>In honor of President’s Day Weekend – a link to Brad Neely’s Creased Comics
The REAL George Washington story – now it can be told:
Author Archives: Chip Montague
I ♥ Valentines
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Tim Tate
Sacred Heart of Healing
blown glass 16 x 8 x 4 in. (40.6 x 20.3 x 10.2 cm) Permanent Collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Sacred Heart of Healing
blown glass 16 x 8 x 4 in. (40.6 x 20.3 x 10.2 cm) Permanent Collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Sacred Heart of Healing was one of a series of nine hearts that Tim Tate created as a tribute to his late mother. Each of these hearts was inspired by an aspect of his mother’s personality. In this piece, the tiny drawings within the flame symbolize her love of natural healing. As a further tribute, Tate was persuaded by one of his students to have a tattoo of this piece inked on his arm.
For more information about this work visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Luce Foundation Center for American Art .
Note to Artists: Get A Real Job!
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The Simple Dollar – a personal finance blog has an interesting article about artists and their financial prospects. Referencing a Francis Ford Coppola interview on the risks of making money from the arts, author Trent Hamm offers some insights on the hard facts of what an artist must be prepared to do to make a living from the arts and “follow their bliss” – what they don’t teach in art school.
Coppola’s point is that: the fun creative stuff that so many of us do really doesn’t earn us much money at all, at least not most of the time…
Don’t assume your talent or skill will be your money maker for a long, long time. Your talent or skill is going to be your side job – treat it like such. If you go to work, come home tired, and convince yourself to not do anything with it today, you’re never going to make it…
Live frugally… ’nuff said.
Make friends and connections – lots of them. Spend at least some of your time cultivating relationships with people who can help you with spreading what skills you have…
Improve your own social skills, especially in gently promoting yourself. If you’re introverted, this is key. The ability to communicate successfully with others, particularly when talking about yourself while not coming off as a braggart, is an ability that’s vital if you want to get others interested in your skill. So many artists I know claim to be introverts, and shy away from talking about their work. They really MUST overcome this and be able to easily speak (in positive terms) about their own work.
If you want riches, find another career path. Art is wonderful, but it doesn’t channel human effort in a way that generates wealth. A Generous inheritance from a wealthy family is one of the easiest and fastest ways to become rich, but cannot always be achieved.
The best thing you can do if you have talent and are passionate about that talent is to start packaging it up. Contrary to what often seems taught in art school – is not true that if you sell your art, you have “sold out”.
The message from the blog posting is “Do what you love, but have a back up plan that you can tolerate to support what you love.”
Click HERE to read the entire article.
Glass Fun Facts: Why Is Glass Transparent?
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UK Professor Phil Moriarty discusses what makes glass appear transparent in this video by the Sixty Symbols – a collection of videos about physics and astronomy presented by experts from The University of Nottingham.
A photon checks into a hotel. The bell hop asks him ” Can I help you with your luggage?” To which the photon replies, “I don’t have any. I’m traveling light.”
I still have no idea why glass is transparent, but his accent is so good that he doesn’t need to pronounce words right. I guess his explanation didn’t have enough energy and passed right true me. He must assume I know something about being excited.
Previous Glass Fun Facts postings:
Glass Fun Facts: Gaffer/Composer
More Glass Fun Facts: Bullseye Glass
Float Glass Fun Facts
Glass Fun Facts – Shattered Glass Predicts Weather
Historical Glass Fun Facts – How the Invention of Pyrex and The Studio Glass Movement are Connected.
"The Elements" at ArtSpace
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Sean Hennessy “A Dream Of Flying” cast glass, concrete
“The Elements,” is an exhibition that features the imaginative work of four contemporary artists, Sherill Gross, Sean Hennessy, Sean Lundgren and Alexandra Zealand, opening on Friday, Feb 5th at ArtSpace Herndon.
Anchored in the classic elements of Hellenic physics – Water, Fire, Earth and Air – these artists use the elements as a part of their medium, rather than as the subject of their works.
Each element contains the origin of their work, is part of their work, and even transforms their work. Paper can not be created without water; ironically too much water can also destroy paper. Early fire pits dug into the sand had the side effect of also causing the first forms of glass, when the extreme heat of the fire melted silica. Dirt is the earth, the source of clay, and the root of life. Air is the space that floats between suspended objects, allowing for movement, light and shadow. Air is also the catalyst for physical transformation.
