Author Archives: Betty Py

AACG Starts Year Off Right: Features Michael Janis

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visit their site: www.contempglass.org/

The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) names Michael Janis as its “Artist-of-the-Month“. 

The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.

Who knew the flavor of the month would be vanilla?

AACG members are primarily collectors of contemporary glass, mostly from North America but also from Europe, Australia and New Zealand, among other international locales. AACG members also include art galleries, artists, schools and museums. Membership is open to anyone interested in contemporary glass. AACG awards grants annually to arts organizations in support of specific educational purposes.

AACG co-sponsors the biennial event, GlassWeekend, with the Creative Glass Center of America at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center—a weekend of glass where artists, collectors and galleries are present for a program that includes hot shop demonstrations, exhibitions, lectures, and social events. Proceeds of the event support the fellowship program of the Creative Glass Center of America and the educational programs of the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. Glass Weekend 2013 will be at the Wheaton Arts Center in Millville, NJ, from June 7 -9, 2013.

Posted in aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, michael janis

Has Tim Tate Gone MAD?!

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Well, yes, but Tim’s feeling much better…Playing With Fire @ NY MAD Museum

Tim Tate, “I Want To Run Away and Join the Circus“, 2009, blown and cast glass, electronic components. Photo: Anything Photographic.

This year, New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the American Studio Glass movement with an exhibit titled “Playing with Fire: 50 Years of Contemporary Glass”  – which featured more than 100 works of glass from the MAD collection,  and additional contemporary works on loan.  Ever since 1962, when a legendary workshop led by renowned glass artist Harvey Littleton demonstrated the potential of glassblowing as a medium available to individual artists, artists and designers have continually pushed the material in new directions and used the complex, fragile, and highly versatile nature of the material to create an astonishing diversity of works.

“Playing with Fire” looks at the breadth of innovative processes and artistry in contemporary glass, from pieces by early adaptors such as Dale Chihuly to installations by Israeli designer Ayala Serfaty. The exhibit is organized by the Museum of Arts and Design and is curated by Jennifer Scanlan, Associate Curator. “As a sculptural material, glass has unique properties: its ability to hold, emit and reflect light renders color more brilliant and animates figures and forms,”says Jennifer Scanlan. “In ‘Playing With Fire,’ we wanted to show how artists and designers play with the properties of this fluid medium — often in extraordinary, and sometimes unexpected ways.”

The exhibition is made possible, in part, by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. 

Playing with Fire: 50 Years of Contemporary Glass.

November 6, 2012 thru April 7, 2013

Museum of Arts & Design

2 Columbus Circle 

New York, NY 10019

 

Posted in 50th anniversary, american studio glass, jennifer scanlan, museum of arts and design, Tim Tate

Washington Goes Miami – The Miami Art Fairs Open

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The serious art contenders have set up in Miami for the extravaganza that is Art Basel/Art Miami Art Fairs. Some consider this fair to be most prestigious art show in the Americas, 1,087 galleries will be trekking down to Miami this week to participate in more than 20 art fairs around the city. Expect celebrities, glitz, glamor, hype, good taste, bad taste, shock art, schlock art, and showstopping wonderful art.

So Much Art and So Little Time

If you are going to the shows – be sure to stop in and visit Washington Glass School artists:
Tim Tate is showing his work at Art Miami at Dublin, Ireland’s Blue Leaf Gallery (C-9)
Erwin Timmers, Sean Hennessey and Audrey Wilson’s artworks are at Aqua, exhibiting at Alida Anderson Art Projects (Room 116).

