Glass Is the Reason for the Season!

Celebrate Creativity at the Washington Glass School Holiday Open Studios!

Jun Lee glass art print
Resident Artist Jun Lee preps her bas-relief glass panel.
fused glass bas relief glass panel based on print by Jun Lee.
Jun Lee, dimensional cast glass panel, 14″ x 14″, 2024

Join us for the Washington Glass School’s Holiday Open Studios on Saturday, December 14th, from 12-5 PM! Explore a dazzling collection of glass art and other creations by our talented Resident Artists and Instructors, just in time for holiday gift shopping or adding unique pieces to your collection.

Erwin Timmers, cast recycled glass & steel, 15″H x 20″W x 5″D, 2024

Our Open Studios is more than just an art show—it’s a chance to immerse yourself in Mount Rainier’s thriving creative community! Venture beyond our doors to discover inspiring works at nearby studios, including Otis Street Arts, Ampersand, Portico Gallery, Joe Hicks Ceramics, and Janis Goodman Studios.

📍 Location: Washington Glass School
3700 Otis Street, Mount Rainier, MD 20712 (Just over the DC/MD border of Eastern Avenue)

Come for the art, stay for the inspiration. Don’t miss this vibrant celebration of creativity and craftsmanship!

Class 5303 – Garden Party

Summer is here, and Jennie is back! Time to celebrate with color, creativity, and a little flair! In this fun and hands-on class, you’ll make a stunning 8″x4″ glass garden totem. A perfect way to add a pop of color and personality to your garden or planter.

No glass experience? No problem! We will guide you to a fun creation. And since this is a Garden Party, feel free to dress the part!

10th Annual Glass International Opens!

April Shelford “Catch a Wave”

Virginia’s Lorton Workhouse Arts Center opened their 10th Annual Glass International, an exhibition highlighting the depth and breadth of contemporary functional and sculptural glass art. This year, in celebration of Workhouse Arts’ 10th year exhibiting glass they opened eligibility to include artists working internationally.

Kate Barfield “Dream of the Wind-Up Bird”
Patricia de Poel Wilberg

Washington Glass School was well represented by WGS Resident Artists Kate Barfield, Patrica de Poel Wilberg, and April Shelford- congratulations!

glass artists . next gen ladies of glass
Washington Glass School artists (L-R) April Shelford, Kate Barfield, Patrica de Poel Wilberg, Arden Colley.

Exhibiting Glass International Artists:
Karen Abbott, Kate Barfield, Denise Bohart Brown, Beryl Brenner, Lee Campbell, Guillermo Castaneda Jr., Marcy Chevali, Anthony D’Amico, Patricia de Poel Wilberg, Jeanne Marie Ferraro, Olga Gobernik Kon, Ruth Gowell, Jennifer Hand, Mollie Hansen, Jennifer Hecker, Marla Heiner, Sara Hitchcock, Mary Jones, Martin Kremer, Kelly Lacy, Becca Low, Sandi Martina, Kimberly McKinnis, Shawn Messenger, Paul Messink, Jack Schmidt, Michael Scupholm, April Shelford, Madeline Shir, Ori Shir, Aric Snee, Chuchen Song, Tim Spurchise, Heather Sutherland, Tabitha Thierjung, Katherine Thomas, Exer Thurston, Michael Tracy, Snuffy Wright

Workhouse Arts Center is located at: 9518 Workhouse Way Lorton, VA 22079

Vulcan Gallery, W-16 1st Floor
On View: November 2, 2024 – January 12, 2025

Winter Open Studio Is Coming!

Winter Open Studios Set for Dec 14th! Mark Your Calendars!

Join us in the DC region’s largest one-day visual arts event! On Saturday, Dec. 14th, from Noon til 5PM, Washington Glass School and its Resident Artists, Teachers and Students will participate in the Winter Open Studios! See what we’ve been up to!
Come visit hundreds of working artist studios in the Gateway Arts District, along Route 1 from the DC line/ Mount Rainier up to Hyattsville, MD.

December Holiday Open Studio Gateway Arts District DC Maryland
Washington Glass School 3700 Otis Street, MD Rainier, MD

The Way to Save Democracy is Clear (& Gorgeous) as Glass.

This Election Day 2024 is SO important! Make your voice heard! Washington Glass School’s Resident Artist Patricia Kent’s glass art shines light on democracy!

Trish Kent, VOTE!, 2024, kilnformed glass. 24″W x 60″H.
Trish Kent, The Divided States of America, 2023, kilnformed glass, mixed media
Patricia Kent, Trish Kent, Washington Glass School artist
Artist Trish Kent talks about their statement glass artwork at Montpelier Arts Center in 2024.

Washington Glass School: A Legacy of Art, Resilience, and Community

Washington Glass School ca 2004, located in the Washington Sculpture Center in SE DC.

In the aftermath of the 2000 Artomatic show, renowned glass artist Tim Tate and metal/eco-artist Erwin Timmers felt the need to create a space for the growing glass art community in Washington, DC. Their solution was the founding of what was first called “Meltdown”—the future Washington Glass School. The school’s very first class, held on September 13, 2001, came in the shadow of one of the most tragic days in American history. While the founders initially considered canceling the session, the overwhelming desire of the students to move forward created an indelible bond. The class became a healing space, where sadness and fear were channeled into creativity and connection.

Meltdown Studio class schedule 2001
Early light fixture class (ca 2002) shows off their finished works.

From those early days, the Washington Glass School (WGS) has embraced community and resilience as core values. In 2003, the school relocated from its original home—now the Rubell Museum in DC’s Southwest neighborhood—to the Washington Sculpture Center. Michael Janis, an innovative artist who joined the school that year, became a director by 2005. His leadership, alongside Tate and Timmers, continued to steer the school as it grew in reputation.

Future WGS Director Michael Janis (center) in his first class at Washington Glass School, 2003.
Michael Janis works with students from DC’s Stuart Hobson Middle School (ca 2004).

In 2006, a turning point came when the school’s building was taken by eminent domain to make way for the Washington Nationals’ baseball stadium. Unfazed, the WGS team moved just outside the District to Mount Rainier, Maryland. It’s been their home ever since, where they continue to teach, collaborate, and create public art.

WGS Directors (L-R Michael Janis, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers)

WGS has evolved into a dynamic hub for artistic exploration, encouraging artists to challenge the conventional limits of glass as an art medium. Their collaborative spirit thrives, with glass artists working alongside creatives from other disciplines, producing public art that speaks to the heart of the community.

kelly towles, washington glass school
In 2024, DC artist Kelly Towles painted a mural “I ❤ Glass” on the facade of the glass school.

9/11 Remembrance

On this 9/11 day of remembrance, we reflect on the resilience embodied by the “Survivor Glass”—the only window to remain intact out of over 40,000 at the World Trade Center. Found near Ground Zero, this piece of glass from the 82nd floor of the South Tower stands as a symbol of strength amid unimaginable loss. As artists who work with glass, we understand the qualities of the material and the powerful stories it can hold. Today, we honor the lives lost, the strength of the survivors, and the enduring spirit of our nation. On this day of remembrance, we reflect on the resilience and strength found in the smallest things.

Unbroken glass from the 82nd floor of the South Tower on display at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
Circle shows location of window in the Twin Tower rubble.

Mount Rainier Arts Commission (MRAC) Social at Washington Glass School

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 chat
Erwin Timmers caught with his hand in the cheez balls!

Feeling Soch? The Mount Rainier Arts Commission August Social at Washington Glass School Aug 28th!

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.

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