In 2026, the Washington Glass School marks a major milestone—25 years of artists, ideas, and community.
To celebrate the anniversary, the Brentwood Arts Exchange will present a special exhibition from September 10 through October 31, 2026, with an opening reception on Saturday, September 19. The exhibition brings together many of the artists who have helped shape the Washington Glass School over the past quarter century, including founders, resident artists, instructors, and alumni.
Founded in Washington, DC in 2001 and based in Mount Rainier, Maryland since 2006, the Washington Glass School has grown into a vibrant center for contemporary glass and mixed-media art. Over the past 25 years, nearly 6,000 students have studied at the school, creating a dynamic community that continues to expand through teaching, exhibitions, public art commissions, and artistic collaboration.
Rather than focusing on a single style or technique, the exhibition reflects the remarkable diversity of artists connected through the school. Visitors will see work ranging from kiln-formed and cast glass to sculpture, installation, architectural glass, and mixed media—demonstrating the many creative paths that have emerged from the Washington Glass School.
The exhibition celebrates not only the artwork, but also the people and relationships that have defined the school for 25 years. We hope you’ll join us at the Brentwood Arts Exchange this fall as we celebrate the artists, friendships, and creative community that continue to make the Washington Glass School a unique place to learn, create, and grow.
Washington Glass School: 25 Years September 10 – October 31, 2026 Opening Reception: Saturday, September 19, 2026 Brentwood Arts Exchange 3901 Rhode Island Avenue Brentwood, MD 20722
“To Be in the Right Place at the Right Time is a Wondrous Thing”
Some artists can pinpoint the exact moment their creative path changed. For Diane Cooper Cabe, it began with a walk into a glass studio in September 2001.
Original Meltdown Studio class schedule 2001
She had seen an advertisement for a glass casting course at Sally Hanson’s Gallery and decided to enroll. When she stepped into the Meltdown Studio, she was greeted by Tim Tate with the words:
“Welcome, you are the first one here.”
That simple welcome marked the beginning of a journey that has now spanned nearly twenty-five years. Diane proudly carries the distinction of being Washington Glass School’s very first student.
Diane Coope Cabe at Meltdown, circa 2002.
Discovering Glass
Many more classes followed as Diane became a regular at Meltdown Studio. There she discovered the magic of cast glass, learning not only the technical skills but also the possibilities of narrative artwork.
“The work I did there earned me honors,” she recalls, “including being named a Bullseye Glass Emerge Finalist and receiving a Torpedo Factory Merit Award.”
Just as importantly, she became part of the conversations, experimentation, and shared discoveries that defined those formative years.
Watching a School Take Shape
Diane witnessed the Washington Glass School evolve from its earliest days at Meltdown Studio with Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers to its move to Half Street in Southwest Washington, where the Washington Glass School officially took shape and Michael Janis joined the team.
Washington Glass School casting class at the DC Half Street location, circa 2004.
“For me, those were halcyon days,” she says. “My creativity expanded, and energy and music filled the spaces.”
Diane Cabe was a finalist for the 2004 Bullseye Glass E-Merge
She also became one of the original “Table People“—resident artists who shared workspace, ideas, successes, failures, and plenty of camaraderie.
“Michael, Erwin, and Tim guided and encouraged me with patience and humor.”
Diane Cabe (left) at glass artist Judith Schaechter’s workshop at Washington Glass School 2011.
Breaking the Mold
Those early years weren’t only about making artwork—they were about reimagining what glass exhibitions could be.
Diane remembers showing her work in some of the Washington Glass School’s earliest exhibitions, including Glastijl and Compelledby Content.
“Compelled by Content” groundbreaking glass art exhibit in 2005 featured Diane’s cast glass table sculpture titled ‘Tell Me Your Story’.
“They were exciting events that broke the wall of conventional glass shows.”
Rather than focusing primarily on functional objects, these exhibitions highlighted narrative and sculptural work, helping introduce audiences to new possibilities in contemporary glass.