Which fair should one not miss?
The Huffington Post has a rundown of each of the Miami Art Fairs – as if coded into high school stereotype cliques – 
* Art Basel Miami Beach: The Golden Boy
The football player with whom most want to be in good graces, Art Basel Miami Beach is the biggest, most well-known fair of them all. As in high school, there is no shortage of people who think the popular kid is overrated and maintain they have no interest in gaining his approval. That may be true. But its status as prom king is hard to dispute.
1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, December 6-9.
* Pulse: Teacher’s Pet
Never one to step too far outside the lines, Pulse is nothing if not reliable. You know you’ll find strong paintings, photographs, and drawings in an efficiently laid-out space at reasonable prices. The fair organizes its own installation, performance, and video programs, but you won’t see too many galleries giving over their booths to such impracticalities. Most are more interested in making money than in making a statement. Still, that’s no reason to skip over it: Like Brian Johnson in the Breakfast Club, Pulse might surprise you.
The Ice Palace, 1400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, December 6-9.
* Art Miami: The Super Senior
As the super senior is to the football star, so Art Miami is to Art Basel Miami Beach. It is the only player to rival the golden boy in size and know-how. Plus, it’s been around since before Miami was cool, and doesn’t need to try particularly hard to draw visitors or exhibitors. (It was founded 12 years before Art Basel Miami Beach arrived.) Its old school attitude can border on stodgy, but Art Miami undoubtedly fills a niche: It is one of the few fairs outside ABMB where you can find secondary market material like Picassos, Matisses, and Pisarros.
3101 NE 1st Avenue, Wynwood, December 5-9.
* Scope: The Frat Boy
The frat boy may not technically be a high school archetype, but high schools are filled with future Greeks. Those rowdy, sometimes macho, always devil-may-care personalities are a good analogy for Scope. Plus, in a bizarre example of analogy collapsing into reality, some real live frat boys made an appearance at the fair two years ago in New York. (Artists Richie Budd and Will Robinson invited four New Jersey Greeks into a glassed-in cube to drink beer for hours on end and generally make mischief as part of an art installation called “Come on Guy.”) We can’t imagine that kind of stunt would fly at any other fair.
100 NE 36 Street at Midtown Boulevard, Miami, December 4-9.
* Aqua Art Miami: The Girl With Glasses
At first glance, Seattle-born Aqua Art Miami might not look like anything special. Like many small fairs, it is based in a hotel. But if you look past its modest exterior (think Rachel Leigh Cook in “She’s All That”), you’ll see it has a great bone structure. You may even spot the beginnings of a very promising career or two.
Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, December 6-9.

Posted in Alida Anderson Art Project, art basel miami, art miami, blue leaf, dublin

Report From Penland School of Craft

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Penland School of Craft is a

center for craft education located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Spruce Pine, North Carolina.

Tim Tate along with Sean Hennessey and  Rob Kincheloe have just returned from teaching a class at North Carolina’s Penland School Of Craft for a fall session titled: 21st Century Reliquaries. Here are some comments and photos from the class.

The glass studio at Penland.

The guys said they hit the ground running on Monday working doing demonstrations on Rubber Mold Making, Wax Casting, Plaster/Silica Mold Making, Lost wax, Dry Plaster Casting, Painting Glass, Cutting Glass, Glass etching, Flameworking. 

Sean Hennessey outlines the process for Dry Plaster Casting to create bas-relief imagery.
Robert Kincheloe shows how wax components are used to create forms in the Lost Wax process.

The WGS team talked through ideas with students, help shape the directions of work, encouraged, excited, and admired all their interest and energy. 

Tim Tate outlines the process for creating personal reliquaries.
The class learned new techniques and worked at making artwork from the objects made.
Penland Boardmember Glen Hardymon shows off his new glass slippers made in the lost wax process.
Some surprises for the class – a special flamework demo by

Simone Crestani.

The class techniques taught included pretty much everything except glass blowing. But since the absolutely incredible glass artist Pablo Soto was teaching a glass blowing class in the next room, he had his class make domes for the reliquary class.

Pablo Soto’s hot glass class blew the glass for the domes.

After the techniques were taught, learned, and employed, the part of the class where artists pulled it all together was explored – making the reliquaries. Stories of regret were created, stories of anger, stories of triumph, religion, lamenting the death of bees, cheering the death of squirrels, issues of money, sexuality, and hope were all created. 

After the students created their works, a “Show & Tell” exhibit.

