Just add water and flowers and create a smile! In this workshop, you’ll design a freestanding pocket vase by cutting and fusing glass and using stencils and powders. First evening you’ll make the glass, and the second night we cut and polish. Beginning and more experienced glassmakers welcome.
Create part sheets for you to use in other fusing projects. A versatile and interesting beginner fusing technique to make patterns that you can’t buy off the shelf. The first day you’ll make your part sheets, and then the second day you’ll see your results and slice them up to create new designs.
Let’s create wearable works of art that celebrate what brings us joy—or speak boldly to justice issues that matter most to us. Inspired by artists such as Joyce J. Scott—whose jewelry fuses craft, beauty, and unapologetic social commentary—we will explore how adornment can also be activism. Using copper wire as a line-drawing tool, you’ll bend and shape images, symbols, or words into expressive forms that reflect your personal voice.
The wire drawing will be encased in a luminous layer of glass.
This class will bring some serious color to your life and brighten up your living space. This is the perfect way to use glass in a most practical application: a lamp. You will design your own colored glass, determine your own shape, and have your choice of several different hanging or mounting options. For considerably less than the price of a designer fixture, you can put your own name on it.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) is a not-for-profit organization and leading resource for glass collectors, art enthusiasts, artists, gallerists, museum personnel, and educators on all things related to glass art. The AACG has coming up this Friday, March 6 on online zoom talk.
Collector’s Edge presents “The Thrill of the Hunt: Collecting in a Digital Age”, a conversation about how discovery, instinct, and decision-making shape contemporary collecting today.
Reserve your spot today! Free & Open to the public
Date: March 6
Time: 1pm EST
Where: Zoom online! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zAQ4OX1DTJmlOP8BU9SYPg
Panelists include:
• Sarah Traver, President and Director of Traver Gallery
• Charles Shepard, President & CEO of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art
• Jerry Paulson, AACG member and collector
• Ray Chimienti, AACG Board member and collector
• Moderator: Brit Micho; Curator, Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Collector’s Edge presents “The Thrill of the Hunt: Collecting in a Digital Age”, a conversation about how discovery, instinct, and decision-making shape contemporary collecting today. As more and more of the collecting journey unfolds through online access, how do collectors navigate that process and have confidence in their decisions, when work is not always viewed in person before a purchase?
AACG is bringing together a gallerist, museum director, established collector, and newer collector, to hold a dynamic panel discussion exploring how relationships, education, and trust come together to guide the collecting experience in an increasingly digital world.
The James Renwick Alliance for Craft (JRACraft) will host its 2026 Spring Craft Weekend, themed “Making Magic: Handmade Alchemy,” on April 25–26, 2026 in the Washington, D.C. area.
This annual celebration brings together artists, collectors, curators, and craft enthusiasts for a weekend of conversation, recognition, and inspired making.
Morning — Free Public Symposium
Held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (McEvoy Auditorium), the morning program honors five distinguished leaders in the field of craft:
The symposium is free and open to the public — an opportunity to hear directly from artists and advocates who have shaped the contemporary craft landscape.
Evening — “Making Magic” Celebration & Auction
The celebration continues that evening at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington (MOCA Arlington), VA. Guests will enjoy cocktails, artist demonstrations, and a lively auction of “masterful miniatures” — intimate works that showcase the technical brilliance and imaginative range of today’s makers.
The weekend concludes with an Awards Brunch at The Tower Club in Vienna, VA — a celebratory gathering honoring the award recipients and the craft community that supports them.
JRACraft’s Spring Craft Weekend has long been one of the region’s most vibrant craft-focused events, strengthening connections between artists, collectors, and institutions while championing handmade excellence.
Registration is now open. Tickets are available for individual events or as patron packages through the JRACraft website:
https://www.jracraft.org/2026-spring-craft-weekend.html
We hope to see many members of the Washington Glass School community there for this inspiring weekend of handmade alchemy. ✨
John Henderson, a WGS studio artist, was selected to exhibit in the Kuumba V — Sankofa: The Art of Remembrance show at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria.
This Black History Month event, organized by the Black Art Today Foundation, celebrates a century of Black history (1926-2026) and draws from the Akan Sankofa concept of learning from the past. It ran February 13–15, 2026, on Level 1 of the Tysons Galleria in John Henderson, a WGS studio artist, was selected to exhibit in the Kuumba V — Sankofa: The Art of Remembrance show at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria.
This Black History Month event, organized by the Black Art Today Foundation, celebrates a century of Black history (1926-2026) and draws from the Akan Sankofa concept of learning from the past. It ran February 13–15, 2026, on Level 1 of the Tysons Galleria in Virginia.
Washington Glass School is proud to share that WGS artist John Henderson is included in the exhibition Woven Legacies: A Centennial Celebration of Black Expression, presented by Stem & Vine in partnership with the Black Art Today Foundation.
On view from February 1 through May 2, 2026, the exhibition honors the 2026 Black History Month theme, “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” marking 100 years since the movement to formally recognize Black history in the United States.
John Henderson’s work in the exhibition, The Orishas (Glass/Acrylic, 36 x 12 x 1 inches), is a two-dimensional wall piece that draws on spiritual and cultural traditions rooted in the African diaspora. Through layered materials and luminous surfaces, Henderson explores ancestry, belief systems, and the enduring presence of history carried forward through art.
Woven Legacies examines how art has functioned as a connective thread across generations — preserving memory, expressing resistance, and imagining paths toward liberation. The exhibition features a dynamic group of artists whose work spans disciplines, voices, and perspectives, underscoring the richness and complexity of Black artistic expression.
An artist reception will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2026, from 3–6 PM at Stem & Vine (326 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD).
We congratulate John Henderson on this well-deserved recognition and are honored to see his work included in this important exhibition.