“I think of Fire as light, as heat, and as a metaphorical spark of creativity, a Prometheun gift of consciousness. I use fire both physically and conceptually to create glass and concrete wall relief sculptures inspired by personal interpretations of myth, religions, and a whimsical use of everyday objects.” Sean Hennessey
Sean Hennessey is a sculptor, painter, and glass artist. A graduate of Berea College, Sean worked in professional theatre for ten years and has bridged the theatre and fine arts community since moving to DC in 1997. His works have been seen in many contexts and venues including: The Shakespeare Theatre, The Kennedy Center, the Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Arena Stage, Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, Signal 66, The National Institutes of Health, The Ratner Museum and Artomatic. He’s the owner of Scenic Artisans LLC, a decorative paint and sculpture service, and a resident artist at the Washington Glass School and Creative Arts Center. dcsean.com
The Elements
The Elements
ArtSpace Herndon
Dates: February 5–26, 2011
Reception: Saturday, February 5 – 6-8pm.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday–Thursday: 10am-2pm, Friday: 10am-8pm, Saturday–Sunday: 12pm-5pm, Closed Mondays
750 Center Street, Herndon, VA
The Apothecarium Moderne Marc Petrovic/Tim Tate
Tel: 703-956-6590
Reminder: Call for Glass Artwork Entries
>Two “Call For Entries” are nearing deadline for glass artists to submit images and info. For those of you that are in need of reminding – here’s what’s coming up:
HYPEROPIA PROJECTS has a call for entries for a juried show called Superposition that challenges traditional notions of glass artwork. With a broad definition of “glass and glass related”, the organizers are looking for artists whose works inhabit so many places simultaneously that they might not fit into any of them. They are interested in works that directly address this condition of being in multiple places at once, as well as projects produced by artists who inhabit the fringes of genres
APPLICATION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 11th
WHEN – June 2011, in conjunction with the Glass Art Society Conference
WHERE – Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle Washington.
JURORS – Jin Hongo, Jocelyne Prince, Michael Scheiner, Jack Wax
APPLICATION DEADLINE – February 11th, 2011 For more information about the exhibition, visit http://hyperopiaprojects.com/
Also:
Saint Louis’ Craft Alliance has announced a national invitational and juried exhibition titled “Identify Yourself” – exhibition dates are May 20-July 3 , 2011. Entry Deadline March 25th.
The theme of the show is, “Who are you? What is your history and what makes you, you?”
The curator/juror, noted gallery owner Duane Reed, will be choosing work that explores ideas pertaining to cultural identity, psychological identity or personal narrative. Some of the invited artists include Sonya Clark, Gregory Grennon, Elizabeth Lo, Mark Newport and Joyce J. Scott.
The exhibition will be at the Craft Alliance DELMAR LOOP location: 6640 Delmar Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63130.
Click HERE to jump to the St Louis Craft Alliance artist call.
Daily Art Muse’s Susan Lomuto Is Here to Work!
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Susan Lomuto, a Connecticut based artist / writer, established a blog called “The Daily Art Muse” (DAM), showcasing contemporary fine craft.
DAM covers the global landscape of handcrafted artwork with thousands of readers of her weekday posts and content in over 3,000 archived posts. Susan created the site to inspire “artists, designers and collectors worldwide” and the website is frequently used as an educational resource in traditional classroom settings (high school and college) as well as online learning environments.
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As part of exploring what it takes to be dedicated to art and fine craft, Susan has set out to work as an apprentice for a number of artists across the country. She wants to learn – about art and about the life of an artist; ultimately writing in-depth about the working artist’s life. Many of her experiences will be featured in the Daily Art Muse blog. Susan is working at creating a multimedia experience complete with pictures, video and text.
The apprenticeship project continues this coming week, as she begins a 6-week internship with several DC area artists – including the Washington Glass School.
Said Susan of the process: “I suppose I could have just planned a road trip to visit artists around the country, asking questions, taking lots of pictures, shooting video – but that felt incomplete. Instead, I wanted to develop a solid understanding of the how/why/when/what that makes this a well-lived life, so I am getting my hands dirty as an intern – in many cases jumping out of my comfort zone and into their studios, working in mediums unknown to these hands (like glass), sweeping floors, conditioning clay, gathering supplies – and whatever else they need me to do.”
How Washington Glass School welcomes Susan Lomuto.
“My first internship, with jewelry artist Dina Varano in Connecticut, was a quiet one, working in a studio nestled in the woods, away from the distractions of the outside world.
The DC internship promises to be a lively experience in an arts complex that is home to several busy studios and more than two dozen artists. I will make sure I’m ready for the “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment once I get there!”
Read more of Susan’s travels and internship – click HERE.
For an update on Susan’s kick-off mtg with the studios – Click HERE
To help fund the arts endeavor, Susan has created a great fundraising project, complete with perks for donations. Click HERE to learn more about perks.
"Dead or Alive" Exhibition at MAD Update
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The Apothecarium Moderne Marc Petrovic/Tim Tate
Readers of the WGS blog might remember earlier postings about Tim Tate & Marc Petrovic’s collaborative work ” The Apothecarium Moderne” that was part of the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) exhibition “Dead or Alive: Nature Becomes Art”.
