Mount Rainier Arts Commission held its August social at the Glass School, and despite the heat, conversation flowed!
MRAC Torie Partridge outlines what the arts commission hopes to accomplish with the artists of Mt Rainier, MD.L-R Jarrett Hendrix, Dave D’Orio, Torie Partridge, John Daemond, Anne Marchand.Torie Partridge, Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers chatErwin Timmers caught with his hand in the cheez balls!
The Mount Rainier Arts Commission (MRAC) has been networking the area creatives with a monthly “artist’s social” for artists (in all media and forms) that live or work in Mt Rainier- this month’s event is a Social at the Glass School – Wed, 28th Aug, from 6-7:30!
And a perfect chance to chat up the new commissioners about the representation of the arts in our area. These events are a lot of fun and connect!
MRAC L-R Deanna Noel, Becca Solow, Tessla Thompson at the July event held at Pennyroyal Station.WGS Co Director Michael Janis shares a laugh with MRAC’s John Daemond
And a great time to view the new Kelly Towles mural on the side of the Glass school!
Kelly Towles’ mural “I ❤ Glass” on the Washington Glass School, August 2024
WGS Co-Founder and Director Tim Tate sent the blog a preview of his spectacular new work – have a read of Tim’s thoughts on the work:
“Just finished what may be one of my most important pieces of my career. This is a piece dealing with LGTBQIA+ issues in the United States. These 36 points (one for each tile) will hopefully be in place when our children become adults. It is shipping out tomorrow to the INTO ACTION 2024 show in Chicago to be held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention.
As you know, the stakes of our democracy have never been higher as they are in the 2024 election cycle. So this August, we are bringing together artists, activists, and communities from across the nation for INTO ACTION 2024, a large-scale art exhibition and community festival against the backdrop of the convention.”
TIM TATE “Universal LGBTQIA+ Bill of Rights : A Discussion of 36 points”; Cast Glass, Steel; 6ft x 6ft x 2in We, the members of a global community committed to justice and equality, proclaim this Charter of Rights for LGBTQIA+ Individuals to affirm the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals, this charter is dedicated to fostering an environment of respect, safety, and inclusion.
1.Right to Commemorations and Monuments Description: Public recognition through monuments or memorials that honor LGBTQ+ history and individuals. Importance: Preserves and highlights the contributions and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, fostering respect and historical awareness. 2. Equitable Tax Policies and Social Security Benefits Description: Fair treatment in tax legislation and social security benefits that recognize all family structures. Importance: Ensures financial equity and security for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families, reflecting diverse living arrangements. 3.Inclusion in Emergency Response Plans Description: Specific consideration of LGBTQ+ needs in emergency preparedness and response strategies. Importance: Guarantees that safety measures address the unique vulnerabilities of LGBTQ+ persons, ensuring effective aid during crises. 4.Participation in Public and Political Life Description: Full rights to engage in political processes and public service without discrimination. Importance: Encourages active civic engagement and ensures LGBTQ+ voices are represented in decision-making processes. 5.Protections for Intersex Children Description: Prohibition of invasive medical procedures without the informed consent of intersex children or their guardians. Importance: Protects bodily autonomy and prevents unnecessary medical interventions that can have lifelong consequences. 6.Right to Marry Freely Description: The ability for LGBTQ+ individuals to legally marry any consenting adult they choose. Importance: Affirms equality and supports the legal recognition of diverse relationships. 7. Protection Against Solitary Confinement Based on Gender Identity Description: Prohibits the use of solitary confinement for LGBTQ+ individuals based solely on their gender identity in detention settings. Importance: Prevents cruel and inhumane treatment and safeguards mental health. 8. Protection from Bullying in Schools Description: Implementation of strong anti-bullying policies to protect LGBTQ+ youths in educational institutions. Importance: Creates a safe learning environment, critical for personal development and mental health. 9. Recognition of Chosen Pronouns Description: Respect and legal recognition of an individual’s chosen pronouns in all settings. Importance: Validates and affirms gender identity, which is essential for psychological well-being. 10. Right to Safe Spaces Description: Assurance of access to safe spaces specifically for LGBTQ+ individuals in various environments. Importance: Provides environments where individuals can freely express their identity without fear. 11. Right to a Bright Future Description: Policies and practices that aim to provide optimistic and equitable future opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals. Importance: Encourages the development of supportive and inclusive frameworks in education, employment, and beyond. 12. Online and Internet Protection Description: Enhanced protections against cyberbullying and harassment for LGBTQ+ individuals. Importance: Ensures safety in digital environments, which is vital given the high rates of online abuse targeting the community. 13. Protections for Queer Parents Description: Legal safeguards that ensure LGBTQ+ parents have equal rights in adoption, surrogacy, and parenting. Importance: Recognizes and supports diverse family dynamics, ensuring all parents and children are respected and protected. 14. Employment Protection Description: Strong workplace non-discrimination policies covering sexual orientation and gender identity. Importance: Promotes a fair and inclusive labor market that allows individuals to work without fear of prejudice. 