WGS Contemporary Exhibit Opens May 12!

Artists By The Tracks Open Studios May 12th.

Artists By The Tracks Open Studios May 12th.

Come to WGS Contemporary and see what our artists have been working on! And as its right before Mother’s Day, come and find something unique and beautiful – like Mum! – or even better, bring her and Dad with you!
artist.by.the.tracks.open.studios.dc.rainier.art.saleThe Spring 2018 Open Studios will be where you’ll have behind-the-scenes access to the Artist-On-the-Tracks studios, galleries, and cultural centers including Otis Street Arts Project, Red Dirt Studio, White Point Studios, Art Works Now, Pyramid Atlantic, Orange Door Studios, Valerie Theberge, Tanglewood Works Studios and more!

washington.glass.school.open.studio.2018.spring

 

 

 

 

 

WGS Contemporary will showcase some new artists – and there will be lots to see!

2018 WGS Contemporary

Artists By The Tracks
Open Studios
3700 Otis Street, Mt Rainier, MD
Saturday, May 12, 2018, 12-5pm

 

WGS On Camera

Washington Glass School was approached by a new residential development in the area – Studio 3807 – to talk about how Washington Glass School connects with community. Directors Tim Tate and Michael Janis talked with the film crew about the public art created by the Studio:

Washington Post Reviews Zenith Gallery Exhibit “Light Up Your heART”

Erwin Timmers, "Water Falling, Glass, steel, LEDs, 36 × 12 × 4 in.

Erwin Timmers, “Water Falling”, Cast recycled glass, steel, LEDs, 36 × 12 × 4 in.

The Washington Post newspaper critic Mark Jenkins gives a great review to Zenith Gallery exhibit “Light Up Your heART” exhibit on now at Zenith Salon thru March 24th. Works by WGS Co-Founders Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers are in the group show. Critic Mark Jenkins gives a shout out to Erwin’s cast recycled glass panels as he describes the show in the Galleries Section of the Post.

 “Light Up Your heART ” Through March 24 at Zenith Salon, 1429 Iris St. NW. 202-783-2963. zenithgallery.com.

James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Artist: Chris Antemann

Chris Antemann, Covet, 2013

Chris Antemann, Covet, 2013

American ceramicist Chris Antemann was invited by the James Renwick Alliance (JRA) to be featured as part of the 2018 Distinguished Artist Series.  Join the JRA on March 10 & 11 for a lecture and workshop by Oregon-based sculptor Chris Antemann and find out more about her sexy and beautiful scenes in ceramics that depict the kind of parties that sadly, I’ll never be invited to. JRA.chris-antemann.renwick.katzen

 

 

Chris Antemann’s  figurative pieces offer a fascinating telescoping narrative — stories within stories, contemporary commentary layered onto 18th century pieces in traditional forms. Her collaboration with Meissen, the German porcelain factory, has produced a body of work with rich insight into our own culture, a vehicle for the artist’s “twisted tales” about domestic rites, social etiquette and taboos.

Artist Workshop:
Saturday, March 10  |  9:30am – 12:00pm
White Point Studio  |  3708 Wells Avenue, Mt. Rainer, MD
$50 members  |  $60 non members
$175 for all 4 workshops, members only

Chris Antemann will discuss her ceramic figures and her work with Meissen. The morning begins with a brief meet-and-greet with the artist over coffee and pastries. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to attend a potluck dinner with the artist on Saturday evening. Space may be limited.

Click HERE to jump to JRA online registration for the event.

Free Lecture:
Sunday, March 11  | 2pm – 3pm
American University Katzen Arts Center  |  4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC

ACC Names New Director: Sarah Shultz! Meet her at the Baltimore ACC Show!!

acc-social-logo-blueFor more than 75 years, the American Craft Council (ACC) has championed craft. Founder Aileen Osborn Webb recognized the significant impact craft has on individuals and communities, and established a nonprofit to preserve, cultivate, and celebrate this communal heritage. The ACC’s efforts span the nation, promoting the handmade through a resource-rich website and award-winning magazine, American Craft.

New Executive Director of the American Arts Council, Sarah Schultz. photo by Lightsey Darst

New Executive Director of the American Arts Council, Sarah Schultz. photo by Lightsey Dars

The American Craft Council has today announced that Sarah Schultz has been named its new executive director. Sarah, who has more than 25 years’ experience in arts leadership, fundraising, and education, succeeds Chris Amundsen, who left the organization in September. 

“The ACC has a remarkable history of celebrating and supporting craft in America,” Sarah says. “I am thrilled to be working with the board and staff as we expand the reach and engagement of the organization to the incredible diversity of practices and artists working today.”

Most recently, Sarah was interim vice president of public programs and education for the Friends of the High Line in New York City and a visiting curator for Mural Arts Philadelphia.

When Sarah begins as executive director April 2, it will be a homecoming of sorts: She spent more than 20 years at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, including 14 as director of education and curator of public practice. Sarah earned a BA in art history from Bucknell University, an MBA in arts administration from SUNY-Binghamton, and an MA from the University of Minnesota in art history and American studies. 

Sarah has been an outspoken proponent of innovation, networking, teamwork, and community building.

Sarah will be at this weeks Baltimore ACC show – a great opportunity to meet her!

The American Craft Show returns to the Baltimore Convention Center. This is the nation’s largest juried indoor craft show showcasing the work of more than 650 of the country’s leading contemporary artists.