“And then there was the splendid circus called Artomatic,” Diane laughs. “I reveled in it. What fun they were!”
Diane Cabe at Artomatic art fair, 2004.
A Continuing Connection
Over the years, Diane’s creative practice has led her into ceramics, mosaics, painting, and a decade of teaching glass classes at Glen Echo Park. But Washington Glass School has remained a constant.
In 2014, the Gateway Arts District featured Diane’s portrait banners along Rt 1 as promotion on the dedicated arts area.
“Over the past 25 years, I have wandered in and out of the School’s aura,” she writes. “Yet, the Washington Glass School and its artists are my North Star.”
She still returns regularly—to seek advice, make work, exchange ideas, and reconnect with friends.
“I am grateful for my bond with Tim, Michael, and Erwin and am honored to be a part of their history.”
As Washington Glass School celebrates its 25th Anniversary, Diane’s story reminds us that institutions are built not only by founders, but also by the artists who believed in them from the very beginning.
Diane Cabe with her sculpture ‘La Bella Figura’
Celebrating 25 Years
As Washington Glass School marks its 25th Anniversary, the celebration continues this fall with a major exhibition featuring works by Washington Glass School artists at the Brentwood Arts Exchange in Brentwood, Maryland. Running from September 10 through October 31, 2026, the exhibition will showcase the extraordinary diversity, innovation, and storytelling that have defined the School for a quarter century.
The exhibition opening reception will be held on September 19, 2026, bringing together artists, students, collectors, and the community to celebrate 25 years of making, teaching, and pushing the boundaries of contemporary glass.
The Washington Glass School recently welcomed a group of students from the Black History Month Poster Internship Program for an afternoon of studio visits, discussion, and career exploration.
Organized by Jewel Kahn, Education and Public Program Specialist for the M-NCPPC Black History Program, the visit introduced students to the working environment of a professional glass studio while offering an honest conversation about building a life in the arts.
Washington Glass School Co-Directors Michael Janis and Tim Tate spoke with the students about each of their paths. While discussing artistic process and contemporary kiln-formed glass, the conversation quickly expanded to topics that are often overlooked in art education: developing professional networks, creating opportunities, maintaining a sustainable studio practice, and navigating the realities of an arts career.
The students asked thoughtful questions about public art, exhibitions, collaborations, and the importance of community in an artist’s development. The exchange reflected one of the core missions of the Washington Glass School: sharing knowledge, encouraging emerging artists, and helping foster the next generation of creative voices.
We thank Jewel Kahn and the M-NCPPC Black History Program for arranging the visit and wish these talented students continued success as they pursue their artistic goals.
For Washington Glass School resident artist John Henderson, Jr., working with glass is both a creative pursuit and a spiritual practice. Since discovering kiln-formed glass at WGS, he has embraced the material’s beauty, technical challenges, and inherent unpredictability.
Discovering Glass
John’s introduction to Washington Glass School came while taking a stained glass class in the shared building that housed both the Washington Sculpture School and WGS.
“I had never worked with fused glass before,” he recalls. “As a result of taking a class at WGS, I became hooked on the process.”
What first attracted him was glass itself—its remarkable range of colors and textures, and the technical possibilities it offered. But it was something less tangible that kept him coming back.
“I enjoy working with my hands and creating beautiful objects,” he says. “The material has a spiritual quality due to its unpredictability when fire is applied. Not knowing the outcome is, in itself, stimulating and emotional.”
John Henderson “Warrior Shield”
Finding a Voice
Early in his artistic journey, John recognized something significant: very few Black artists were working primarily in glass.
Black Artists of DC (BADC) visit John Henderson’s studio space, October 2025. L-R Sharon Robinson, Jimmy James Green, Evalyn Hamilton & John Henderson at his studio in WGS.
“Glass as an artistic medium was not an established art form within the African American community,” he explains.