15. Equal Healthcare Access Description: Access to comprehensive, non-discriminatory healthcare services, including specific health needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Importance: Reduces health disparities and ensures appropriate medical care for all, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity. 16. Inclusion in Census Data Description: Ensuring LGBTQ+ individuals are accurately represented in census data collection. Importance: Provides critical data for policy-making and resource allocation, helping to meet the community’s specific needs. 17. Queer Community Initiatives Description: Support for initiatives led by and for the LGBTQ+ community to foster social, economic, and cultural development. Importance: Empowers community members and enhances their overall well-being and visibility. 18. Right to Serve Openly in the Military Description: Allows LGBTQ+ individuals to serve openly in the military without discrimination. Importance: Promotes equality and capitalizes on the talents of all service members, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. 19. Right to Personal Assembly and Associations Description: Freedom to form and participate in LGBTQ+ groups and events without interference. Importance: Facilitates community building and support networks, crucial for social empowerment and advocacy. 20. Recognition of Chosen Families Description: Legal acknowledgment of chosen families, which are non-biological kinship bonds crucial within the LGBTQ+ community. Importance: Supports the reality of diverse family units and ensures they receive the same legal and social benefits as traditional families. 21. Freedom from Torture and Degrading Treatment Description: Absolute protection against torture and degrading treatment, especially in contexts of detention and healthcare. Importance: Ensures humane treatment and upholds the dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly vulnerable in such settings. 22. Educational Curriculum Inclusion Description: Integration of LGBTQIA+ history and awareness into educational curriculums. Importance: Educates young people on diversity and inclusion, promoting respect and understanding from an early age. 23. Protection Against Forced Sterilizations Description: Explicit prohibition of forced sterilizations, often targeted at transgender and intersex individuals. Importance: Protects bodily autonomy and prevents abuses in medical and institutional settings. 24. Equality and Non-Discrimination Laws Description: Comprehensive laws that ensure equality and protect against discrimination for all LGBTQ+ individuals. Importance: Forms the legal basis for equal treatment and protection under the law, essential for all aspects of public and private life. 25. Gender Neutral Bathrooms Description: Availability of gender-neutral bathrooms in public and private venues to ensure safety and comfort. Importance: Accommodates all gender identities and enhances privacy and security. 26. Right to Adopt Children Description: Ensures that LGBTQ+ individuals and couples have the right to adopt children. Importance: Provides children with loving homes and respects the rights of LGBTQ+ people to form families. 27. Ban on Conversion Therapy Description: Prohibition of any practices aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Importance: Protects individuals from harmful and discredited practices that attempt to alter their fundamental identities. 28. Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion Description: Guarantees that individuals can freely practice their religion and express their thoughts and conscience without discrimination. Importance: Ensures that LGBTQ+ individuals are not excluded from religious or philosophical communities based on their identity. 29. Right to Privacy Description: Protection of personal data and the right to privacy in all matters, including those related to gender and sexual orientation. Importance: Safeguards individuals from invasive inquiries, discrimination, and harassment. 30. Freedom of Artistic Expression Description: Freedom for LGBTQ+ individuals to express themselves artistically without censorship. Importance: Encourages cultural enrichment and personal expression, important for societal diversity and understanding. 31. Access to Asylum Description: Right to seek asylum based on persecution due to sexual orientation or gender identity. Importance: Provides refuge and safety for those facing serious threats in their home countries due to their LGBTQ+ status. 32. Legal Protection Against Bias Description: Strong legal frameworks that address and penalize discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. Importance: Ensures justice and recourse in cases of discrimination, crucial for upholding rights and equality. 33. Equal Housing Laws Description: Protection against discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Importance: Ensures that all individuals have equal opportunity to secure housing without fear of prejudice. 34. Protection from Imposed Moral Codes Description: Ensuring that no one’s personal moral or religious beliefs justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. Importance: Upholds the principle that personal beliefs should not infringe on the rights of others, ensuring a tolerant and diverse society. 35. Gender-Affirming Healthcare and Treatment Description: Access to healthcare that recognizes and supports an individual’s gender identity, including hormonal and surgical treatments. Importance: Essential for the well-being and health of transgender individuals, ensuring they receive appropriate and supportive medical care. 36. Protection from Violence and Hate Crimes Description: Strong laws and enforcement against hate crimes and violence targeted at LGBTQ+ individuals. Importance: Provides a secure environment for LGBTQ+ individuals to live without fear, crucial for their safety and mental health.