A strong narrative is created by meticulously layering imagery made from enameled and sandblasted glass.
The museum’s curators just received notice that the International Art Critics Association (AICA) will be giving the exhibition an award. These awards are given in recognition of the exceptional and important work in the visual arts contributed that year by artists, curators, gallerists, writers, scholars, and cultural institutions. Past winners include the nation’s most important and innovative art institutions. Last year they included the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Los Angeles County Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art among others. The award ceremony will take place on March 14, 2011 at Cooper Union’s Rose Auditorium in New York City.
Category: Architecture or Design Show
Title: Dead or Alive: Nature Becomes Art
Institution: The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
Dates: April 27 – October 24, 2010
Curators: Chief Curator David Revere McFadden and Senior Curator Lowery Stokes Sims
Congrats to all the artists and the museum!
Glass Sparks: Jeff Zimmer
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Washington Glass School alumn Jeff Zimmer had returned to the school for a visit in January. Now a resident of the UK, Jeff lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he received a MDES in Glass & Architectural Glass, at the Edinburgh College of Art, (ECA), where he is now an instructor.
In the UK, Jeff has been making quite a name for his artwork – recently featured in the British Glass Biennale and shown in a collaboration between Contemporary Applied Arts & Contemporary Glass Society This year he will be exhibitng at the Perth Museum and Art Gallery, in the UK .
Jeff’s work was selected to be part of the Corning Museum of Glass’ New Glass Review 31. Tina Oldknow, Curator of Modern Glass, The Corning Museum of Glass said of his work:
“… glass is not immediately apparent in Jeff Zimmer’s ‘1/1000th the Distance between Me and You (in a Deadrise)’, but it is an essential part of the work. A dark and dramatic object, it is constructed of 22 layers of enameled and sandblasted glass in a light box. In the obscured photograph, an object in the distance that emerges from black clouds under a clearing sky can be faintly discerned: is it a ship or something else? Using a box of cut glass sheets, Zimmer creates the depth and luminosity of a painting, but it is an image that undoubtedly changes every time it is viewed, depending on the angle and the ambient light.”
While at the Glass School, Jeff worked on a piece that will be shown at the WGS 10th Anniversary Exhibition to be held this May at Washington, DC’s Longview Gallery.
A strong narrative is created by meticulously layering imagery made from enameled and sandblasted glass.
The layered composition works in a tremendously subtle way; the depth of field changes as the viewer moves around the work, allowing one’s perception to shift and migrate.
Jeff evaluates and modifies each individual layer of glass as he fires the enamel onto the glass sheets.
Jeff constructs a box of glass for presentation, and installs LED lighting to illuminate the panels.
The box-like construction of each work creates an almost cinematic experience of space, volume and depth. One is drawn in by the emergent light from beneath the horizon or trailing into the distance like a wake.
Check out the final piece – titled “Fog Of Communication” at the 10th Anniversary Show!
Click HERE to jump to Jeff’s website.
For other glass artist profiles:
Call for International Artist-In-Residency: Finland
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Call For Entries
NUUTAJÄRVI International Artist in Residence Program
1-14 OCTOBER 2011
This residency offers studio glassblowers and artists an opportunity to work with hot glass in Nuutajärvi Glass Village, Finland (about 2 hour drive from Helsinki) from the 1st to the 14th October 2011. In Nuutajärvi you will find one of Iittala Group’s glassworks, Tavastia Glass School, NuGO Glass Gallery Coop and Lasikomppania aka “The Glass Company”, a local glass cooperative.
Lasikomppania, the organizer of the residency, was founded in 2003 to provide facilities for independent glassmakers and artists and to make Nuutajärvi better known as a glass centre in Finland and abroad.
The residency covers fourteen days. It includes five days in the hot shop for glassblowing or hot casting with clear glass. The artist is responsible for travel expenses and additional materials. The hotshop contains two gloryholes, three annealers and a tank furnace. You will be using Glasma C48 pellets.
Accommodation and breakfast are provided for one person in the guesthouse. One twin room can be provided if accompanied by an assistant. Separate accommodation for possible assistant is available at 30 Euros per night (self-catered, basic single room).
The chosen artist is to have a presentation, of their work in Nuutajärvi, if possible. (For example a slideshow etc). The Glass Company will also hold one piece of work for its collections for future exhibitions.
WHO CAN APPLY:
Studio glass artists and glassblowers are invited to apply for the residency. A work proposal and a curriculum vitae (CV) are required for the application. Please include 4 images in JPG-format (max. 1MB each) of recent works. Applications can only be submitted by e-mail. 
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15.3.2011
Please send your inquiries and applications to Anu Penttinen, anu@nounoudesign.fi