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Vanderbilt University medical complex in Nashville, Tennessee, a leader in patient care, medical education, nursing education, and research, just opened its new Critical Care Tower, a 329,000-square-foot multi level addition. The University commissioned the Washington Glass Studio to create cast glass panels for the nurse’s stations on a number of floors within the new hospital.
Working with the architects on the project, the artwork commission was refined. The art panels would have to perform many duties – besides providing a screen to each floor’s nurse work area, allowing light to beyond, it would also need to block the viewing of sensitive papers and office equipment, as well as being a striking sculpture that would define the entry of each floor.
Design Concept
The initial concept design for the artwork at each floor’s nurse stations.
Preliminary artwork rendering layout. The inspiration was to bring a contemplative sense of nature into the hospital.
We wanted to bring the natural word into the medical center. Our goal was to give the patients and caregivers a place that felt restful – a place of healing and renewal. Our inspiration for the artwork was to have the feel of swirling masses of delicate oak, poplar, tulip, ginko and maple leaves in an autumn breeze. Each leaf is detailed, including curved stems and crisp leaf veins. The different level of the hospital would have unique swirling leaf patterns, allowing for differentiation and orientation.
One of the cast float glass panels inside the kiln.
Studio artist Nicole Puzan cleans and preps the cooled and annealed glass panel.
The kilncasting process started with making one-of-a-kind molds inside the kilns. The glass is placed atop the mold, and then fired to temperatures up to 1600 degrees F, and then annealed – over two days. The glass is then removed, cleaned and rough areas are ground and polished. As the panels were sequential, each section was mapped out and compared to each companion panel.
Typical nurse station cast artglass panel.
Typical nurse station reverse.
Detail of cast glass leaf pattern.
Front view of artwork.
View of panels showing leaf detailing.
The Washington Glass Studio artglass project team: Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers and Nicole Puzan and Robert Kincheloe.
Posted in architectural application glass, architecture, built environment, case study, cast float glass, critical care tower, education, glass interior, nurse station, Public Art, vanderbilt, vumc
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Gigantic blown glass objects are a hallmark of artist John Miller.
John Miller’s “Hot Stuff” exhibition at Hodge Gallery in Pittsburgh Glass Center
July 2 thru Sept 26, 2010.
The Washington Glass School Blog first wrote of John when he was one of the featured artists at the 2009 Wheaton Arts Glass Weekend Relay Competition.
Click HERE to jump to a video of the relay team of Tim Tate, John Miller, Laura Donefer and Marc Petrovic.
Tim Tate, Marc Petrovic and John Miller at 2009 Wheaton Arts Glass Relay
John is an assistant professor and head of the glass department at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal, IL.
“Hot Stuff” features John’s Claes Oldenburg-like, over-sized goblets and glassware including martini and daiquiri glasses – some holding as much as five gallons – and some super-sized fast food from his “Blue Plate Special”.
Says John in his artist statement:
“My work reflects both a love of the immediacy of the glass material and a respect for its demanding properties. Some pieces are very formal and about glass and how it moves; others envelope a sense of humor and playfulness. I am always interested in pushing the medium to its heights. My work is about control and proportion as much as it is about finding new textures and forms... While looking through images of the work of Pop artist’s from the 1960′s, something clicked for me. Previously, I had been making artwork that revolved around serious topics. I felt that this work revealed only one side of me. The predominant side of my personality is very loose and comical, but this had not come out yet artistically.
One of my main influences growing up was the silent comedy genius of Buster Keaton. Although humor was central to his art, he was intensely serious about his work. I feel our approach to the creative process is similar. Keaton managed to find a balance between his difficult life and his brilliant slapstick gags. Similarly, I try to find equilibrium between the intensity of glass blowing and the humor which can be found in art and the art making process.”
Click HERE to jump to the Pittsburgh Tribune review of John’s show.
