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LITTLE BIG THINGS
Jacobe Noonan
Contact the gallery for more info: adamlistergallery@gmail.com
USCRI Uses Art Glass for Centennial Awards
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Concept sketch showing President Eisenhower with refugees.
Michael Janis created imagery using his ‘sgraffito’ technique.
President Eisenhower and Senator Kennedy were celebrated for their work assisting refugees and immigrants in artwork made by Michael Janis of Washington Glass Studio.
Hosted by Cynee Simpson and Chris Spencer, the centennial gala was held at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium October 19, 2011. The black-tie event included celebrity guests and auctions to raise money for the charity organization.
Susan Eisenhower accepted USCRI’s Centennial Award for her grandfather, President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Ken Leung – from our favorite TV show LOST, was a guest at the gala. Ken was a co-star on LOST, along with the USCRI Global Ambassador, Jeff Fahey.
Susan Eisenhower & Cynne Simpson posing with the Centennial Awards for President Eisenhower & Senator Kennedy.
Wyclef Jean provided entertainment for the night at the Mellon Auditorium.
Wyclef Jean attended to support and encourage the work done by the USCRI. Mr. Jean autographed memorabilia, then energized the crowd with his singing and dancing. However, the highlight of the evening was his display of an unusual talent. Wyclef Jean played his guitar with his tongue, and didn’t miss a beat.
WGS joins all in congratulating and celebrating the USCRI’s 100 years.
Report From SOFA Chicago
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Finally had a chance to catch my breath from a rushed viewing of the 18th Annual Sculpture Objects and Functional Art Fair (SOFA) held at Chicago’s Navy Pier!.
This year’s SOFA Chicago featured more than 60 international art galleries and dealers presenting museum-quality artworks and design, as well as lecture and tour series.
SOFA CHICAGO 2011 highlights included:
Maurine Littleton Gallery
The Washington, DC gallery showcased the newest works by WGS artists Michael Janis and Allegra Marquart alongside some of the “glass superstar legends” like Harvey Littleton, Therman Statom and Ginny Ruffner.
Works shown include Colin Reed, John Littleton, Kate Vogel, Harvey Littleton, Michael Janis, Therman Staom, Allegra Marquart, Ginny Ruffner and Drew Storm Graham.
Allegra Marquart’s new narrative sandcarved glass panels (L) and Drew Storm Graham’s wood assemblages (R).
John Littleton and Kate Vogel’s cast glass artwork.
Michael Janis’ painterly fused glass artwork
Jane Sauer Gallery
The Santa Fe gallery had a strong mix of artists in a variety of media.
Tim Tate’s video reliquaries are always a show favorite.
The Cincinnati gallery had a stunning solo show of cast glass work by Bertil Vallien.
A stunning cross-section of Bertil’s works. 
Bertil’s ladle cast glass encases beautiful imagery.
The Portland, OR based gallery featured the new directions kilnformed glass is heading.
April Surgent’s cameo-etched work.
Silvia Levensen’s fun sculpture and fused glass panels.
Catherine Newell’s new fused glass panels.
Always a must-see, the New York gallery had some instant favorites.
Susan Taylor Glasgow’s “Communal Nest” -a large-scale assemblage consisting of glass twigs, real branches, a chair and a glass pillow. The work was built with help from the community and from artists around the world, all of whom contributed glass twigs to this “collective” nest. But despite these and other it-takes-a-village aspects — Susan’s work ultimately suggests a rather ironic view of home.
Susan Taylor Glasgow’s visions of domestic bliss.
Steffan Dam’s glass recalls scientific analysis.
Marc Petrovic’s roll-up process and stunning technique and aesthetic continues to amaze and impress. 
Beth Lipman’s table of fish.
The St Louis gallery featured some glass beauties.
Kari Russell Pool’s beautiful flameworked sculptures.
Cassandra Blackmore’s abstract glass panels.
Janis Miltenberger’s flamework sculpture at Thomas Riley Galleries.
Australia’s Beaver Gallery showed Jeremy Lepisto’s crate series.
Wexler Gallery showed how the simplicity of Sydney Cash’s work plays with the light.
Blue Rain showed the fun and beautiful work by Rik Allen. Here a glass spaceman floats amongst the glass.
The annual show was a great time to see the best of media-based artwork and meet some of the artists I’ve only read about.
Many thanks to Betty Py for the photos – for more of her images of glass art shown at SOFA – CLICK HERE to jump to the Flickr site she set up for Washington Glass School.