This declaration aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination, uphold the rights to privacy, expression, and love, and ensure that each individual may live authentically and without fear. Through this document, we commit to protecting these rights as fundamental to the structure of our society and indispensable for the free and full development of each person’s potential
Earlier in the year, Greenbelt Metro Apartments LLC, in partnership with the City of Greenbelt, commissioned WGS artist Erwin Timmers team to create three-dimensional artwork to be installed at Motiva, a new 354-unit residential development in Greenbelt, MD.
Erwin Timmers, original concept design for Motiva
The artwork design was to be a place marker that enlivens the Motiva Greenbelt complex and surrounding area. Erwin Timmers also outlined how sustainable design would be integrated into his design, using recycled glass.
Motiva Concept: Two tall stylized plant shapes will grace the side of the public plaza at the main entrance. The plant “stems” will be the structural elements and have branches coming out the sides which will hold circular glass flower shapes. The structure will be made of powder coated steel, with a coloring that shifts from green below to yellow and red above. The plant stems will bow outward and then come closer together toward the top. They seem to form an entrance or gateway. The two shapes will be similar, but uniquely different.
Community glass making workshop at the Washington Glass Studio was held earlier this year.
The glass inset panels that form the petal circles will be made with neighborhood community participation, in workshops held at the Washington Glass Studio.
The Greenbelt community enthusiastically joins in making the newest public art for their town. Color selection was treated with the utmost care.
Timmers said that the inspiration for his nature inspired design comes from the MOTIVA complex’s natural surroundings and the environment. Flowering plants that are native to the area include Black-Eyed Susans, Asters, and more. Flowers are often a symbol of growth and opportunity, and the artist said “just as wildflowers need diversity to make a healthy eco-system, so do people…”
Artist Erwin Timmers helps Greenbelt resident volunteer create their first glass masterpiece. The public art “stems” arrive at Powdercoat studio to receive their colorful finishes.Steel framework for the glass “petals” are prepped for their protective paint finishes.
The finished install date will be Mid-September – more about this great project as we get photos!!
Concept 1 design by Michael Janis for DC’s OP & CAH TAP project in Ward 5
WGS Co-Director Michael Janis’ public art design (concept 1 & 2) for DC’s memorial to the Enslaved People that built the US Capitol has many steps before the Mayor’s approval. One can see -and vote! – on the two concepts online :https://engage.dc.gov/JD4865#tab-50371
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in collaboration with the DC Office of Planning (OP), awarded Janis the commission create the significant project that aims to shed light on the often overlooked role of over 200 enslaved people whose labor laid the foundation for one of the most iconic symbols of democracy.
Photo of first community input event in Ward 5 site, April 20, 2024
If you have always wanted a studio space to work on your kiln-formed glass, but didn’t have room where you live, or didn’t have a huge amount to invest in a giant glass studio…..then you might like the thought of becoming one of the studio artists here at the Washington Glass School!
Your table/studio space runs $450 per month, and not only do you finally have a dedicated space for you to work in, but you also join a vibrant and successful community of glass artists and opportunities.
As a studio artist – besides being part of a community, you have access to the studio’s cold shop facility and kiln firings.
The Washington Glass School (near the Rhode Island/ Route 1 Eastern Ave border of the District of Columbia) is now accepting applications for artist incubator studio spaces (available immediately).
The upcoming community presentation on June 22nd at the Landon Park Recreation Center will provide a platform for Ward 5 residents to view and discuss the proposed design for the memorial. This event is not only a preview of the memorial but also an invitation for the community to contribute their voices to this landmark project.
The memorial aims to be a poignant reminder of the systemic racism and exploitation that have marred American history, while also celebrating the resilience and enduring legacy of those who were enslaved. Situated in the nation’s capital, this tribute will join the ranks of many other monuments and memorials, enriching the narrative with stories of those who have been historically marginalized. As the Nation’s capital, monuments and commemorative works have typically been focused on or reserved for commemoration to individuals or subjects of national importance within the monumental core, the original L’Enfant City, and mostly in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6. Many of these subjects participated in slavery, systemic racism, and the mistreatment of, or took actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, certain groups of people, and women.
In a historic move to acknowledge and honor the invaluable contributions of enslaved individuals who helped build the U.S. Capitol, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in collaboration with the DC Office of Planning (OP), has selected WGS Co-Director Michael Janis to design the Ward 5 Public Art Memorial. This significant project aims to shed light on the often-overlooked role of over 200 enslaved people whose labor laid the foundation for one of the most iconic symbols of democracy.