Pittsburgh Glass Center
Hodge Gallery
5472 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Tel: 412-365-2145
Posted in john miller, pittsburgh glass center
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Urban Glass in Brooklyn, NY
Founded in 1977 as the New York Experimental Glass Workshop, Brooklyn’s UrbanGlass was the first artist-access hot glass centers in the United States and is now the largest. In addition to the artist-access studio, UrbanGlass offers a program of classes, workshops and intensives at every skill level. In 2005, Washington Glass School’s Michael Janis studied narrative glass techniques, which he now teaches at WGS. Next year, Urban Glass and its Robert Lehman Gallery will begin a renovation that will transform the facility into a state-of-the-art, energy efficient studio.
Robert Lehman Gallery
To capture the pivotal moment in the institutional transition, the gallery held a juried competition, titled “Transitions” and sought experimental, innovative and/or visually compelling works on a large or small scale that highlight transition: the juncture of endings, beginnings, transformations, and changes.
Transitions will be the final show to be held in the Robert Lehman Gallery until the renovation and expansion project is complete.
This group exhibition was juried by Jennifer Scanlan, associate curator, Museum of Arts & Design; Courtney J. Wendroff, visual arts director, Brooklyn Arts Council; Dave Altman, co-chair, Urbanites; and Alan Iwamura, visual artist.
Again and Again Michael Janis 21″ x 21″ kilncast glass, glass powder imagery, steel, 2010
TRANSITIONS: Artists of UrbanGlass
September 16, 2010 – December 22, 2010
Opening Reception: Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Featuring work by:
Jane Bruce
Victoria Calabro
Joseph Cavalieri
Eunsuh Choi
Kanik Chung
Kelsey Harrington
Adam Holtzinger
Michael Janis
Solange Ledwith
Yuka Otani
Pamela Sabroso
Hiroshi Takizawa
Miguel Unson
UrbanGlass is located at 647 Fulton Street in the historic former Strand Theater in Brooklyn’s burgeoning BAM Cultural District.
Posted in BAM, brooklyn, michael janis, robert lehman gallery, urban glass
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The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities held the opening of their exhibition of visual artists that are competing for the 2011 DCCAH Artist Fellowship at Smith Farm’s Joan Hisaoka Gallery on Friday, Sept 13, 2010. Here are some shots of the gallery and the range of the artwork.
Artist Nancy Donnelly next to her flying glass birds “Trio”.
Visitor contemplates Sean Hennessey‘s cast glass and concrete “The Measure of Value”.
Top Left: Pat Goslee‘s “Pearling”; Below Left: Rania Hassan‘s mixed media “Ktog 29 (Knit Together)”; Right: Scott Brooks‘ “Patience”.
Top Left: Elaine Langerman‘s “Poem/Painting #1”; Below left: Tim Tate‘s glass and electronic “Safe In My Nest”; Right: Michael Janis‘ “Altered Memories”.
Left: Sondra Arkin‘s “Edge of Spring”; Center Top: Alec Simpson’s “Postcard From Berlin”; Below Center: Kate Macdonnell‘s “Median”; Right: Rex Weil’s “Hotland Vista #3”.
Les than one third of the artists will be selected to receive the fellowship – the selection committee has their work cut out for them! The exhibition runs thru August 25.
The Joan Hisaoka Gallery
at Smith Farm Center
1632 U Street, NW, Washington DC, 20009
August 13 – 25, 2010
Posted in artist fellowship, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DCCAH, smith farm
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Marc Petrovic and Kari Russell-Pool
One of our favorite lampworkers is the lovely Kari Russell-Pool. Kari and her husband Marc Petrovic were here at DC Glass Works earlier in the year.
The Connecticut-based glass artist is in Tacoma, Washington as part of the Museum of Glass’ Visiting Artist Series, in partnership with Pilchuck Glass School.
The MOG has a has an interview with Kari online – Click HERE to jump to MOG’s website.
Posted in corning museum of glass, kari russell-pool, MOG, tacoma
