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Washington Post reviews Washington Glass School 10th Anniversary Show at Long View Gallery
The Washington Post newspaper arts critic Michael O’Sullivan has a lengthy review of the Long View Gallery 10th Anniversary exhibition : Artists of the Washington Glass School – The First 10 Years. Michael finds artworks that move him and question if contemporary art must be ugly – if only to be less superficial.
In his review of the retrospective show, Michael O’Sullivan writes: “On the one hand, glass is pretty. It’s hard not to like the way it looks: the luminous color, the way it plays with light. On the other hand, maybe glass is only pretty. How do we know that the beauty is also capable of brains? The rest of the show is proof that it is”…“For the artists of the Washington Glass School, the embrace of glass’s very materiality — in essence, its glassiness — is a tentative one. There are stories to be told, and glass is just one way to tell them.”…
Debra Ruzinsky Sugar Bomb #3
Jeff Zimmer “Fog Of Communication III” photo by anythingphoto.net
And of artist Jeff Zimmer’s work, Michael writes:
“One of the quietest, least assuming works in the show is “Fog of Communication III” by Jeff Zimmer. A moody, fog-bound landscape, it’s also mounted on a light box, and features multiple, sandwiched layers of sandblasted and enamelled glass to create something halfway between a vintage black-and-white photo and a 3D shoebox diorama. It isn’t especially pretty, or even eye-catching.
But it catches — and fires up — something else. And that’s the imagination. “
Click HERE to jump to the full Washington Post article.
The Washington Post also goes into the background story of one of the largest works in the show – “The Three” by Elizabeth Ryland Mears and William “Tex” Forrest.
Elizabeth Ryland Mears with William Forrest “The Three” photo by anythingphoto.net
Michael writes “But the vaguely anthropomorphic thing could just as easily be read as an allusion to another example of cinematic horticulture (not to mention a tribute to the strangely powerful influence of Janis, Tate and Timmers on the art-glass scene). To my eye, it looks like one of the pod plants from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
Click HERE to jump to the full Washington Post description of the Liz Mears / Tex Forrest work
Jennifer Lindstrom What is Home?
Click HERE to jump to the Washington Post’s photo gallery of some of the works in the show.
The WGS 10th anniversary show at Long View Gallery will be on exhibit until June 19, 2011.
Featured artists include: Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers, Elizabeth Mears, Syl Mathis, Lea Topping, Robert Kincheloe, Alison Sigethy, Dave D’Orio, Anne Plant, Jeffery Zimmer, Teddie Hathaway, Jackie Greeves, Kirk Waldroff, Debra Ruzinsky, Tex Forrest, Diane Cabe, Robert Wiener, Nancy Donnelly, Sean Hennessey, Cheryl Derricotte, Jennifer Lindstrom, Michael Mangiafico, Allegra Marquart and m.l.duffy.
There is an artist talk on Sunday, June 05, from 3-4 pm. There is a 10 Year Anniversary celebration that will be held at the Long View Gallery, Sunday, June 19, from 2-5 pm.
Washington Glass School: The First 10 Years
LongView Gallery
1234 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Posted in 10th anniversary, american, long view gallery, michael O'Sullivan, studio art glass, washington glass school, washington post
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Judith Schaechter, Widow, (2008), Collection of Colleen and John Kotelly, Photo by Dominic Episcopo/Renwick Gallery, SI
The Grand Poobah Savior of Stained Glass – Judith Schaechter – who single-handedly revolutionized the craft of stained glass through her unique aesthetic and inventive approach to materials is one of the featured artists at the Smithsonian Institute‘s exhibition, “History in the Making: Renwick Craft Invitational 2011.”
Judith held a Creativity Workshop as part of the James Renwick Alliance‘s “Distinguished Artist” series this past weekend at the Washington Glass School. photos by Miriam Rosenthal / Third Eye Photography
The workshop participants re-enact Da Vinci’s “Last Supper with Judith Schaechter“
Judith workshop was geared towards getting the participants to expand their creative practice, and had some fun creative exercises for everyone.