Janis, Co-Director of the Washington Glass School (WGS), has been actively engaging with the DC Ward 5 community to ensure that the memorial resonates with the local residents and accurately reflects the historical significance and human stories behind the Capitol’s construction. This community-centered approach underscores the importance of collective memory and inclusivity in public art.
DC’s Commemorative Works Program reviews proposals submitted by sponsors, but since the program was established in 2001 has received only a handful of applications for local subjects. OP’s Commemorate DC work includes technical assistance to community partners in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8 to identify commemorative subjects and sites before supporting efforts in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6. The Office of Planning’s partners are convening meetings with community groups and residents to discuss subjects to commemorate, appropriate sites, and concept designs of commemorative works. Concept designs will be reviewed by the Commemorative Works Committee who will make a recommendation on each proposal to the Mayor and District Council, who have final review and approval. A link to the 4 initial Commemorative projects here.
The DC Public Art Memorial is more than a work of art; it is a symbol of reconciliation, education, and recognition. It will invite all visitors to reflect on the past and encourage ongoing dialogue about equality and justice.
Join Michael Janis, the DC CAH & OP along with the Ward 5 community on June 22nd to participate in the outlining of a project that seeks to honor the past and inspire a future of inclusivity and acknowledgment. This is an important occasion for Washington, DC, and for the nation, as we begin this transformative initiative.
L-R: The Divided States of America; Trish Kent, Le Singe; Patricia de Poel Wilberg, Rejoice O Windup Bird; Kate Barfield, Twisting, John Henderson
Get ready to experience an artistic revolution and discover the future of sculpture. The Montpelier Arts Center of the M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County, proudly presents its 43rd annual invitational sculpture exhibition. Curated by Howard Cohen, this show, titled “Connections and Conversations” features the visionary talents of artists of the Washington Glass School, with a spotlight on the transformative medium of glass, where boundaries are pushed and traditions redefined.
Echoes; Michael Janis
Join us to see how these remarkable artists illuminate the diverse worlds we live in, using glass to spark conversations and create profound connections. This isn’t just an exhibit—it’s a vibrant conversation about our diverse world. Don’t miss this chance to see how glass can tell stories, bridge gaps, and ignite inspiration through community engagement and artistic innovation.
Don’t miss this chance for an unforgettable journey through art, innovation, and community and discover the endless possibilities of glass as a medium.
Connections and Conversations: Works by Artists from the Washington Glass School
Exhibition Dates: June 7 – July 28, 2024
Public Reception: June 7, 2024, 7 – 9 PM
Lunch and Lecture: June 14, 2024, 12 Noon (Reservations Required – Call 301-377-7800)
As the nation’s capital, Washington, DC is home to many monuments and memorials honoring individuals and events of national significance mainly within the monumental core, the original L’Enfant City, and mostly in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6. Many of these subjects participated in slavery, systemic racism, and the mistreatment of, or took actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, certain groups of people, and women. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in partnership with the DC Office of Planning (OP) selected WGS Director Michael Janis as the artist to create DC’s Ward 5 Public Art Memorial to commemorate the Enslaved People Who Built the US Capitol. Contributions of more than 200 enslaved people helped build the U.S. Capitol, an international symbol of Democracy.
Artists engaged by DC CAH to create the new Public Art
From 1792 to 1800 enslaved people, many from the Baltimore area, arrived in DC on Bladensburg Road and were forced to quarry stone, clear the building site, create sculptures, and work long hours in inhospitable weather six days a week.
DC Ward 5 Public Art Memorial
The Capitol would not have been constructed without their labor and craftsmanship, yet much of their history has yet to be documented and brought to light.
Michael has been meeting with the Ward 5 community groups and the first community presentation of the concept is scheduled for June 22, 2024, from 2-4 pm at the Landon Park Recreation Center, 2901 20th St NE, Washington, DC 20018.
Promotion of Public Art Project featuring Michael Janis “The Artist”.
If you are interested in participating – click link to sign up (at bottom of page) for updates from Commemorate DC. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to be a part of history!
Goya Contemporary – where for the past 25 years has built a progressive reputation for creating visionary, historically relevant exhibitions, features glass artists Joyce Scott and Tim Tate together in a show titled “Now: Collaborations by Joyce J Scott and Tim Tate“. The centerpiece of the show is a 9ft long cast glass wall entitled “Now”. This was a 7-month project with Joyce and Tim that deals with societal issues that were being discussed in our culture while we were producing it. Issues included racism, homophobia, misogyny and the war in Ukraine.
Goya Contemporary
Mill Centre Studio 214, 3000 Chestnut Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21211
