Monthly Archives: April 2014

Richard Jolley’s Magnum Opus

Posted on by |

jolley.cycle.life.kma.3

A portion of glass artist Richard Jolley’s permanent installation “Cycle of Life”. Photo by Paul Efird.

knoxville.museum.artThe biggest event in the Knoxville Museum of Art’s history since the building opened in Tennessee in 1990 – the public unveiling, on May 4th, 2014, of artist Richard Jolley’s “Cycle of Life: Within the Power of Dreams and the Wonder of Infinity,” a seven-ton, 105-foot wide, 30-foot tall glass sculpture installed in the museum’s Great Hall.

The piece cost $1 million and took Richard and his eight-person staff five years to design and construct; it took another three months to hang. It is Richard’s grandest and most ambitious undertaking. It is also being touted as a turning point for the museum itself, a catalyst for more visitors, more money, and international recognition. It will permanently adorn the Knoxville Museum‘s 3,500-square-foot Great Hall.desire.richard.jolley_kma.4

Forged in glass and steel, the artwork portrays the epic story of humanity The piece will consist of seven huge glass and steel panels.

Click HERE to jump to Knoxville News Sentinel online photos of the private unveiling.

Posted in sculpture | Tagged , , ,

Breaking Through: Moving4ward @ Pittsburgh Glass Center

Posted on by |

emering american women glass artistAn incredible group exhibit at PA’s Hodge Gallery at the Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) opens May 2nd, 2014, titled “Breaking Through: Moving 4ward”. 

Each of the women artists had spent a month in residence at PGC, where they experimented with new techniques for their craft, displaying varying styles and concepts as they worked from four different studios within PGC. Missouri–based glass artist Laura Beth Konopinski works primarily with glass, although uses other mediums including photography and metal. 

Arising from her passion and labors with environmental conservation, Konopinski repurposes used materials and integrates carefully preserved organic compounds into sculpted layers of glass vessels. She uses transparent glass as a lens for distortion to emphasize the ambiguous nature of human belief in reality. 

Nadine Saylor of Hershey, Pa. explores the dichotomy of fantasy and reality in a work called “The Illusion of Ordinary Life.” It recreates a version of a vintage motion lamp from the 30s and 40s. Imagery of a beggar woman on the streets in Venice is superimposed with images of carousel horses. Saylor currently teaches glass classes at Harrisburg Area Community College.

Also featured in the show are Lisa Demagall and Anna Mlasowsky.moving4ward_pgc

“Breaking Through: Moving 4ward”

May 2 thru July 20, 2014; Opening reception: May 2, 2014, 6 PM

Pittsburgh Glass Center, Hodge Gallery

5472 Penn Ave. , Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Posted in Uncategorized

Habatat Michigan’s 42nd International Glass Invitational Opens Next Week

Posted on by |

Habatat Galleries was established in 1971 in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest and largest gallery in the United States devoted exclusively to artists working with glass as their medium. The 12,000 sq. ft. gallery in Royal Oak, MI, is the home of the International Glass Invitational, which for 42 years has introduced and exhibited the greatest artists working creatively with glass. This year, three artists from the Washington Glass School – Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis and Tim Tate are included in the exhibition.

habatat.michigan.international.invitational

Habatat Galleries – Michigan works with many museums and art centers where they have developed exhibits that have been displayed in over 100 public institutions. Each year Habatat publishes catalogs celebrating these both national and international events.

michael janis.glass. habatat_michigan.international.martin.janecky

habatat.gallery.mi. 42nd.international.invitational.glass.dc.secessionism.post_studio.art

Habatat Gallery has the catalog for the 42 International Glass Invitational online – click on image to jump to online publication.

Posted in contemporary art glass, contemporary artwork, contemporary sculpture, cool glass, habatat galleries, inspirational invitational, international, studio glass movement

Congrats Jeff Zimmer! Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass

Posted on by |

coburg.glass.zimmerThe Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass – a European competition for modern glass – just announced the winners for 2014, and WGS alum Jeff Zimmer was awarded 2nd Place in this prestigious award!

At Germany’s Veste Coburg and the European Museum of Modern Glass in nearby Rödental, 170 works of art by 150 international artists from 26 nations.

jeffery.x.zimmer_coburg

Jeff Zimmer works his glass imagery at the Washington Glass School during a 2011 visit.