As his practice developed, opportunities followed—including exhibiting work, organizing exhibitions, and becoming an active member of the Washington Glass School community. Those experiences helped shape both his artistic direction and his commitment to expanding representation within the field.
John Henderson installs his work in the WGS Gallery.
The Value of Community
For John, one of the greatest strengths of Washington Glass School is the environment created by artists working together.
“I find working in a shared environment stimulating,” he says. “Sharing information with fellow artists, exchanging ideas, and participating in constructive conversations continues to influence my work.”
That collaborative atmosphere, he believes, is one of the things that sets WGS apart.
“There is no other facility in the DMV that provides a collective space for practicing artists whose primary medium is glass.”
Looking Ahead
As Washington Glass School celebrates its 25th anniversary, John reflects on being part of its continuing story.
“It is an honor and privilege to be a studio artist at WGS,” he says. “WGS has evolved into an artistic and educational center for everything having to do with the practice and techniques of using glass as an artistic material.”
His hope for the future is straightforward and ambitious:
“That Washington Glass School will be known as one of the premier glass centers in America.”
One More Question
If your work had a soundtrack, what would be playing?
“The rhythm of the drum.”
As Washington Glass School marks its 25th Anniversary, the celebration continues this fall with a major exhibition featuring works by Washington Glass School artists at the Brentwood Arts Exchange in Brentwood, Maryland. Running from September 10 through October 31, 2026, the exhibition will showcase the extraordinary diversity, innovation, and storytelling that have defined the School for a quarter century — offering audiences a chance to experience some truly remarkable contemporary glass art.
The exhibition opening reception will be held on September 19, 2026, bringing together artists, friends, collectors, students, and the larger arts community in celebration of 25 years of Washington Glass School. An artist talk is scheduled for October 17th, 2026.
Jeff Zimmer demonstrating his technique at North Lands Creative Glass, Scotland, 2018.
Jeff Zimmer was one of the earliest resident artists at Washington Glass School, working out of the original Half Street SE studio in the early 2000s. Since then, his career has taken him internationally — from earning his MDes s at Edinburgh College of Art to exhibiting in the British Glass Biennale and having work acquired by museums including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
For Washington Glass School’s 25th Anniversary, Jeff reflects on finding his voice, building community, and why WGS still feels like home.
On his first memories of WGS
Ca 2004 photo of Jeff Zimmer’s workspace at 1338 Half St, DC.
“My first memory of WGS is helping carry rolls of old carpeting down endless corridors to clear the original Meltdown studio site.
I had only been working with glass for a few years, and Tim brought me on to assist classes — even though sometimes I was learning something only minutes before the students!”
Later, as one of WGS’s first resident artists, Jeff spent countless nights cycling to the Half Street studio after work, often staying until midnight.
“The first works I really consider to have my own voice came out of that time.”
Jeff Zimmer, “Untitled Political Landscape“, 17 layers of enameled & sandblasted glass, lightbox, 2008
“WGS felt like it didn’t participate in hierarchy. I felt supported to pursue my own path.”
On finding his artistic voice
“At the time, I perceived the glass world as very hierarchical — dominated by glassblowing, with painting on glass seen as secondary or decorative.
Now, I love glassblowers and beauty, but that’s not my voice.”
What Jeff found at WGS was freedom to explore ideas outside those expectations.
Jeff Zimmer, “The Wake of The Hero“, layers of enameled glass, assembled in lightbox, collage, 2011
“There was already a concern with complexity and ambivalence in the work I was making then. That has stayed with me ever since.”
On thinking through glass
“As the years progress, I realize I think more and more through the material itself — not only its techniques, but its associations.”
For Jeff, glass carries centuries of layered meaning.
“I can draw on medieval associations of light and virtue reflected in stained glass, ideas of transparency and opacity, glass as both window and barrier, fragility and strength — even the ‘black mirror’ of our screens.”
“Ideas don’t really exist for me until I can find a way for them to exist in glass.”
