After 31 years of building and managing the Weisser Glass Studio, Nancy Weisser has announced her retirement. The new owners of the Kensington glass studio are long time Weisser Studio managers Sharon Moffitt and Rachel Brooks.
The keys to the Weisser Glass kingdom are passed to the next generation in a smooth process.
Sharon graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and was the studio manager for over twenty-one years. Rachel has been working at Weisser Glass Studio since 2010.
New Glass Studio owners Rachel Brooks & Sharon Moffitt.
Another end of an era. Thank you, Nancy, for all the support you have given to the glass community in the DC area, and all the best to you in your retirement. And best of luck to Sharon Moffitt and Rachel Brooks!!
Glass artist Debora Moore was named one of the James Renwick Alliance (JRA) ‘Distinguished Artists’. Four times a year, the James Renwick Alliance for Craft brings notable American craft artists from around the country to Washington, DC in partnership with other organizations for the Distinguished Artist Series.
Debora Moore
Debora Moore is well known for her imagined glass orchids and organic forms. By combining new techniques with traditional glassblowing skills, and an attention to detail, Moore is able to achieve a unique depth of color and exquisitely crafted forms. In 2007 The Corning Museum of Glass awarded Moore their Rakow Commission and in 2020, she was featured in the “Renwick Invitational: Forces Of Nature” at the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery. Currently, Moore has work on display at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in “Glass: Art. Beauty. Design.
JRACraft presents Distinguished Artist Series with Debora Moore
Online Artist Talk & In-Person Exhibition Visit
September 26 & 30, 2023
Artist Talk & Exhibition Visit (In person only)
Saturday, September 30 | 10am – 12pm
$50 JRACraft and Hillwood members | $60 non-members
Hosted at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
Meet the artist at the stunning Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Washington, DC. Here, she will give insights into her process with a presentation and a Q&A session followed by a visit with Hillwood’s Director of Horticulture to discuss Debora’s floral investigation and give a look into Hillwood’s extensive orchid collection. Also, tour Hillwood’s latest exhibition, “Glass: Art. Beauty. Design“, with the museum’s Chief Curator where we will view the artist’s work and other contemporary glass artists on display. Tickets for this event are on sale now!
Artist Talk (Online only)
Tuesday, September 26 | 1pm – 2pm ET
Free and open to the public | Hosted on Zoom
Learn about Moore’s career and influences in this online program hosted in partnership with American University Katzen Arts Center.
Click on link HERE to jump to JRACraft registration.
About the Artist:
Debora Moore has been an instructor at Pilchuck, Pratt, and the Hilltop Artist-in-Residence Program in Tacoma, WA. In 1998, she was accepted as a member in the African American Design Archive at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. Her work was included in the Artistry of Orchids exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC in 2000. Her solo exhibition, Natural Reflections, opened in 2005 at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, followed by a residency at the Museum. In 2005, she was also awarded artist-in-residence at the Abate Zanetti School in Murano, Italy.
Debora was awarded the Rakow Commission in 2007, with inclusion in the permanent collection at the Corning Museum of Glass and participated in Corning’s Meet the Artist podcast series. In 2009 she was selected to exhibit at the 9th Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum. She participated in a group show, Flora, at Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark, in 2010. Her work was exhibited in the group exhibition, Convergence Zone, at the Bellevue Art Museum in 2011. Debora installed a solo show, Collectanea Botanica – Orchidaceae, at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, and exhibited at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. The April 2012 opening coincided with a residency awarded to her by the museum. This year the Northwest African American Museum opened a solo exhibition of Debora work in Seattle, Washington. In 2019, the Tacoma Art Museum feature, Debora Moore: Arboria, the artist’s new monumental sculptures exploring the beauty and awe of seasonal changes.
About JRACraft:
JRACraft is a vibrant group of art enthusiasts, collectors, artists, educators, students and art professionals who share a passion for contemporary American craft. JRA members enjoy a diverse year-round schedule of programs including, social events, educational lectures and tours, and art-inspired excursions.
The JRACraft is committed to advancing scholarship, education and public appreciation of craft art as well as promoting individual achievements of excellence and innovation in the craft field. As an independent non-profit organization, the JRACraft has provided more than $3 million for acquisitions, exhibitions, public programs, and publications to Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery – our nation’s showcase of contemporary American craft.
WOW6 – Window’s on Wisconsin -Part 6! Windows on Wisconsin is an ongoing public art exhibition project. The shopfront windows facing Wisconsin Ave have been converted, creating a dynamic display of works by area artists.
Location: 5510 Wisconsin Ave, Friendship Heights, MD 20815.
The 24/7 accessible exhibit starts Sept 10th and runs thru Nov 10th, 2023.
Curated by Kirsty Little, featuring works by Michael Janis, Art Drauglis, Ceci McInturff, David Gootnick, Michele Banks, Jeff Moscow, Kirsty Little and Charlie Maiorana.
For additional information, please contact Kirsty Little at kirstylittle9@gmail.com
Joyce Scott & Tim Tate; “NOW”, 6′ x 9′; cast glass, mixed media. Photo by Pete Duvall.
Now that Joyce Scott’s 50-year retrospective has been announced, we can share this image of the Dr Joyce Scott/Tim Tate collaborative mural that has been in creation for over 6 months! What a joy to get to work with this huge icon of contemporary art and MacArthur Fellow!
Artist Joyce Scott, Goya Contemporary Gallery Exec Director Amy Eva Raehse and Tim Tate work on the collaborative mural at Washington Glass Studio, 2023.