Jeffery Zimmer’s New Work @ Philly Museum Of Art Craft Show
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Multiple layers of enameled and sandblasted glass in lightbox.
22 x 25 x 7″
The 35th annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
WGS alumn Jeff Zimmer will be one of the artists featured by Scotland in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show Nov 10 – 13, 2011. Jeff will be exhibiting his exquisite series “Whitewash”. This past summer, Jeff’s work was a favorite of Washington Post arts critic Michael O’Sullivan in his review of the LongView Gallery show of Washington Glass School artists.
Said Jeff of his new works: “Whitewash depicts a series of landscapes, both urban and rural, American and Scottish, under a blanket of snow — a metaphor for the way we, as individuals and nations, ‘whitewash’ our pasts. The luminous, internally illuminated landscapes, placed in thick frames, contrast the untrammelled snow with the barely-concealed debris which remains, only partially hidden from view.”
Jeff Zimmer, We Were All Wrong (The Writing on the Wall) 2011
Multiple layers of enamelled and sandblasted glass in lightbox
18 x 15 x 6″
The Glass Quarterly blog gives a nice cover to Jeff’s work online – click HERE to jump to Ruth Reader’s article.
Click HERE to jump to more of Jeff’s series “Whitewash” (every piece is stunning, by the way).
SOFA Chicago Opens Nov 3
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SOFA Chicago @ Navy Pier
The 18th Annual Sculpture Objects and Functional Art Fair, SOFA CHICAGO 2011, enjoys the prestigious position of being the largest and longest continually running international gallery-based art fair in Chicago. SOFA CHICAGO 2011 runs at Navy Pier Nov. 4 – Nov. 6. The SOFA CHICAGO and Intuit Show’s joint Opening Night Preview on Thursday, Nov. 3.
SOFA features more than 60 international art galleries and dealers presenting museum-quality art and design. SOFA galleries bridge a wide range of cultures, art movements and historical periods.
Our Tim Tate, Allegra Marquart and Michael Janis are representing in the Windy City.
Allegra Marquart and Michael Janis will be shown at Maurine Littleton Gallery – space #720
Maurine Littleton Gallery at SOFA Chicago 2010
Tim’s new work features a new video & glass and a non-video series.
Tim Tate
The Silent Ode
blown & cast glass, original video, electronics
Below is the video that is incorporated into the artwork – where the singer is silently performing Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” – which is how Beethoven would have experienced the song – as he became deaf. The cast glass hands are the words to the song in sign language.
Chrysler Museum of Art Opens New Glass Studio Nov 2
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The Chrysler Museum of Art, is getting ready to open its new 7,000 square foot glass studio.
Artist Charlotte Potter has been hired to helm the new studio as it gets off the ground, scheduled to open to the public Novermber 2nd.
The addition of the Glass Studio enhances the Museum’s stature as one of the top three museums in the United States with an art glass focus. The reality of the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio was sparked from the interest and support base demonstrated during Art of Glass 2 – the region’s blockbuster glass exhibition in 2009 featured the Chrysler Museum, Virginia Arts Festival and the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia as major partners.
“The Glass Studio will allow our visitors to experience glassmaking and be involved in every step of the process,” says Bill Hennessey, the Museum’s director. “We anticipate this will draw people to the region to learn about glass, meet visiting glass artists and tour our collection. We expect this to be a significant educational component for the region—one that will allow us to further strengthen our partnerships with groups such as Tidewater Community College and the Governor’s School for the Arts. With more than a third of our 35,000-object collection devoted to glass, this is clearly a strong suit for the Chrysler. This Glass Studio will bring these works of art to life.”
Chrysler Museum of Art
245 West Olney Road
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
DC’s SEED Charter School: Come to Washington Glass School & Learn About Sins
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The SEED School of Washington, DC
The SEED school of Washington DC is a public charter boarding school whose mission is “to provide an outstanding intensive educational program that prepares children … for success in college.” This past week, students from the school came to the Washington Glass School for a one-day hands-on class that mixed art, history, chemistry, mathematics and physics.
The students worked at creating bas-relief cast glass artwork that related to “The Seven Deadly Sins” – which, here at the Washington Glass School, is one subject we know all about. The dry plaster casting – that is. Tim Tate and Marc Petrovic did do a collaborative mixed media glass sculpture on the Seven Deadly Sins, and, as we all know, Tim is the devil – so who better to seek advice?
Not quite sure where a mermaid fits into the 7 Deadly Sins…perhaps its not a mermaid but a Siren (Lust)? or is it “check out my awesome tail” (Pride)?
Erwin Timmers points out the obvious.