This exhibition is partially funded by the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).
Virtual Exhibition:
Eventbrite:
Michael Janis on glass, public art, and 20 years in the Mt Rainier Gateway Arts District
Michael Janis is a contemporary glass artist and public art sculptor based in Washington, DC. He is a co-director of the Washington Glass School, an artist-run studio and educational center focused on contemporary glass practices.
In 2026, Washington Glass School marks 25 years since its founding and 20 years since establishing its home in Mount Rainier, Maryland. Janis became co-director of the school in 2005, shortly before the previous studio site in Washington, DC was taken through eminent domain for the development of Nationals Park.
Janis is known for narrative glass sculpture, community-engaged public art, and memorial projects addressing identity, memory, and social history. His work appears in permanent museum collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tacoma Museum of Glass, and the Museum of American Glass, among others. He has completed public art commissions for libraries, medical centers, and civic spaces throughout Washington, DC, the Mid-Atlantic region, and beyond.
We spoke with Michael Janis about the history of Washington Glass School, his studio practice, and the role of glass in public art and memorial projects.
Q: Washington Glass School is marking 25 years, with 20 years in Mt Rainier. What does this milestone represent for you?
Michael Janis:
The 25-year mark reflects the value of being anchored while continuing to adapt.
Washington Glass School began in 2000 in Washington, DC. I became co-director in 2005, shortly before the original studio site was taken through eminent domain for the construction of Nationals Park. Losing that space forced a reset. We relocated to Mt Rainier and rebuilt the school from the ground up.
The move to Mt Rainier came as we expanded education programs, developed public art work, and built long-term partnerships with artists and communities. Reaching 20 years in the Gateway Arts District shows the importance of stability for an arts organization after a period of displacement and transition.
Q: How did becoming co-director in 2005 shape the direction of the school?
Michael Janis:
Becoming co-director in 2005 placed me in a leadership role during a period of disruption.
The loss of the original DC studio meant the school had to redefine the business model, the student base, and the physical layout. We focused on building a tight and adaptable studio space, reworking class offerings, and creating a framework for contemporary glass practices.
From the start, we saw the school as both a teaching center and a working studio. That combined role became the basis for how we developed public art projects and community-based programs.
Q: What is the core mission of Washington Glass School today?
Michael Janis:
The core mission is supporting contemporary glass art through education, studio practice, and public art work.
We teach a wide range of glass techniques, including kilnforming, casting, and architectural glass. We also host artist talks, exhibitions, and workshops.
Another major part of the mission involves community engagement. We recently worked with military veterans through an arts therapy program developed by the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington. We also work with local residents, students, and partner organizations to create glass components for public art projects placed in civic spaces.
Q: What kind of art do you make in your own practice?
Michael Janis:
I make narrative sculptural glass art.
My studio work focuses on figurative glass sculpture and relief panels. The work addresses identity, emotional presence, and social experience.
In public art, I design large-scale glass installations and memorials for civic spaces. Many of these projects include community participation, where local residents help create glass components that become part of the finished artwork.
Q: How does glass function in your public art and memorial projects?
Michael Janis:
Glass interacts with light, reflection, and transparency.
These qualities support narrative work in both studio and public art settings. In figurative sculpture, distortion and reflection suggest emotional states. In memorial projects, glass holds collective memory through light and color.
Glass also works well in civic architecture. It allows light to pass into buildings while carrying imagery and text.
Q: What are some examples of public art projects developed through Washington Glass School?
Michael Janis:
Washington Glass School has served as the studio base for a range of public art commissions.
Recent and ongoing projects include:
Each project involved collaboration with architects, government agencies, and community members.
Q: Why is community participation central to your public art process?
Michael Janis:
Community participation changes the role of public art.
Local residents take part in creating glass tiles, panels, and imagery. These components become part of the finished artwork installed in shared spaces.
This process builds connection between people and the artwork. In memorial projects, participation also helps address historical and social topics through shared making rather than top-down design.
Q: Where can people see your work in public or in museum collections?
Michael Janis:
My work appears in permanent collections such as:
Public installations appear at:
Q: What themes run through your work as a contemporary glass artist?
Michael Janis:
The main themes involve identity, memory, and emotional presence.
In the studio, I focus on figurative glass sculpture addressing psychological states and social relationships.
In public art, I focus on collective memory and historical narrative.
Across both areas, light and reflection create a relationship between the artwork and the viewer.
Q: How do you see the future role of Washington Glass School?
Michael Janis:
Washington Glass School will continue to support contemporary glass practices.
We will expand education programs, public art partnerships, and community-based projects. Many of the studio’s resident artists become instructors and contribute new workshop ideas.
The school will also remain a working studio for public art production and artist collaboration.
Q: What advice would you give to artists interested in glass and public art?
Michael Janis:
Develop a strong studio practice. Learn how to work with architects, engineers, and fabricators.
Understand public art as a long-term commitment to shared spaces and community needs.
For More About Michael Janis
Links:
[Michael Janis: Washington Glass Artist and Sgraffito Glass Art]
[Faculty & Staff | Washington Glass Studio]
[Michael Janis – Wikipedia]
[Public Art/ Monuments | Washington Glass Studio]
We’ve begun laying out and trimming the community-made glass panels for the Kempsville public art project—an exciting moment where the collective story starts to come into focus. Our attention now turns to the sculpture’s narrative bas-relief panels.
The quick studio flyover shows us evaluating the works side by side, spotting patterns, rhythms, and powerful adjacencies. The panels tell stories of local flora and fauna, historic buildings, heroic and difficult histories, Indigenous and colonial narratives, local teams, and contemporary life.
Choosing which panels make the final sculpture will be the hardest part—every piece matters. Harbor of Stories is becoming a true communal portrait of Kempsville.