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Eco artist Erwin Timmers just returned from spreading the word about fusing recycled glass into artwork at Houston, TX’ Hot Glass Houston studios.
The workshop was great fun, the class was enthusiastic and the facilities were first rate. Erwin said that he is looking forward to returning to H-Town (especially if its a cold winter).
Student working with recycled window glass.
Charles Bresler: In Memoriam
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From the Washington Post:
On October 22, 2010 of Rockville, MD. Beloved husband of Fleur Bresler; devoted father of Sidney (Phyllis), Susan, Lynne (Michael), Edward, Carol (Carolyn) and the late William; grandfather of Alex, Jonathan, Amanda, Audessa, Jessica, Rebecca, Louis, Anthony and Ruby. Graveside services will be held on Monday, October 25 at 10:30 a.m. at Garden of Remembrance Cemetery, 14321 Comas Rd., Clarksburg, MD. Family will be observing Shiva on Monday and Tuesday at his home in Rockville, MD at 6:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Food and Friends of Washington D.C. or The Wood Turning Center, 501 Vine St., Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Washington Glass School Goes to SOFA Chicago
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SOFA Chicago at Navy Pier
S.O.F.A. Chicago 2010
Chicago’s historic Navy Pier is THE place to be for art from Nov. 5 – Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. Chicago’s much-anticipated art fair, the 17th Annual International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair: SOFA CHICAGO 2010 will feature 80 art galleries and dealers from 10 countries. It promises to be an exciting weekend of discovery and collecting for Chicago’s impassioned art audience and for the crowd of national and international attendees. WGS’ Michael Janis and Allegra Marquart will be featured at Maurine Littleton Gallery’s booth (#720), and Tim Tate will be have a major showcase with Marc Petrovic at Habatat Galleries’ space (#1200).
SOFA Chicago Navy Pier Festival Hall 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
Allegra Marquart The Fox and The Crow
Tim Tate The Seven Waking Dreams Of Man
Michael Janis Somewhere I Have Never Traveled (detail)
The Award Goes to…
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In 2006, the Washington, DC Trade and Cultural Mission presented the President of Senegal with WGS’ commemorative glass artwork. The cast bas-relief artwork sculpture was designed to symbolize Washington, DC as the (then) Mayor Williams and the DC Trade Mission went through parts of Europe and Africa. Made of cast float glass, the color shifts between amber and a milky-blue.
L to R Washington, DC Mayor Anthony Williams; President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade; Chair DC Commision on the Arts & Humanities, Dorothy McSweeny,
Black Reel Award
GPI Clear Choice Award 2007
Forbes/BearingPoint Compass Award
International Film Festival
Howard University Middle School Mathematics and Science award
University of Maryland Smith School of Business
If you or your organization are interested in having a unique, custom made glass award, call the Washington Glass Studio (202)744.8222, and look at the studio’s website.
JRA Hosts "Media Day"
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The James Renwick Alliance is hosting an exciting new program series titled “Media Days”. The six craft media (metal, clay, wood, glass, fiber and jewelry) each have an in-depth educational experience consisting of a visit to four venues to learn about studio glass artists, collectors, a gallery and museum collections.
October 23 is Media Day: Glass
Event Led by: Tim Tate and David Montague.
The journey to discover glass on October 23 starts at the Washington Glass School. The day will continue with a discussion with Jerry and Gwen Paulson; following a ‘dutch treat’ lunch in Alexandria, VA at 1 p.m., participants will move to the Renwick Gallery to visit with glass collectors Paul and Elmerina Parkman. The day will conclude at the fabulous Maurine Littleton Gallery.
Cost: $25 ($15 voluntary contribution to the James Renwick Alliance).
Transportation to each venue is the responsibility of each participant.
RSVP by Thursday, October 21st, James Renwick Alliance
301.907.3888 or admin@jra.org
Opening A Glass Studio – A Modern Fable
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History Lesson – 2003
>The Washington Glass School celebrates its 10th year anniversary in 2011, archives and photos are being searched for the nuggets of history and indicators of the path we traveled.
We often work with the school systems and offer ways to have middle school students come to the Glass School for free for an afternoon of creating cast glass tiles – a way to outreach to the schools and integrate their courses in math, science, physics, and art with a practical and hands-on application.
Tim Tate lectures the class from Stuart Hobsen, 2003.
Way back in 2003, the glass school was located in the District on Half Street, SE (the site is now part of the outfield of the Nationals baseball stadium). One of the schools that took us up on the offer was DC’s Stuart Hobson Middle School. Part of the educational section of the class was to review a quick history of studio glass art; with an emphasis on contemporary masters. One of the students mentioned during the art history lesson that his uncle sometimes paints on glass. (Tim Tate’s response: that’s great kid.)
Therman Statom
“Chair” Circa 1992
assembled glass sculpture with mixed media
53 X 48 X 32″
The class continued, with books and art magazines pulled out to show that every issue had an article or exhibition that featured Therman’s work. Jevon was taken aback at the celebrity factor of his uncle. Jevon later wrote a nice thank-you letter to the School:
Jevon Statom’s letter dated 11/19/03:
Dear Mr Tate & Staff
I want to thank you for letting my classmates
and I come to your shop. You taught me about glass.