Yes, thats a real (taxidermied) squirrel with a glass hand grenade.
The class made and presented Tim with a special reliquary. The “F” inside refers to Tim’s prolific use of ‘f-bombs’ in his banter.

All in all a fantastic experiencefor all involved – we’d highly recommend taking a class there!

Posted in dry plaster casting, glass education, lost wax process, north carolina, penland school of craft, robert kincheloe, sean hennessey, Tim Tate

American Craft Council Interviews Chris Shea

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ACC interview with Chris Shea is online – click HERE.

Perry Price – the American Craft Council‘s new Director of Education interviewed master metal artist Chris Shea for the ACC’s American Craft Week. 
The “5 Question” format gives a too-brief glimpse into Chris’ thought process, but includes his thoughts of the DC area and the Washington Glass School:

The Renwick Gallery has been a special source of inspiration and encouragement for me as have the members of the James Renwick Alliance, the support organization for the museum. The Washington Glass School, created by Tim Tate, Michael Janis, and Erwin Timmers is a second creative home for me, and for many other people, too. It’s a kind of energy bank where I go for a spark of comradeship, collaboration, competition – and to find that special luminescence that glass can bring to the darker, heavier tones of forged metalwork. (ok, emphasis is mine, but still, phwoar!)

Chris recently had some of his forged steel furniture acquired by the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery – click here to read about his process. Congrats (again) Chris!

Click HERE for the American Craft article.

The American Craft Council (ACC) is a national, nonprofit educational organization founded in 1943 with a mission to promote understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. The ACC celebrates the remarkable achievements of the many gifted artists today who are working with a variety of materials.

Posted in ACC, american craft council, chris shea, craft week, metal

S.O.F.A. Chicago Art Fair 2012 Features Studio Glass

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SOFA CHICAGO From Technique to Artistic Expression

The critically acclaimed international art fair SOFACHICAGO returns to historic Navy Pier Friday, Nov 2 through Sunday, Nov 4, 2012, with an Opening Night Preview on Thursday, Nov 1.  The exhibition features masterworks of contemporary and modern arts and design, sculpture, functional art, and visionary art, plus related special exhibitions and lecture series. SOFA CHICAGO promises to be the world hot spot for international studio glass art. The American Studio Glass Movement is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year and the acclaimed art and design fair at Navy Pier will be center-stage. New this year, iPhone and iPad users can use the free SOFA FAIR App to browse the works on display at the show and identify works or contact galleries, simply by pointing their phone at artworks and adding them or instantly receiving information about that work. To download the SOFA FAIR App visit sofaexpo.com.

Harvey Littleton,
Yellow Crown II, 1984, glass

From the SOFA CHICAGO 2012 website: Art “dealer Maurine Littleton of Maurine LittletonGallery (Washington, D.C.), daughter of Harvey Littleton reports that half her booth space (#408) will feature “a selection of rarely seen (and first-time offered) pieces” by her father, including a “spectacular example” from his signature Arc series entitled Yellow Crown II (1984), direct from its exhibition at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, Wis. Littleton says it is the only one of its type still available; similar works can be found at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery of the American Art Museum and in major national public and private art collections.”

Michael Janis, Eclipse, 2012, glass powder imagery

Works by Michael Janis and Allegra Marquart will be amongst the artists featured in the other half. 

Allegra Marquart, Monkey Girl, 2012, glass

Tim Tate will be featured in Habatat Galleries space (#1200) – which has expanded their SOFA booth to accommodate 18 solo exhibitions!

Tim Tate,

The Deconstruction Of George Melies,2012, Cast and Blown Glass, Video
Additionally, the Robert M. Minkoff Foundation will screen their new documentary, The Toledo Workshop Revisited, 1962-2012. In a March 2012 residency, three young artists at the Toledo Museum of Art rebuilt a small glass furnace modeled after the one Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino designed 50 years earlier. 