On teaching and exchange
Jeff has taught internationally at Pilchuck, Bild-Werk Frauenau, Berlin Glas, and other institutions, while co-running Glass Lab Edinburgh in Scotland.
“Different glass communities shape artists in very different ways,” he says.
He notes how Germany’s technical school traditions, the UK’s emphasis on casting and painting, and resourceful studio cultures in South Africa and Latin America all create different relationships to the material.
“When those communities meet internationally, there’s a real exchange. That’s where things become interesting.”
On teaching beyond technique
“Technique matters, but it’s not the point.
I want students to use technique to find their own voice. The best moment is when you see someone take a process and immediately run somewhere unexpected with it.”
Teaching, he says, has also sharpened his own practice.
“It forces me to break instinct down into conscious steps.”
Jeff Zimmer chats about artist Audrey Wilson’s concept.
“The barriers to working in glass are high. Having a place that supports experimentation early on can completely change what becomes possible for someone.”
On success, recognition, and reality
Despite international awards and museum acquisitions, Jeff speaks candidly about the realities of sustaining an artistic practice.
“Some of the times I’ve had the most apparent ‘success’ were also the times I was supporting myself as a 45-year-old cycle courier.”
Recognition can help open doors, he says, but often quietly.
“The V&A acquired a piece of mine, and it sat in storage for nearly a decade before going on display. For most of that time, its biggest visibility was on my CV.”
Jeff Zimmer won the top prize at the 2019 British Glass Biennale, part of the International Festival of Glass, in Stourbridge
On returning to Washington Glass School
“How does WGS fit into my journey? It came into my life at exactly the right moment.”
Jeff Zimmer and WGS Founder Tim Tate.
More than two decades after leaving DC, Jeff says returning to WGS still feels deeply personal.
“WGS is home.
Whenever I walk through the door, I feel embraced like family. There’s warmth, curiosity, generosity — that hasn’t changed…I’m proud of what you’ve built. And I’m grateful it’s still a place I can come home to.”
As part of the Washington Glass School’s 25th Anniversary programming, Jeff Zimmer returns this summer to teach a special intensive workshop: 5701 – Obscuring and Revealing July 13–17 This five-day masterclass explores layering, transparency, dimensionality, and painted imagery in glass. Students will create personal three-dimensional layered compositions using glass painting techniques, collage, and spatial construction to investigate how glass can simultaneously conceal and reveal.
Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes in a working glass art studio? This July, the public is invited inside.
The American Craft Council (ACC) launches its inaugural National Craft Open Studios Weekend on July 18–19, 2026, from 12 PM–5 PM local time. Part of the nationwide Handwork 2026 initiative, the free event connects visitors directly with more than 1,500 craft artists, studios, and creative spaces across 36 states and Washington, DC.
Think of it as an “Independent Bookstore Day” for American craft — a rare opportunity to step into the spaces where artists actually make the work.
As an official participating studio, the Washington Glass School will open its doors during this national celebration of handmade culture. The event also arrives during WGS’ 25th Anniversary year, making it the perfect time to experience one of the DC region’s leading centers for contemporary glass art.
Visitors will be able to:
Explore the Washington Glass School’s working studios and specialized glass facilities
See firsthand how kiln-cast glass, fusing techniques, and glass-and-steel artworks are created
Meet resident artists and instructors
View works in progress and hear directly from the makers
Purchase original contemporary glass artworks, sculptures, and panels
More than a traditional open house, the weekend offers a chance to experience the energy, experimentation, and craftsmanship that happen inside an active arts community.
The event also extends beyond the school itself. WGS is coordinating open hours with neighboring creative spaces along the corridor, creating a walkable destination for DMV art lovers. Visitors can also explore nearby studios including Ampersand Art Space and Tyler Makes Things.
Whether you are a collector, artist, student, or simply curious about how things are made, this weekend offers a unique opportunity to experience the creative process up close.