I really appreciate you that you did all of this for free.
I am really excited that you acknowledged my uncle, Therman
Statom. I know that he was famous, but not that famous,
especially in DC. I really enjoyed the glass sculptures that
were on display, and how to find the tinted side of
glass. You have inspired me to try glass art for a while.
Sincerely
Therman’s nephew,
Jevon Statom
Tim Tate & Jevon Statom 2003
Bourgeon On Tim Tate
>The online arts magazine Bourgeon has a great article about Tim Tate and the Washington Glass School. The magazine article’s highlights include Tim’s achievements and plans for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Washington Glass School and his thoughts about the tremendous changes that are remaking the art world landscape. Tim talks of how the artist’s career path has changed, and how he has succeeded – indeed thrives, within the current technological and social interactive changes going on.
“in the late 1980’s, the art world presented a hugely different terrain than it does today. In those days, there was one primary path. An emerging artist would try to be noticed by a local gallery, which, if the artist were lucky, would represent him/her in that geographic region. Ideally, one would find several different galleries in different regions, striving for a New York gallery one day. If a gallery had contacts with a museum curator, perhaps it could get them to notice your work. The art world was full of gate-keepers – gallerists, curators, writers –all dominated by a small number of very knowledgeable people who had their own stable of familiar and talented artists. It was very tough to be noticed from the outside.”
“Utilizing Facebook has been a big change, and a big ally, in my work. It started, as all good Facebook stories begin, with [a posting of] a video of a cat playing the piano. … 24 hours later, I was in a show at the Museum Of Art and Design in NYC called “Dead or Alive” with Damien Hirst and Nick Cave.”
For the full article click HERE.
Elizabeth Ryland Mears
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Elizabeth Mears is an award winning artist who creates objects in glass and mixed media primarily through the glass blowing technique of Flamework. She studied at Penland School of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, and the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, receiving scholarships and eventually teaching at those same venues, as well as others. Her book, FLAMEWORKING, was published in 2003 by Lark Books, and she is a contributing author to PENLAND BOOK OF GLASS published in 2008 by Lark Books. In 2009 Mears was named a Master Artist for the state of Virginia, and she was one of four artists chosen to install work in the Capitol Hill office of Senator Mark Warner to represent the arts in Virginia
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Living in northern Virginia, she is inspired by nature in all seasons and forms.
Liz utilizes the forms of nature to create works of glass, which reflect her relationship to both her inner and her outer worlds. The glass is first worked in the mesmerizing flame of a bench torch then often is combined with other materials to become the exquisitely crafted and nationally exhibited objects for which she is known. Liz’s creations are represented by galleries throughout the nation and are included in numerous private, corporate (Mellon Bank Headquarters), and museum collections (Racine Art Museum, LOWE Museum) and have also been included in numerous magazine articles focused on contemporary glass art and books including: Women Working in Glass, Formed of Fire, 500 Glass Objects, Contemporary Lampworking, and Etched Glass.
Liz will be teaching two spectacular lampworking classes here at the Washington Glass School, where her love of nature and glass come together!
Class 1036 – Lets Make Leaves! with Elizabeth Ryland Mears
Why leaves you may ask. We will pay homage to Nature’s small factory (Bio 101…CO2 + chlorophyll, + sunshine = sugar and O2) while we learn to control the bench torch, manipulate hot glass, direct the heat, use tools to create shape and texture, and work with different sizes of clear rod and tube. The focus of our endeavors will be to make “parts” which can be incorporated into larger sculpture at a later time.
Dates: October 23/24, 10am til 1 pm, $350 
Class 1037 – Building Flowers With Bridges! with Elizabeth Ryland Mears
“Bridges” are to Flameworking what exoskeletons are to beetles…they hold everything together. We will use the technique of “bridging” to make a daisy-like flower. We will make the flower then add the bridging to hold all the parts in place while we thoroughly fuse the glass together in the flame of the bench torch. This technique is invaluable when larger sculpture is created, so we will practice on a smaller object. The instructor will guide you step by step through the process. The bridging is temporary so will be removed to reveal a small object ready for further creative use.
Dates: November 06/07, 10am til 1 pm, $350
Click HERE to get more information about her classes at the Washington Glass School.
Liz will be teaching for a week next spring at Penland and a week at the Pittsburgh Glass Center in June 2011, and had just completed a Professional Artist in Residence (PAiR) at Pilchuck.
Call For Entries St Louis Craft Alliance
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Gregory Grennon oil on glass
Some of the invited artists include Sonya Clark, Gregory Grennon, Elizabeth Lo, Mark Newport and Joyce J. Scott. The exhibition will be at the Craft Alliance DELMAR LOOP location: 6640 Delmar Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63130.
All featured works must be made of clay, glass, metal fiber or wood.
Entry postmark deadline is MARCH 25, 2011.
Click HERE to jump to prospectus.