Judith has plans for the unsuspecting class.
L-R Jimmy Powers, Clemmer Montague, Sherry Selevan, Diane Cooper Cabe begin unleashing their creative wills.
Judith shares her thoughts with Elmerina and Paul Parkman.
Soon creativity is flying around the school – unstoppable. Ideas for artwork, fashion, events – everything at once. The innermost thoughts of the participants are explored.
Judith indicates her approval of the designs.
What one of the students was contemplating.
See more of Judith Schaechter’s work in the exhibition “History in the Making: Renwick Craft Invitational 2011,” on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery through July 31. The show was curated by Renwick curator Nicholas R. Bell. The artists were selected by Bell, Ulysses Dietz, senior curator at The Neward Museum and Andrew Wagner. The exhibition also features the work of silversmith Ubaldo Vitali, ceramic artist Cliff Lee and furnituremaker Matthias Pliessnig.
Posted in distinguished artist, james renwick alliance, judith schaechter, renwick gallery, smithsonian, thirdeyephotography, workshop
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“The Washington Glass School is known for its excellent student program and the quality of creative work its students produce. I wanted to celebrate their 10th anniversary by giving students an opportunity to exhibit their work in Gallery 555dc. Running and managing a school takes hard work, long hours and dedication – then more hard work. To celebrate a 10th Anniversary in the art world is a rare thing and a tribute to the founders and teachers of the Washington Glass School. ”
Jodi Walsh
Owner Gallery 555dc
Jodi Walsh
The gallery is at 555 12th Street NW Lobby, Washington DC 20004
202-393-1409 or 240-447-6071
Gallery555dc.com
The show is from June 1 – June 30, 2011. The reception is Saturday, June 4th, 2011 – noon to 5pm; Artists present 3 – 5pm.
Posted in gallery 555, jodi walsh, washington glass school
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Huge turnout at the opening of WGS’ anniversary show.
photos by Robert Wiener unless noted
The much anticipated Washington Glass School 10th Anniversary exhibition show opened on Thursday, May 19th. The gallery estimated that the crowd attending was over 400, and the opening event was a great success!
Elizabeth Ryland Mears and William “Tex” Forrest alongside their collaborative glass and steel work “The Three”
Text on the entry wall
Robert Wiener next to his work
Diane Cooper Cabe next to her glass, wood, copper & mica work “La Bella Figura” – photo by Michelle Delino.
Syl Mathis’ cast glass boats – photo by Michelle Delino.
Admiring the sculpture.
photo by Todd Wiggins
The WGS show at Long View Gallery will be on exhibit until June 19, 2011
There is a closing reception scheduled for Sunday, June 19, from 2-5 pm.
Washington Glass School: The First 10 Years
LongView Gallery
1234 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Posted in 10th anniversary, long view gallery, washington glass school
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Tim Tate photograph by Tom Wolff
When Tim Tate started out as a glass artist there was almost no place locally that he could study glass sculpture. A third generation Washingtonian, Tim had to leave the region to be able to interact with the medium he fell in love with.
Tim works “off pipe” at Penland, NC
For 10 years, he spent every vacation, every free moment, at various arts facilities throughout the country learning as much as possible about every aspect of the medium.
After a personal event sent him to Penland School of Craft for several months, Tim left the concept of technique driven vessels behind, and began his decade long passion for narrative, content driven sculpture. By working with content, Tim had found his voice. With this clarity of focus Tim sought to enhance the position of glass as a sculptural medium to the Washington, DC art scene. Tim’s first step: he founded the Washington Glass School. 
Working with Erwin Timmers and a dedicated group of volunteers, they began by clearing space out of one of DC’s abandoned school buildings that was converted to artist studios. That task was a hard enough start, but after a summer of preparation of the studios, the school was challenged by situations outside if its control. The first class occurred just days after 9/11. Thinking the students would want to cancel after so disturbing an event, Tim called all the students – who unanimously asked for the class to go on. In frightening and unstable times, Tim discovered that people like to work through pressures by creating artwork. The glass school has sought to become the refuge for those seeking artwork as a way to help define and express themselves.