Show Dates
February 23: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
February 24: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
February 25: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Syl Mathis’ New Work

Syl Mathis; "Mesa"; 24"w x 10"h x 4"d; cast and carved tempered plate glass; oxidized steel; local cut rock base

Syl Mathis; “Mesa”; 24″w x 10″h x 4″d; cast and carved tempered plate glass; oxidized steel; local cut rock base

Artist Syl Mathis was one of the Washington Glass School first students and later instructor. For 22 years, Syl was Director of the Voyageur Program at St. Albans School and the National Cathedral School. In 1996 Syl focused on his glass artwork as his alternate career, working in carved and cast glass. The pieces in his Boat Series were inspired by the shapes, colors, places and emotions that came from his adventures on the water.

In 2016, Syl retired from St. Albans and moved to the mountains of Colorado. Above is one of his latest glass sculptures, “Mesa”, currently on display at the Western Colorado Center For The Arts. This piece reflects the view Syl has from his studio of the Colorado National Monument and the beautiful rock formations. The artist said he formed the   top edge of the glass to echo the mesas of the monument.

Artist Mary Van Cline’s Love Letter Portrait Project to the Glass Art Community

Mary Van Cline; The Floating Sea of Time;  Photosensitive glass, pate de verre, 24 x 20 x 5 in.

Mary Van Cline; The Floating Sea of Time;
Photosensitive glass, pate de verre, 24 x 20 x 5 in.

Mary Van Cline artwork blends pâte de verre elements with photographic images creating a new quality in dimension. Recently she has focused on the photography aspect to create “The Documenta Project,” which she hopes to build an archive of life-size photographic portraits that capture the unique personalities of the major glass world figures.

Mary Van Cline has been known for her artwork combining photography and glass since 1978.

Mary Van Cline has been known for her artwork combining photography and glass since 1978.

Since early 2017, she’s been traveling the U.S. to take photographs of glass artists, prominent dealers, collectors and critics in an effort to document and immortalize the unique artistic ecosystem that defines the Studio Glass world. Mary’s goal is support to capture the spirit of the people who enabled and contributed to the glass community using life size photographic images where their gestures and presence will be preserved on large format B&W film, and high-resolution color digital files. 

Glass Artist Laura Donefer captured by Mary Van Cline

Glass Artist Laura Donefer captured by Mary Van Cline

 

Mary said that she has taken some 10,000 photos. From each session alone, she took at least 400 photos with the digital camera. 

NYC Uber collectors Susan and Fred Sanders

NYC Uber collectors Susan and Fred Sanders

 

Though almost entirely self-funded so far, Mary hopes that others who appreciate her project and the progress she’s made on her own might approach her with offers of support. This year the project has been invited back to SOFA and, in April, Van Cline hopes to bring it to Detroit during the Flint Museum opening and the Habatat International.

The fact is that such an ambitious project is costly and donations are needed in order for it to continue. The Tacoma Art Museum has agreed to accept nonprofit donations on behalf of Van Cline, and transfer any funding directly to the project with no fee.

WGS Glass Artists Michael Janis & Tim Tate documented for the Documenta Project

WGS Glass Artists Michael Janis & Tim Tate documented for the Documenta Project

Donations can be mailed to the Tacoma Art Museum at the following address:

Tacoma Art Museum
Rock Hushka, Curator
Attention: Documenta Project
1701 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, Washington 98402

For any questions, contact Mary Van Cline at: mary@maryvancline.com

Abraham Lincoln Was a Science Champion

In honor of the birthday of the 16th President of the USA – Abraham Lincoln – and the recent awesome Spacex Falcon Heavy launch,  we present the following heroic post: lincoln.president.day.america.usa.astronaut

Abraham Lincoln is best known for abolishing slavery and keeping the United States together through the Civil War, but he also helped the country become the scientific and engineering powerhouse we know today.

For example, Lincoln signed the Morrill Act in 1862, creating a system of land-grant colleges and universities that revolutionized higher education in the United States, notes famed astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson. “Known also as the people’s colleges, they were conceived with the idea that they would provide practical knowledge and science in a developing democratic republic,” Tyson, the director of the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium in New York City.

Notable land-grant institutions include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, the University of Florida, The Ohio State University, the University of Arizona and the schools in the vast University of California system.

Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, also chartered the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1863, establishing the august body that advises Congress and the president about science and technology matters to this day, Tyson observes.

Spacex Starman Heads Towards Mars & Beyond

Spacex Starman Heads Towards Mars & Beyond

WGS Studio Artist Kyle Crosby Featured in Washingtonian Magazine

Film producer Kyle David Crosby joined the Washington Glass Studio family in 2016. Since he joined the studio, Kyle and his Pictureshow Productions has worked on a number of great films, including 2017’s The Confidential Informant where Kyle worked with writer/Executive Producer George Pelecanos. George is known for his DC-focused crime novels and gripping work on HBO’s The Wire and The Deuce.

Kyle David Crosby

Kyle David Crosby @ The Washington Glass School.

The two are currently making an anthology film, titled DC Noir, filmed around the stories locations set in the DC area, with George Pelecanos in his directorial debut.  

Washingtonian Magazine has a story in the February 2018  about the two filmmakers and how important it is to George Pelecanos to have the movies about Washington, DC be filmed in DC. Written by Rosa Cartagena and photographed by Evy Mages, the article give great insight to what it takes to bring a written story to life on film. 

George Pelecanos and Kyle David Crosby. Washingtonian photo by Eve Mages

George Pelecanos and Kyle David Crosby. Washingtonian photo by Evy Mages.