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The Artomatic organizers are collecting submissions** for an Artomatic parade float for the upcoming Washington Project for the Arts Art Parade – the WPArade.
Sign up by May 28th to submit an entry!
** Enter any 8×11″ size art submission to be added to Artomatic’s parade float. The WPArade is scheduled to take place June 5, 2010 at the Capitol Riverfront – near the Washington Nationals Baseball park on Half Street.
“The WPA Art Parade is an extravaganza of artists connecting with community to create a moving visual spectacle of art and culture. Visual artists, performers, architects, musicians, and visual arts organizations are invited to work independently, together, and in partnership with community organizations to create inflatable art, placards, portable sculpture and street performance.”
Click HERE for more info on the Artomatic float.
For more information – and to mix & mingle with fellow DC area artists – come visit Artomatic at Bistro Bistro for Happy Hour this Wednesday in Dupont Circle …
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
5pm – 7pm
Bistro Bistro
1727 Connecticut Ave, NW
Gallery 555 Inaugural Show
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The new Penn Quarter art gallery “Gallery 555” opens its Inaugural Show featuring artwork by Michelle Cormier. The gallery also will showcase the artwork of Erwin Timmers, Kathy Wismar, Ani Katsen, Sabri Ben-Achour, Bruce Fransen, George VanDyke, Nancy Kubale, Tinne Debruijne, Ellyn Weiss, Alan Binstock and Ron Loyd.
“Gallery 555 is committed to supporting Washington DC area artists who create original works of art. Creativity achieved through a complexity of thought and design is appreciated and honored.” says Jodi Walsh, Gallery 555 owner.
Champagne Opening of Gallery 555
Sunday, May 23, 2010
1-5 pm
Gallery 555 is located in the lobby of 555 12th Street, NW, Washington, DC
202.393.1409
Click HERE for map.
Metro: Red, Blue and Orange lines at Metro Center Stop. Take 12th St exit, at top of escalator make a U-turn to 12th & F St.
Photos from WGS 9th Anniversary Open House
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Washington Glass School’s 9th anniversary party was a great event! Hundreds joined the artists and instructors celebrate – the event started with a parade complete with marching bands and the Mayor of Mount Rainier – Melinda Miles – greeting everyone.
The open house was lots of fun – the artists showcased their work, torchwork demos were held, with a collaborative artwork piece was made by the lampworkers during the day. 
Mayor Miles opens the parade – complete with marching bands, clowns, and politicians – (which is which?)
A view of one of the studios during open house.
Tim Tate chats up visitors to the school.
Alison Sigethy exhibits her eco-art.
David and JoAnn Pearcy set up glass jewelry. Valerie Hassett and friend viewing Kirk Waldroff’s cast glass prints.
Robert Kincheloe demos on the torch.
Jessica Beels discusses her sculpture.
The party gets into full swing- put yer hands in the air – woop! woop!
The next Washington Glass School Open House is in December – mark your calendars now!
CMOG New Glass Review 31
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Published by The Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG), New Glass Review is an annual survey of glass in contemporary art, architecture, craft, and design created in the previous year. The works are chosen by a changing jury of curators, artists, designers, art dealers, and critics, which, over the past 25 years, has included Dale Chihuly, Clement Greenberg, Stanislav Libenský, Richard Marquis, David McFadden, Yoriko Mizuta, Lois Moran , Jean-Luc Olivié , Tom Patti, Ginny Ruffner, Bertil Vallien, and Toots Zynsky. Museum jurors have included Thomas S. Buechner, the Museum’s founding director, and modern glass curators Susanne K. Frantz, Tina Oldknow, and William Warmus.
This year is the 31st annual review, and the jurors were Jon Clark, Professor, Tyler School of Art, Rosa Barovier Mentasti, independent art historian, curator, and critic, Zesty Meyers, artist and owner R 20th Century, and Tina Oldknow, the Corning Museum’s Curator of Modern Glass. The jurors selected 100 works from 888 international artists that sent over 2,500 images of work for the competition.
The Washington DC area is represented by some familiar names – the Washington Glass School’s Michael Janis; Washington Glass School alumni Jeff Zimmer, and Weisser Glass Studio’s Nancy Weisser.
The book of work is published in Germany and the copies have just arrived stateside. Congrats to the artists!
Michael Janis
Touching With A Lighter Hand
kilnformed glass, glass powder imagery
95 cm x 50 cm
Jeff Zimmer
1/1000th the Space Between Me and You (In a Deadrise)
layers of enamelled & sandlasted glass in glass lightbox
545 x 225 x 210 mm/21″ x 8.75 ” x 8.25″
Nancy Weisser
Broken Memories
assembled kilnformed glass
305cm x 762cm
Glass Signage Marks The Way
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Earlier in the year our blog documented the cast glass samples being trialed for the signage that would be mounted over the front door at the Washington Glass School.