The 1962 workshop launched the Studio Glass Movement, and made it possible for individual artists to work directly with glass. This new film documents the week-long residency that honors the past and celebrates the future of creative experimentation in glass. Screenings will be followed by Q&A with Robert Minkoff, Managing Trustee of the Robert M. Minkoff Foundation; Andrew Page, Director of the Robert M. Minkoff Foundation.

SOFA Chicago 2012
Nov 1 – 4, 2012
Festival Hall, Navy Pier

600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611

Posted in "maurine littleton", Allegra Marquart, american studio glass, harvey littleton, michael janis, robert minkoff foundation

Flux Studios Host Workshop for JRA Distinguished Artist Jason Walker

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This past weekend, Flux Studios – next door to the Washington Glass School – held a workshop with ceramic artist Jason Walker, as part of the James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Artist Series.  Jason Walker is known for his ceramic sculptures which offer narrative in both two- and three-dimensional forms. He uses such technological images as light bulbs, plugs, pipes, tubing, juxtaposed with nature imagery such as birds, insects, leaves and trees to explore how technology has changed society’s perceptions of nature.

Jason Walker demonstrates his painting technique. photo by Miriam Rosenthal, Third Eye Photography

Jason demonstrated his techniques of handbuilding with porcelain, and talked about his painted imagery with his three-dimensional forms. After the demo, the workshop gave a hands-on session with underglaze decoration on a porcelain tile.

(L- R) Inga Hamilton, Jason Walker, Pat Arnold. Inga is here from Northern Ireland for a residency at Flux Studios. photo by Miriam Rosenthal, Third Eye Photography
Flux Studios director Novie Trump introduces Jason Walker at the Smithsonian’ Renwick Gallery.

On the Sunday, Jason Walker talked about his work in the Grand Salon at the Renwick Gallery. Read more about Jason in a recent article about his work in American Craft.

Jason Walker talks of his work to the audience at the Smithsonian. photo by Miriam Rosenthal, Third Eye Photography

Jason’s solo show “Corporeal Perspectives” at Cross MacKenzie Gallery will be on exhibit through October 31.
Jason Walker received a BFA from Utah State University and an MFA from Penn State University. He has taught at numerous places nationally and internationally, such as Haystack Mountain School for the Crafts, Penland School for the Crafts, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China and the International Ceramic Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary. He spent two years as an artist- in-residence at The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, where he was the recipient of the Taunt Fellowship award. He has also been awarded an NCECA International Residency Fellowship for a residency in Vallauris, France. He has work in major collections such as the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco: De Young, the Carnegie Mellon Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Arizona State University Art Museum, Ceramic Research Center, Tempe, Arizona.

Posted in ceramic, cross mackenzie, flux studios, james renwick alliance, jason walker, JRA

Ben & Giselle Huberman = American Style

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The Fall 2012 issue of American Style Magazine features DC contemporary art collectors Ben and Giselle Huberman.

The new Fall issue of American Style Magazine is now out, and one of the feature stories is about Giselle and Ben Huberman and their amazing contemporary art collection that showcases their support of area artists.

Ben & Giselle Huberman have been strong supporters of artists of the Washington Glass School, including Erwin Timmers, Chris Shea, Michael Janis, Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate.
The American Style photo of the Huberman’s Potomac, MD residence shows Michael Janis’ glass sgraffito panel “Cubans Dreaming of Liberty“
Giselle and Ben Huberman. Giselle is the president-elect of the James Renwick Alliance.

Within the article (written by Marilyn Millstone with photos by Timothy Jacobsen) are references and glimpses of work by Chris Shea, Michael Janis, Sean Hennessey.
Tim Tate’s “Ode to Joy” has a detailed description. In the mixed media sculpture, cast glass hands spell out in sign language the words to “Ode to Joy” in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. A video of a tenor singing Beethoven’s work is inside the domed glass, but without sound – which is how Beethoven would have experienced the song – as he became deaf.

The article has a detailed sidebar about Tim Tate’s “Ode to Joy” sculpture (photo below by anythingphoto.net).

