glass and turning it upside down, Singletary renders it unfunctional, focusing attention on the meanings of its form and design. Singletary said: “My work with glass transforms the notion that Native artists are only best when traditional materials are used. It has helped advocate on the behalf of all Indigenous people—affirming that we are still here—that that we are declaring who we are through our art in connection to our culture.”