What Can You Do With A Broken Bottle?
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Ok – we can all agree that there is some perverse enjoyment in the sound of breaking glass.
ReadyMade Magazine is sponsoring an event called Glassphemy in NY that exploits this cathartic process and ties in recycling as well.
Part game, part art installation, part mobile recycling center, Glassphemy! is a 20-by-30-foot steel structure lined with bulletproof glass. A person standing on one side can throw bottles at a friend or enemy who is standing in safety behind the clear wall on the other side. Satisfying crashes and bright lights ensue upon impact. Glassphemy! is about relieving psychological tension, having fun, and getting your recycling done all at the same time.
ReadyMade also is running a competition on what to do with the broken glass.
The glass can be in shard form, or it can be ground up further, melted, mixed with other materials–transformed in any way you can think of. Your design must incorporate broken glass, but it can include any other materials you like. You don’t need to make the thing you’re designing (though you can!). But you do need to provide a general description of how to make it: what the materials are and how it would come together.
You may submit your design in any form you like: Drawings on the back of a cocktail napkin, a 300-word essay, SketchUp files, a video of yourself describing it in words and hand gestures. Whatever best gets your idea across!
Send your design to info@readymademag.com, or mail it to:
ReadyMade Magazine, attn: Glassphemy! Contest, 125 Park Avenue, 18th Floor, New York NY 10017
The contest starts on May 12.
The entry deadline is Friday, June 4.
Click HERE to read more about Glassphemy!
9th Anniversary Open House
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“Untitled” by Robert Kincheloe / photo by Anything Photographic
glass and steel 2010
Join the Washington Glass School as it celebrates its 9th Anniversary this coming Saturday with an Open House and Artwork Sale – art and craft from over 20 studio artists and instructors will be available.
Artists exhibiting include: Michael Janis, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Syl Mathis, Robert Kincheloe, Jessica Beels, Nancy Donnelly, Sean Hennessey, Rania Hassan, Jennifer Lindstrom, David Pearcy, Anne Plant, Cheryl Derricotte, David Cook, Allegra Marquart, Chris Shea, Nancy Krondstat, Kirk Waldroff, Alison Sigethey, and more! Torchwork demonstrations, discounts on class registrations, music, food & fun!
The surrounding artist studios (Red Dirt Studio with Margaret Boozer, JJ McCracken; Flux Studios with Novie Trump, Laurel Lukaszewski; Sinel, Stewart, Weiss Studio; Bob Devers Studio; Nan Montgomery) will be participating in the huge event, along with the Gateway Arts District’s Mount Rainier Day events along Rhode Island Avenue.
Washington Glass School
9th Anniversary / Open Studio / Sale
3700 Otis Street, Mount Rainier, MD 20712
202.744.8222
Noon til 6 pm, Saturday, May 15, 2010
Free and open to the public
Q: How Can I Get My Art Into the Hirshhorn? A: Via UPS
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photo:Kriston Capps / DCist
Said Lenny: “A few years ago a former Hirshhorn Museum curator told me that the “Hirshhorn does not collect glass.” Replace the word glass with any other art medium and you see how nearsighted that statement was.”
Last night a novel way to get glass sculpture into the museum happened:
A UPS delivery truck crashed into the side of the Hirshhorn Museum.
The truck was heading eastbound on Independence Avenue just before 9 p.m. when it swerved into oncoming traffic. The truck jumped the curb, hit a light pole and a concrete flower pot barricade before slamming into the glass exterior wall of the museum’s lobby. The truck came about a foot into the circular-shaped building and shattered a large glass window. No art was damaged. The driver suffered injuries such as bruises, cuts, and scrapes.
For more about the truck crash – click HERE.
Update on the real story @ the Hirshhorn – click HERE
Nancy Donnelly Takes on the Post
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“Black Heroes” by Niki de Saint Phalle – photo by Bill O’Leary/Washington Post
Blake criticizes the artwork by writing: “Covered in fragments of ceramic tile, in bright colors and gold and silver, the four sculptures are vivid and lively. They should bring a grin to the faces of passersby and lift the hearts of drivers. They are very good fun. Is that enough? “ (italics mine).
To jump to read the original Post review – click HERE.
Nancy responds in the Washington Post:
“So what is worth doing? Is there room for delight in the vocabulary of art? Perhaps. Sometimes perception is actually bigger than the current vocabulary of criticism. Not everybody wants always to be striving for a leg up, or to express anger or despair. Other sides of human experience are also valid, and a great relief.”
Read her full response in the Post – click HERE.
Happy Mother’s Day
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Hugs To Mom!
Detail from Tim Tate’s Summer Dreaming
cast and blown glass, electronics, original video 2010
photography by Anything Photographic
The cast glass flowers are based on the flowers in Tim’s mother’s garden.