Tim Tate “Ode to Joy” blown & cast glass, original video, electronics

A video of a tenor singing Beethoven’s work is inside the domed glass, but without sound – which is how Beethoven would have experienced the song – as he became deaf. An interesting note – the tenor featured within Tim Tate’s work is artist Sean Hennessey. Besides being a glass/concrete mixed media sculptor, with work in the Huberman’s collection, Sean is an accomplished tenor. Below is the video of Sean singing that is incorporated into the sculpture. Have a look for the magazine at the newstands now!


Untitled from Tim Tate on Vimeo.

Posted in american style magazine, beethoven, ben huberman, chris shea, dreaming of liberty, giselle huberman, JRA, md, mixed media glass, ode to joy, potomac, sean hennessey, Tim Tate

Sneak Peek at Maurine Littleton Gallery Exhibit

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>This Friday, September 14, the art galleries in Georgetown’s Book Hill (on upper Wisconsin Avenue in the antiques, library and museum district of Georgetown) kicks off the Fall Art Season with a Gallery Crawl from 6-8 PM. Click on the link to jump to the gallery association website: http://georgetowngalleries.com/

Maurine Littleton Gallery exhibits and represents leading contemporary artists in glass, metal, wood and ceramics – including Harvey Littleton, Dante Marioni, Dale Chihuly, Ginny Ruffner and others. For the start of the Fall Art Season, the gallery is showcasing Michael Janis, Allegra Marquart and Drew Storm Graham. 

I stopped by for a quick sneak peak when the artwork was just finished being installed on the two levels and they look great! 
Here are some quick snaps (forgive the quality of the cell phone camera) :

Allegra Marquart’s new sandcarved glass panels showcase her quirky stories. Her work plays with the translucency of the glass medium so beautifully.
Drew Storm Graham’s colorful, wild, 3-D panels grab your attention!
Drew’s work references tattoo and graffiti art – very fresh and powerful!
Michael Janis’ panels look better than the photos – great depth to the pieces! Love the color!

This gallery crawl on Friday is a must!

Sept. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Georgetown Galleries around the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Reservoir Road

Other Georgetown Galleries and featured exhibits include:

ADDISON/RIPLEY FINE ARTS, GALERIE BLUE SQUARE, NEPTUNE FINE ART, ROBERT BROWN GALLERY, HEINER CONTEMPORARY and SUSAN CALLOWAY FINE ARTS.

Posted in "maurine littleton", book hill park, georgetown, wisconsin avenue

William Warmus Visits Washington Glass School

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William Warmus is introduced to the audience in the Renwick’s Grand Salon
The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum held a lecture Grand Salon as part of its celebration of 50th anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement. 

L-R Toots Zynsky, William Warmus, Matthew Szösz
Author, independent curator and glass expert William Warmus moderated a conversation about the past, present, and future of studio glass between veteran glass artist Toots Zynsky and artist Matthew Szösz.  Matt’s work is part of the“40 under 40:Craft Futures” exhibit currently on view at the Renwick Gallery.

Matt Szösz at the opening of 40 Under 40. Photo by Smithsonian American Art Museum
William is the author of a dozen books including biographies of Tiffany, Lalique, and Chihuly. He was also a curator at the Corning Museum of Glass and was the editor of Glass magazine, faculty member and visiting artist at the Pilchuck Glass School, and executive secretary of the Glass Art Society. William is a member of the Collections Committee of the Museum of Glass (Tacoma) and a board member of the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. The New York Times has described him as a “Stylemaker”. The WGS blog has quoted often from William’s writings on the subject of Studio Art Glass, including his seminal essay on the end of the glass movement “The End?“.

After the lecture at the Smithsonian, William visited the Washington Glass School and chatted with the artists in the studio.

William Warmus takes photos of Erwin Timmers’ artwork.

William said this about the Washington Glass School: “It’s better than I thought it’d be…it’s not as bad as it could’ve been”. High praise indeed.
It was great to be able to meet and chat and have William share his unique perspective on the art scene with us, and he has promised to return!

Posted in 40 under 40, matthew szosz, renwick gallery, toots zynsky, william warmus