Tim advises a student about a casting technique.
Over the past ten years, the school has grown greatly – crossing the threshold of 4000 students since its opening. The glass school has been host to dozens of nationally recognized instructors and students from 4 continents and many countries.
Tim has worked at having the medium of glass evolve in the last decade; taking it from a technique driven vessel approach to the mixed media sculptural material it has become. His pioneering work at integrating contemporary electronics and video medias into traditional craft has brought much attention to his artwork. In 2009, National Public Radio (NPR) had segment about Tim’s work in their “All Tech Considered”
Click HERE to jump to the NPR segment “Tim Tate’s Hi-Tech Art”.
Tim has become an enthusiastic promoter of the medium, finding new ways to have artists of other media integrate glass into their works. He also works with other glass artists on collaborative works that takes both artists to new levels that they could not achieve on their own. Most notable are the series that Marc Petrovic and Tim Tate worked on together – the Apothecarium Moderne and the Seven Deadly Sins – which was recently featured in American Craft Magazine.
Tim has shown nationally and beyond, including exhibitions in the Museum of Arts and Design in New York; SOFA New York and Chicago; Art Basel Scope in Switzerland; Red Dot at Art Basel-Miami; the Luce Foundation Center for American Art at the Smithsonian; the Renwick Gallery and commercial galleries from Washington, DC to London and Berlin.
Tim Tate & Marc Petrovic
Apothecarium Moderne
photo: Anything Photographic
Ken Trapp, the former Curator-in-Charge of the Smithsonian American Art Museum said this of Tim’s work, “by taking on the clichés of our culture, Tate lays down a challenge for himself, a challenge he is up to…it is impossible to see such figures and not be reminded of how much the discovery of self is a daily exercise of uncovering layers we have assumed or imposed on ourselves.”
His awards include “Rising Star ” from the American, the Virginia Groot Foundation Award for Sculpture, three Artists Fellowship awards from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Mayor’s Art Award. His work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, the Mint Museum, the Fuller Museum, the Katzen Art Center of American University, the Milwaukee Art Museum and Vanderbilt University. Tim Tate was just awarded a Fulbright, and in 2012, he will be at the UK’s University of Sunderland and the National Glass Centre. He has an upcoming solo show at the Taubman Museum in Roanoke, Va.
The Taubman Museum in Roanoke, VA
Click HERE to jump to the Taubman’s website information on the museum’s solo show “Tim Tate: The Waking Dreams of Magdalena Molière”
Posted in 10th anniversary, 21st century sculpture, fulbright, glass spark, Tim Tate, washington glass school
>The installation of the Washington Glass School retrospective at Long View Gallery’s incredible space has begun.
Long View Gallery, 1234 9th Street, NW Washington, DC
L-R Robert Wiener & Sean Hennessey‘s works installed and looking good.
m. l. duffy’s glass & steel sculpture comes rolling up 9th. Erwin Timmers directs the sidewalk traffic to make delivery… easier.
Jennie Lindstrom helps out the crew.
m. l. duffy’s cast glass and steel piece located at the front of the gallery.
Jennie then gets working on her artwork installation – next to glass artwork by Jackie Greeves.
Robert Kincheloe gives his glass sculpture a buff. (erm…Rob – tho an old t-shirt is great for cleaning, its often better not to wear the shirt whilst cleaning the glass… I’m just saying)
The installed works look amazing. This show (10 years in the making) shows a cross section of artists who are working outside the traditional notions of glass art and that look to the future of the medium.
Washington Glass School: The First 10 Years
Long View Gallery
1234 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC
May 19 – June 19, Opening Reception, May 19th, 6:30-8:30 PM
Closing Reception Sunday June 19, 2-5 PM
phone: 202.232.4788
Posted in 10th anniversary, long view gallery, longview gallery, studio art glass, the first ten years