Titled “NOW” the work measures 9ft W x 6ft H and the mixed media, cast glass wall focuses on topics around racial inequality, women’s rights and LGTBQ+ issues.
Detail of panel in “NOW” by Dr Joyce Scott and Tim Tate.
Said Tim about the work – “This is a once in a lifetime project, and I couldn’t be prouder of any piece I have ever made.”
Detail of panel in “NOW” by Dr Joyce Scott and Tim Tate.
The artwork is available at Goya Contemporary in Baltimore and will be on display there in Sept or Oct. (Check with gallery).
The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and Seattle Art Museum (SAM) have co-organized the 50-year career retrospective of artist Joyce J. Scott, one of the most significant artists of our time. Best known for her virtuosic use of beads and glass, Joyce has upended hierarchies of art and craft across a spectrum of media over the course of five decades—from her woven tapestries and soft sculpture of the 1970s and audacious performances and wearable art in the 1980s to sculptures of astonishing formal ingenuity and social force from the late 1970s to the present moment. The artist’s works across all media beguile viewers with beauty and humor while confronting racism, sexism, ecological devastation, and complex family dynamics.
Artist Joyce Scott working on collaborative work with WGS Co-Founder Tim Tate.
Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams was developed in close dialogue with the Baltimore-based artist and her collaborators to reveal the full breadth of Joyce’s singular vision through more than 120 objects from public and private collections across the United States. The exhibition will encompass significant examples of the artist’s sculpture—both stand-alone and wearable pieces—alongside performance footage, garments, prints, and materials from Joyce’s personal archive.
Man Eating Watermelon. 1986; Collection of Paul Daniel and Linda DePalma
Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams to feature more than 120 objects from across the full arc of Joyce’s prolific and genre-defying career.
Buddha Gives Basketball to the Ghetto. 1991; Collection of Carol Cole LevinHead Shot. 2008. Chrysler Museum of Art, Museum purchase
Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams will be presented in Baltimore as a special ticketed exhibition from March 24, through July 14, 2024, and in Seattle from October 17, 2024, through January 20, 2025. It is co-curated by Cecilia Wichmann, BMA Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, and Catharina Manchanda, SAM Jon and Mary Shirley Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, with support from Leslie Rose, Joyce J. Scott Curatorial Research Assistant.
Joyce J. Scott (b. 1948, Baltimore, MD) and her work have been the subject of numerous exhibitions, books, and articles. She has received commissions, grants, awards, residencies, and honors from the National Endowment for the Arts, Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, Anonymous Was a Woman, American Craft Council, National Living Treasure Award, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for the Arts, Mary Sawyers Imboden Baker Award, MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2016), Smithsonian Visionary Artist Award, National Academy of Design Induction, and Moore College Visionary Woman Award, among others. Joyce earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a Master of Fine Arts from the Instituto Allende in Mexico. In 2018, she was awarded an honorary fellowship from NYU, as well as honorary doctorates from both MICA and the California College of the Arts. In 2022, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation offers assorted summer camps for the children – and what could be more fun than glass camp?! (For those of a certain age, cue song “Hello Muddah, hello Faddah”).
Instructors Erwin Timmers and Cheryl Edwards lead the summer art camp kids at the Glass School.
The 15 bright inquisitive imaginations were excited by the possibilities of glass + art (= awesomeness).
Instructor / Artist / Director / Dad – Erwin Timmers explains how kilns work for fused glass.Artist Michael Janis shows the new glass fanatic where and how to cast in dry plaster.One of the area’s newest glass superstars make her mark in the kiln.
Saturday, July 22nd, from 10:30 am til 11:30 am – join Queer Glass Artist and Co-Director of the Washington Glass School, Tim Tate as he talks about his art work and his upcoming “Utopian Queer Futurism” exhibit on Art Clinic Online. The episode will be hosted by Jamianne Jacobim, Executive Director of the James Renwick Alliance.
Want more?! Watch ACO presentation of Eco-artist and WGS’s Co-Founder Erwin Timmers work and inspirations on youtube. Click on image below:
Watch WGS Co-Founder Erwin Timmers’ ACO talk on youtube.
Fun Friday is a monthly(ish) afternoon class with fun focused projects that are great for adults and older kids alike.
July: Ice Cream Cones! What’s better than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day? Join Patricia for this refreshing Fun Friday where you can make an ice cream cone that you will enjoy (though not eat) all year round!
August: Put a Bird on It! Get ready to spread your wings and soar into the world of glass art with our vibrant bird Fun Friday! In a few hours you’ll learn how to quickly craft stunning birds using colorful glass.
September: Pet Faces! Join our Fun Friday class and “unleash” your creativity while capturing the essence of your beloved furry friends! In our pet portrait class, you’ll learn various techniques to depict the unique personalities and charm of your pets in glass.
Tired of working flat? Want an easy way to get some real depth into your glass? Here’s a fun class where you will learn one of the easiest methods of kilncasting sheet glass to achieve bas-relief sculpture. This incredibly versatile method has endless fine art and architectural applications. In this two day class, we will discuss different types of glass and their firing schedules. Working with color and how it can affect dimensional casting will also be explored. Bring items you may want to cast with this method or choose from our image library. All materials and firings included.
Ever wanted to learn how to weld? Want to impress your friends, your older brother and that cute bartender? It’s easier than you think! In three evenings you will learn how to lay a bead, and handle all sorts of sharp and dangerous tools. You will be able to complete a small project and leave with lots of ideas and know-how for other projects. This class will teach you the basics of welding, metal work and design, joining, bending and finishing. And you will get dirty!