The international panel of judges consisted of Sven Hauschke, Veste Coburg Art Collections, Milan Hlaveš, Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague, Susanne Jøker-Johnsen, Bornholm, Peter Layton, London, Jutta-Annette Page, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo/Ohio, Anne Vanlatum, Musée-Atelier départemental du Verre, Sars-Poteries and as a non-voting member Klaus Weschenfelder, Veste Coburg Art Collections, selected from the participating artists 11 prize winners.

jeff_zimmer.coburg.drone.glass.washington_school

Jeff Zimmer, “The Disconnect Between Action and Consequence (Drone I) 2013, Layered hand enameled glass, LED

Jeff’s socially conscious glass works have tremendous depth – due to the physical layering of glass plates. Jeff makes masterly use of the transparency of the medium and imbues his works with a sense of discomfort and ambiguity.

Big Congratulations Jeff!!

Posted in Jeff Zimmer, socially conscious art | Tagged , , ,

WGS Hosts Arizona Glass Alliance

Posted on by |

arizona.glass.alliance.washington_dc

Director Tim Tate welcomes visiting members of the Arizona Glass Alliance to the Washington Glass School.

The Arizona Glass Alliance – part of the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass – brought a busload of collectors, artists, and glass aficionados to Washington, DC this past week. The glass group visited notable local collections, Maurine Littleton Gallery and wound up their tour of the Nation’s Capitol with dinner and a show at the Washington Glass School.

02.az.glass.alliance.michael.janis

Flux Studio’s Novie Trump describes what delights await the collectors as they continue their visit to the next door studio.

06.sean.hennessey.glass

Sean Hennessey’s new works are spectacular!

nadine.saylor

Nadine Saylor poses in front of her works on exhibit.

The night was further enhanced with a strolling ukelele troubadour wandering thru the exhibit playing, and an all seeing psychic “Madame Raya” foretold the future for all visitors.

04.medium.raya

The future looks bright – especially in front of a work by Sean Hennessey! Well done, Madame Raya!

Glass artist and photographer Josh Hershman shows his kiln cast glass cameras, and integrated the visiting AZ crew and the artists showing into a new artwork.

josh.9

Joshua Hershman’s cast glass cameras.

Josh used his glass camera as the lens for photo images he created using hand-held lighting. The camera and light creates a surreal, bizarre and haunting image of his subjects.

09.josh.photos

Josh Hershman preps his model at the Glass School darkroom.

11.josh.2

Joshua Hershman’s evocative photo images will ultimately be printed on glass.

10.josh.16

Posted in " glass studio", arizona | Tagged

Michael Janis @ Arizona & New Mexico AACG

Posted on by |

mike.janis.glass.art.alliance

Michael Janis enchants the crowd that assembled at Winterowd Gallery in Santa Fe.

 

Professor Michael Janis was out west this past week, speaking to the Arizona Glass Alliance in Scottsdale, AZ and in Santa Fe, NM, he presented to the Glass Alliance New Mexico.

michael.janis.lecture.santa.fe.glass.alliance

The Glass Alliance Maestro program brings collectors, artists, students and galleries together.

The audiences loved how he explained the process of drawing with crushed glass powder (frit) and how the imagery was layered in his process. The visit to the Southwest was an exciting trip for our Maestro Janis!

Posted in art alliance for contemporary glass, maestro, mike janis, santa fe | Tagged ,

Alchemical Vessels Opens Friday, April 4

Posted on by |

Alchemical_vessel_3

Erwin Timmers, “Overflow”, Ceramic, LED, recycled glass. The artist said of his work ” The alchemical vessel speaks about creating purity, harmony and the healing that flows from it. My work focuses on the disharmony we see in nature and our environment, which has a pronounced impact on our own wellbeing.”

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery are proud to announce the return of Alchemical Vessels, Smith Center’s 2nd Annual Benefit and Exhibition. Alchemical Vessels brings together 125 local artists and 20 prominent curators for a community dialogue on healing and transformation through the arts. Each artist transformed a simple ceramic bowl by means of their own personal aesthetic and medium, drawing inspiration from the bowl as a place of holding, community, sacred space, and the alchemical vessel.

photo (30)

Audrey Wilson, “Feather of Hope”, glass, ceramic, rust

The ceramic bowl was selected as the fundamental element of the exhibition to symbolize creating a space where healing can take place – an idea at the heart of Smith Center’s work and mission.

The Alchemical Vessels Exhibition will be open at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery from April 4th through May 16th, 2014. There will be an opening reception on Friday, April 4th from 7-9pm.

Posted in Uncategorized