Oğuzhan Tuğrul : In Memoriam

Oguzhan.tugrul

Oğuzhan Tuğrul 1955 – 2014

Saddened to learn that Turkish glass and mosaic artist Oguzhan Tugrul has passed away. “Oz” often represented Turkish Arts Organizations internationally and he would visit the Glass School while in in Washington, DC. He also came to Istanbul‘s Glass Furnace when Tim Tate and Michael Janis were teaching there in the summer of 2007.

Oguzhan Tugrul and his family visit Tim Tate & Michael Janis at Istanbul's Glass Furnace, 2007.

Oguzhan Tugrul and his family visit Tim Tate & Michael Janis at Istanbul’s Glass Furnace, 2007.

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Oz loved fused glass and in this demonstration he explained in excellent English that his fused glass had broken. He tried to re-fuse it but it refused and so the art work was now refuse. What a brilliantly clever man and so brave at the end of his life. An example to us all.

Oğuzhan Tuğrul started glass studies in antique window restoration in Canada in 1974. He taught western stained glass techniques in Turkey in the 80′s. This was followed by his research of 16th century Ottoman decorated tucco window making techniques. The new and advanced technique of glass fusion calligraphy was the result of his publication of traditional Turkish Islamic calligraphy with acid etching techniques on flash-glass.

In the late 1990’s Oz incorporated papermaking into his media skills. Moving on to further uncharted territory, Tuğrul designed 3D windows for futuristic architecture projects.

Oz chats with Erwin Timmers during a 2012 visit to Washington, DC.

Oz chats with Erwin Timmers during a 2012 visit to Washington, DC.

We hope Oz’s legacy of  glass art and paper making and his many other craft skills will long continue.

Spoilt For Choice: Which Gallery Opening Tonite?

Looking for a big hit of Art tonight? Where you are can determine what you should see. August 1, 2014 has many great options!

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In Washington DC? The DC Commission on the Arts + Humanities opens its exhibit of artwork by DC artists that are up for a Fellowship Grant. AFP 15 in the Gallery at 200 I Street. The collection of these artworks captures the broad scope of DC’s dynamic art scene and provides an opportunity for artists to express their visions to the public. The Washington Glass School is represented with works by Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis and Tim Tate. The exhibit runs through September 1, 2014. The Gallery at 200 i Street; Opening Reception Aug 1, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

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In the Norfolk, VA area? Virginia’s Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center (near Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum) joins with the TCC Visual Art Center to host a series of glass exhibits and programming that celebrate the studio glass movement. PACC, 400 High Street, Portsmouth, VA ; Opening Reception  Aug 1, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

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In Asheville, NC? Asheville’s Bender Gallery is hosting Artifacts and Contraptions, a two person exhibition featuring glass and mixed media sculptures by artists Peter Wright and Audrey Wilson. Opening Reception Aug 1, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in conjunction with downtown Asheville’s First Friday Art Walk.

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Out West? Check out Habatat Galleries space at ArtAspen in Colorado! This is the fifth edition of ArtAspen, thru Aug. 3 at the Aspen Ice Garden and the fair is expanding its reach into other cultural disciplines, in efforts to attract first time art buyers and to surpass last year’s record art sales and attendance. On Friday Night, 5-7pm, ArtAspen celebrates the Golden Anniversary of the Aspen Ice Garden. Fair organizers will provide open wine bar and celebratory birthday cake for all attendees.

There is a quick roundup of tonight’s events – get your LBD on (or jeans…. whatever) and get going!

 

Dean Allison Class @ PA’s GoggleWorks

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Rising Star glass artist Dean Allison will be teaching a glassblowing class out at GoggleWorks in Reading, PA.  The superstar artist will lead a one week class in Foundations of glassblowing from Sunday night August 3 through Friday August 8, 2014.

Named a 2013 Rising Star from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, Dean Allison lives and works in North Carolina  – he is currently the Glass Coordinator at the Penland School of Crafts. He received his Master of Art, Visual Arts in Glass from The Australian National University in Canberra in 2009 and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts from Illinois State University in 2001. He has also studied and/ or worked at The Northlands Creative Glass Center in Scotland, The Canberra Glass Works in Australia, Chicago Hot Glass, Pilchuck Glass School, The Studio at The Corning Museum of Glass, The Pittsburgh Glass Center, The University of Wolverhampton England and The University of Illinois.

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Located in Reading, PA, the GoggleWorks is a community art and cultural resource center. It is the largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center of its kind in the country. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.” The artists and arts-based organizations housed within the building are all committed to renewing and revitalizing the community.

goggleworks201 Washington Street, Reading, PA 19601

Contact details for the school are 610-374-4600 or bforeman@goggleworks.org

DCCAH AFP 15 Visual Arts Exhibit

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The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (DCCAH) supports District-based artists with grants thru the Artist Fellowship Program (AFP). The AFP offers awards to individual artists who make a significant contribution to the arts and substantively impact the lives of District of Columbia residents through their artistic excellence. For fiscal year 2015 the visual artists competing have submitted a piece that represents their body of work and artistic perspective. 

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The DCCAH presents AFP15 in the Gallery at 200 I Street. The collection of these artworks captures the broad scope of DC’s dynamic art scene and provides an opportunity for artists to express their visions to the public. The Washington Glass School is represented with works by Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis and Tim Tate. The exhibit runs through September 1, 2014.