The class had a great time creating imagery in plaster that glass would be formed into as bas-relief.
The SEED school arts instructor, Kamala Subramanian said later: “It is not easy to maintain the attention, much less excite teenager students today, where the most exciting things, to me, appear boring to them. You all have earned an A+ in my book of field trips and art experiences!“
So there! The Washington Glass School got its first A+!
Safeway Bethesda Opens In Grand Style
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Safeway Bethesda located at Bradley Boulevard and Arlington Road on Wednesday night.
The Safeway Bethesda supermarket – that features Safeway’s first public art project – celebrated its grand opening with a lavish gala that featured bands, celebrity chefs, public officials, television celebrities, and most importantly, artwork.
Safeway Bethesda Bradley Avenue façade. Comments on the building artwork include one that “Safeway’s kundalini has risen”
The process the Washington Glass Studio employed for the creation of the bas-relief artwork walls made from glass salvaged from the original supermarket building (1956- 2010) has been documented in a number of previous postings, including the installation of the artwork (and time-lapse imagery of the building construction).
Special lighting emphasizes the dry stack stonework.
Champagne?… why yes, thanks…
Why is that an ICE sculpture?… It should be glass.
Jazz performed amongst the seasonal goods.
One of the cool event accouterments was the carved pumpkin displays. The artist based the pumpkin carvings on the building’s cast glass panels – a nice switch on the traditional glass pumpkins.
The night also featured artwork displays; the work by sculptor Judy Sutton Moore was exhibited on the staircase, and work by the Washington Glass School was featured in the rotunda.
Featured artists: Washington Glass School
WUSA – channel 9 news anchor Andrea Roane was the master of ceremonies.
Client: Safeway Inc.
Architect: Rounds Vanduzer
Builder: Roche Constructors
Completion: Oct 2011
Artwork team: Erwin Timmers, Michael Janis, Tim Tate, M L Duffy, Chris Duffy, Robert Kincheloe, Evan Morgan, Susan Lomuto, George Anderton.
New DC Commision on the Arts & Humanities Exec Director
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Lionell Thomas at Prince Georges County event “Poetry Between the Lines”.
Thomas, who most recently served as Executive Director for the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, replaces outgoing Interim Director, Ayris Scales.
“As Chair of the Commission on the Arts and Humanities, I am thrilled to welcome Lionell Thomas as our new Executive Director,” said Judith Terra, Chair of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “He brings great knowledge of the city and the Commission. He brings great vision for the future of the city, as well as dignity and presence to the office. With his leadership, Washington will be a world-class cultural city.”
Prior to his position with Prince George’s County, Mr. Thomas served with the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities for 22 years in several capacities, eventually serving as the Deputy Director and Interim Director.
“I am delighted to be returning home to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, ” said Lionell Thomas. “I am looking forward to working together with Mayor Gray’s administration and the community to expand and cultivate the creative energy of our great city on behalf of the residents and visitors to Washington, DC.”
Mr. Thomas received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh. A native of Washington, D.C., Mr. Thomas has received various accolades locally and nationally for his creative approaches to arts management and programming. He has also served on a number of state grants panels as a reviewer and site evaluator.
Of all his accomplishments, Mr. Thomas is most proud of the initiatives developed to bring arts programs to underserved communities; many of which remain staples of the District of Columbia’s arts community today.
Hamiltonian SOFAlab @ Washington Glass School
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Hamiltonian SOFAlab meeting at L- R
Helen Frederick, Erwin Timmers, Paul So, Caroline Wellberry, Shanti Norris
Hamiltonian Artists seeks to broaden the cultural dialogue within our modern community. One of the arts program to further the dialogue is SOFAlab – where scientists and artists are paired for collaborative interaction. SOFAlab asks: How and where do art and science – two seemingly disparate disciplines of intellectual inquiry – overlap? And, at that confluence, what can practitioners of both disciplines learn to expand their unique fields of knowledge and to affect consciousness?
Hamiltonian Artists, Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts and George Mason University have been furthering the dialog thru a series of “laboratory/studio” exchanges in which artists are be invited to observe and participate in laboratory sessions and scientists will be invited into artist’s studios for collaborative projects. Exploring similarities and differences in how scientists and artists use experimentation and visualization in their search for larger truths and making sense of the universe. The leader in recycled glass artwork, Erwin Timmers is collaborating with scientist Caroline Wellberry in the latest project.
Funding for this program was provided by:
Center for Consciousness and Transformation, George Mason University
with support from Hamiltonian Artists, Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts,
and George Mason University School of Art & Design.