Washington Glass School Artists Featured in Major Museum Gift

Washington Glass School is excited to share that co-directors Michael Janis and Tim Tate are among the artists included in a significant new acquisition by The Baker Museum in Naples, Florida. The museum has received The Dr. Laurence and Rita Sibrack Collection of Contemporary Glass and Ceramics, a gift that brings 74 works by 60 artists into the museum’s permanent collection.

The Baker Museum in Naples, FL

The Sibrack Collection includes works by some of the most influential names in contemporary glass and ceramics, including Dale Chihuly, Judith Schaechter, Amber Cowan, Preston Singletary, Lucio Bubacco—and now, Michael Janis and Tim Tate. This collection spans nearly every major glass technique, from flame-worked to blown and cast, and reflects a deep appreciation for material, form, and light.

The Baker Museum’s decision to fully integrate these works into its broader holdings marks a continued shift in how museums value glass and ceramics—not as separate from fine art, but as essential parts of its story. For Janis and Tate, who have each spent decades advancing contemporary glass as a narrative and conceptual art form, this recognition is especially meaningful.

“Our work is about storytelling through material,” said Michael Janis. “Being included in a collection like this, which treats glass as a vehicle for meaning and not just decoration, affirms why we do what we do.”

Tim Tate added, “What the Sibracks have built is not just a personal collection—it’s a statement about the relevance and emotional range of glass today.”

Rita and Dr Laurence Sibrak

The Sibracks, longtime supporters of Artis—Naples, were first inspired by a 2000 exhibition of Chihuly’s work at the museum. Their decision to make this donation stems from a long commitment to both the institution and the idea that art should be lived with, shared, and accessible to all.

This acquisition places the work of two DC-based artists into one of the most respected collections in the region, further establishing the impact of the Washington Glass School on the national stage. We’re proud to see Michael and Tim’s work recognized alongside such powerful voices in the field and grateful to the Sibracks and the Baker Museum for helping bring greater visibility to the language of glass.

The collection will be celebrated in the upcoming exhibition “The Passion of Collecting: Stories in Glass and Ceramics from the Sibrack Collection,” opening January 10, 2026 at The Baker Museum and remaining on view through the fall.

Following is a complete list of artists in the The Dr. Laurence and Rita Sibrack Collection of Contemporary Glass and Ceramics: Dean Allison, Adrian Arleo, Michael Behrens, Susan Beiner, Alex Bernstein, Charles Birbaum, Christina Bothwell, Peter Bremers, Emily Brock, Lucio Bubacco, Jim Budde, Nancy Callan, Dale Chihuly, A-Mi Choi, Amber Cowan, Dan Dailey, Stefen Dam, Laura Donefer, Michael Glancy, Peter Hora, Agnes Husz, Jannet Iskander, Martin Janecky, Michael Janis, William Kidd, Sabrina Knowles, Velarde Kukuli, K. William LeQuier, Dianne Martin Lublinski, Emma Luna, Robert Mickelsen, Shelley Muzylowski Allen, Harumi Nakashima, Sybelle Peretti, Lindsay Pichaske, Jenny Pohlman, Clyfford Rainey, David Regan, Colin Reid, Ross Richmond, George Rodriquez, Davide Salvadore, Judith Schaechter, Livio Seguso, Preston Singletary, Carmen Spera, Kristen Stingle, April Surgent, Matthew Szösz, Etsuko Tashimu, Tim Tate, Tip Toland, Margit Tóth, Hidenori Tsumori, Sam Tuffnell, Janusz Walentynowicz, Patti Warashina, Ann Wolff, Loretta Yang and Mary Ann Zynsky.

To learn more about the museum and the artists in the collection, visit artisnaples.org.

Mt Rainier Skate Park to Host Community Art Event

Mt. Rainier, MD skate park at wells and otis street
PG Dept of Parks and Rec wants the community to help ideate the look of the Mt Rainier Skatepark. Photo by Michael Janis.

The Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation is working with the Mt Rainier Arts Commission and together they will host Deck the Skate Park: A Public Art Bash on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Mount Rainier Skate Park (down the street from the Glass School and across from Otis Street Arts Project). This Creative Community Day marks the first step in a beautification project for the newly renovated 6,000-square-foot plaza-style skate park, situated at the corner of Wells Avenue and Otis Street.

Mount Rainier residents are invited to contribute ideas for the park’s artistic redesign, with options including murals, sculptures, or a combination of both. Attendees will have the opportunity to vote on the design’s aesthetic, shaping the park’s future as a community landmark. The skate park, equipped with ramps, rails, steps, picnic tables, and benches, serves as a popular gathering spot for skaters and families.

PG Parks invite for Deck the Park

The event features several activities, including:

  • Free skating lessons for all skill levels
  • Community art projects facilitated by Arts on a Roll
  • Complimentary ice cream
  • Door prizes
  • Activities suitable for all ages

So, on Saturday, June 28th, Noon – 2pm, grab your skateboard, and roll on over to make the Mt Rainier Skate Park a vibrant masterpiece!

For more information, contact the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation (301)446-3232.

Class 5306 – Healing Spirit Dolls

Now for something completely different! Need any more tranquility, abundance, wisdom, strength, comfort, creativity, patience, or intuition in your life? Who doesn’t??

Healing dolls, also known as spirit or intention dolls, are here to help. Charming folk-art dolls carry ancient cultural or spiritual meaning, and each doll is as unique as the vision of its creator.

You will create your own cherished doll from simple materials and your personal intention. We use polymer clay to create the face, either from a mold or hand-built.

Michael Janis’ Art Ignites the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum’s “Catching Fire” Auction

Michael Janis “The Pale Dawn” photo credit Pete Duvall.

Co-Director Michael Janis’ glass sgraffito panel “The Pale Dawn” will be part of the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass’s Live Auction “Catching Fire” on June 11 – an artful virtual auction featuring over 100 glass artworks and experiences with proceeds supporting the participating artists and the BMM Glass educational programs. Bid on silent auction items June 4–14, with a live virtual auction June 11th at 6:45pm CST. 

The work “Pale Dawn” is a portrait that leans into quiet tension—between realism and abstraction, softness and structure. The figure is set against blocks of muted olive and turquoise, with black powdered frit forming the clothing and gradually dissolving into the white background. There’s a sense of stillness in her gaze, but also a bit of mystery in how the form starts to fade at the bottom.

fused glass art figurative sgraffito
Michael Janis studies for “The Pale Dawn” showing how color and pattern were investigated.

We’ve included some of the early studies for color and detail to show how the piece came together—those small experiments helped evolve and shape the final direction.

Check it out the work on the BMM auction site https://event.gives/catchingfire/items

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Cecily Habimana visit to WGS

What a great visit! This Monday, the Washington Glass School welcomed DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities Ward 5 Commissioner Cecily Habimana!

It was an honor to show her around the studio—sharing how we connect with our community through glass art classes, support the local arts scene, and create powerful public art.

Thank you, Commissioner Habimana, for your energy, support, and passion for the arts in DC!

L-R Erwin Timmers, Michael Janis, CAH Commissioner Habimana, and Tim Tate