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Maurine Littleton Gallery Exhibit “Water” Opens July 24

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Allegra Marquart, “Surfing Pony” (detail from larger installation “Beach”, kilncast glass, 2014

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John Littleton & Kate Vogel, “Wave” cast glass, 2013

Established in 1984 and located in Washington DC’s historic Georgetown neighborhood, the Maurine Littleton Gallery exhibits and represents the leading contemporary artists in glass, metal, and ceramic.

Opening this Thursday, July 24th, is the exhibit “Water” featuring works in glass by John Littleton & Kate Vogel, Allegra Marquart, Lu Chi, Michael Janis, and Therman Statom as well as vitreograph prints from glass plates made at Littleton Studios.

Opening reception for the exhibit is Thursday, July 24th from 6 to 8 pm.

maurine_littleton.gallery_dc.glassMaurine Littleton Gallery, 1667 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007

Maurine Littleton Gallery is part of the Georgetown Galleries on Book Hill – click HERE to see the other galleries nearby.

Next Generation: Audrey Wilson

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PACC, 400 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Audrey Wilson is an artist in high demand! Not only does she have a great show at North Carolina’s Bender Gallery, she has work in a show of artists of the Chrysler Museum glass studio that also opens August 1, 2014.

Virginia’s Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center (near Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum) joins with the TCC Visual Art Center to host a series of glass exhibits and programming that celebrate the studio glass movement. The two locations combine to offer artwork by instructors and past and present art glass studio assistants at the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio and/or completed their studies in glass at the Visual Art Center, Portsmouth. Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio Manager Charlotte Potter’s work will be featured in “Personal Cartography” at the Visual Art Center.next.gen

The upcoming generation of glass artists – which includes our Audrey Wilson – will be featured at PACC in “Mapping the Next Generation”.

Mapping the Next Generation, August 2 – October 12, 2014

Opening Reception August 1, 2014

PACC – 400 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704

The Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center (PACC), housed in the 1846 Courthouse, is devoted to offering quality educational, cultural and aesthetic experiences in the arts through rotating visual art exhibits, lectures, classes and performances.

Audrey Wilson at Bender Gallery

audrey.wilson.bender_gallery.NCAsheville, North Carolina’s Bender Gallery is hosting Artifacts and Contraptions, a two person exhibition featuring glass and mixed media sculptures by artists Peter Wright and Audrey Wilson. An opening reception will be held from 5-8 PM on August 1 in conjunction with downtown Asheville’s First Friday Art Walk. 
  
Wright is inspired by indigenous art and utilitarian objects used by man throughout history. He takes a visceral approach to his work, creating vessels and sculpture rich in texture and color. Wright’s Mezcala sculptures are inspired by commonplace objects in pre-Columbian culture.
  
Audrey Wilson is an artist with a unique perspective on aesthetics and the conceptual narrative. Her multi-media sculptures are an amalgam of created and altered objects that explore the relation between man and technology. 
  
Her body of work titled “The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus” investigates the role of invention in society. As she explains, “inventions are a continuous response to something that needs to be changed, a response to the needs of life. Without a brave, creative impulse, life would become a commonplace of interest. Yet, with just one thought many deficient prototypes are produced. Without these thoughts, advances could not be possible”. 
  
Bender Gallery specializes in contemporary sculpture and is located at 12 S Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.

Sean Hennessey Glass For Steel Plate

cast.architectural.glass.washington_dc.steel.plate_sean_hennesseySteel Plate, the new bar in the “hot” Brookland section of Washington, DC has opened. One of the trendy gastropub’s artistic flourishes is the cast glass entry – made by WGS Resident Artist Sean Hennessey. Sean (and his company Scenic Artisans, LLC) has been recently completing a number of site‑specific art and design commissions for architectural artwork in a variety of media for places that had a need to create a sophisticated and highly engaging artwork.

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Detail of cast glass for Steel Plate gastropub in Washington, DC.

Steel Plate restaurant/bar is by the owners of Rustik Tavern in the Bloomingdale section of DC – where Sean’s architectural glass is also featured.

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Cast Glass signage panel at Rustik Tavern. photo credit Robert Sullivan

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3523 12th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

The restaurant serves a variety of American-style dishes. The pub promises to provide entertainment in the form of occasional jazz bands, solo artist, and DJ.

Washington Glass School invaded by Macedonians!

Audrey Wilson with Mimi and Janko Gogusevski.

Audrey Wilson with Mimi and Janko Gogusevski.

Visiting Macadonian designers & glass artists Janko and Mimi Gogusevski were visiting in the US, when they got the fever. For glass. And the only prescription is more glass.  Mimi and Janko are the owners of Skopje’s Studio Vitrum in Macedonia, and after a short visit to the Washington Glass School, decided to re-arrange their schedule to allow for a workshop in bas-relief kiln casting, headed by superstar instructor Audrey Wilson.

Mimi Gogusevski sets up the glass in the kiln.

Mimi Gogusevski sets up the glass in the kiln.

Architect Janko Gogusevski looking quite the ženkar in his colorful apron.

Soon the phrase “Moeto letačko vozilo e polno so jaguli” was heard throughout the school. 

Working with Audrey, the couple explored options in creating architectural glass panels that they will be producing from their European glass studio.

We hope the artists are happy with their works and that we team up again sometime in the future – “Washington Glass School Goes to Europe”  is our dream!

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Molds of sample patterns fill the kiln.