Allegra Marquart “If Only” Exhibit at Tennessee’s Appalachian Center For Craft

Tennessee’s Appalachian Center for Craft has opened an exhibit of works by glass artist Allegra Marquart titled “If Only…”, from Jan 15 – April 2, 2020.allegra.marquart.glass

The wonderful, whimsical, inventive new works combine cast glass and thread drawings, each piece tells a unique “If Only…”) story and invites the viewer in to a fantasy world. The works on exhibit are part of a series called “If Only…..”. Some are from old fables and some are from stories Allegra has written herself. The center will be having a reception for the artist on Thursday April 2, 2020.

Allegra Marquart; “The Cat Who Wanted To Be A Woman”, 24x40", Cast, cut painted glass shapes wall mounted through machine stitched background of multiple colored threads.

Allegra Marquart; “The Cat Who Wanted To Be A Woman”, 24×40″, Cast, cut painted glass shapes wall mounted through machine stitched background of multiple colored threads.

Said Allegra about her unique cast glass-and-thread installation works:

“I kept imagining the glass animals that peopled my stories moving across wider swathes of wall space; going about their people-like business in a light-hearted way. By kiln forming larger shapes and cutting away the excess glass each figure could become free floating thanks to the discovery of a wall mounting system that was pretty much invisible and allowed compositional flexibility and some depth. The figures could now appear to float a little off the wall.

Texture and color were advanced by developing background panels made of loosely woven thread and appliqué.  The sewn panels added to the narrative and also gave a contrasting fragility to the glass shapes that hovered above it. Now it was possible to make larger pieces without the complication of weight.

Allegra Marquart "If Only I Had Red Wings"; 2019, Cast, cut and painted glass shapes mounted above panel of sewn thread and appliqué, 22"x30"

Allegra Marquart “If Only I Had Red Wings”; 2019, Cast, cut and painted glass shapes mounted above panel of sewn thread and appliqué, 22″x30″

All technical steps would mean nothing to me if at the end I could not communicate a sense of thoughtful joy that feeds off absurd and fascinating situations swirling around us everyday. That’s what fables, songs and stories are about. They address the human condition with humor, invention and exaggeration.

Interpreting a fable through glass means that the very medium holds metaphors relating to the conditions of life. The stuff can take so many forms. It holds light, it breaks, it’s strong, it’s delicate, it’s entrancing, expressive, it’s not easy to make it the way I want it to be.”

The Appalachian Center for Craft is a campus of Tennessee Tech University’s School of Art, Craft & Design (1 hour from Nashville, TN). The Center for Craft promotes excellence in American craft by teaching tradition and innovation in technique, concept and design, providing access to the highest quality craft education, professional artists, and career opportunities.

Jan 15 – April 2, 2020

Allegra Marquart, “If Only

Reception: April 2, 2020 4:30-6:30 p.m.

The Appalachian Center for Craft
1560 Craft Center Dr.
Smithville, TN. 37166

Washington Glass School Goes All SOFA Chicago

SOFA_CHICAGO_500x500Every fall Chicago, IL hosts the critically acclaimed Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Expo, more commonly known as SOFA. SOFA Chicago 2015 will be held November 6 – 8, 2015 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, where masterworks from top international galleries and dealers from numerous countries will exhibit. An opening night preview will be held Thursday, November 5. On par with Art Basel and TEFAF Maastricht, the critically acclaimed art fair has been continuously run every year since 1994. What distinguishes SOFA from other top art events is its focus on three-dimensional artworks that cross the boundaries of fine art, decorative art and design. SOFA is noted for its exceptional presentation of artwork by international galleries and it is enhanced by the many talks to attend in the Lecture Series given by award-wining designers and artists. 

This year, a number of Washington Glass School artists will be featured at the art fair, and the artists are bringing new works that have taken them in new directions. Tim Tate will be giving a “Booth Talk” at Habatat Galleries (space #1400) on Saturday, Nov 7 @ 1:00 pm. Just after that talk, at 2:00 pm, Sean Hennessey and Michael Janis will be featured at the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) Ice Cream Social on the terrace at Navy Pier.

Allegra Marquart, "The Princess and the Pea", 2015, Cast glass shapes wall mounted over a sewn panel, 14"x 28"

Allegra Marquart, “The Princess and the Pea”, Cast glass shapes wall mounted over a sewn panel, 14″x 28″ photo: Pete Duvall

Allegra Marquart (Maurine Littleton Gallery, Space #821) has mixed her cast glass with textile, exploring the new possibilities for color, texture and especially line. Allegra has been stitching connections that create open, delicate looking backgrounds that complements and comments on the bolder glass shapes which are mounted slightly in front.  The glass and the threads compliment concepts of fragility and ambiguity. 

Sean Hennessey

Sean Hennessey, clockwise from top left: “The Doors that May Open”, “The Relentless Path Upward”, “The Gift of Time”, “From Mud and Soap”, cast glass, imagery, steel, LED; 24″ x 36

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sean Hennessey (Habatat Galleries, Space #1400) will be presenting works that take him in a new direction, both in terms of the brightness of the colors and in the use of a separate panel that incorporates photographed and drawn imagery, telling a slightly different side of the story from the larger panel. 

Audrey Wilson (Alida Anderson Art Projects, Space #402) makes her debut at the art fair. Her new mixed media works explore alternate and extraordinary realms.

Audrey Wilson, " Luminiferous Aether Electrode"

Audrey Wilson, ” Luminiferous Aether Electrode”, Cast glass, electronics, found objects, photo Pete Duvall

Michael Janis (Maurine Littleton Gallery, Space #821) explores concepts of identity with his frit powder (sgraffito) drawings with cast glass elements. New this year are his ceramic and glass sculptures.

Michael Janis, "Regeneration", cast glass, ceramic, 14” x 16” x 12” photo: Pete Duvall

Michael Janis, “Regeneration”, cast glass, ceramic, 14” x 16” x 12” photo: Pete Duvall

 

 

 

Tim Tate (Habatat Galleries, Space #1400) is showing his new illuminated pieces, his infinity series. Tim entices the viewer to look deeply into his created environments, create an optical and physical illusion of infinity through apparent limitless space.  There is an intimacy created by viewing deeply into a circular opening, as if peering through a portal to another reality.

Tim Tate, "Violet Tattoo Infinity", Cast Poly-Vitro, Glass, Lighting; photo: Pete Duvall

Tim Tate, “Violet Tattoo Infinity”, Cast Poly-Vitro, Glass, Lighting; photo: Pete Duvall

 

 

 

 

 

SOFA Chicago November 5-8, 2015

NAVY PIER
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

chicago.sofa.floor_plan.map.2015

Chicago SOFA Floor Plan 2015

Washington Glass School At S.O.F.A. Chicago 2014

navy.pier.sofa

Every fall – for the past 20 years – Chicago, IL hosts the internationally acclaimed Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair (aka SOFA Chicago).  

The 21st SOFA Chicago will be held November 7 – 9, 2014 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall where masterworks from top international galleries and dealers from numerous countries will exhibit. Opening night gala preview will be held Thursday, November 6.

Washington Glass School is represented by artists Michael Janis and Allegra Marquart at Maurine Littleton Gallery and Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate are exhibiting at Habatat Galleries Space.

Allegra Marquart, "On The Bus", 2014,  cast glass, enamel OA dimensions 48" L x  24" H.

Allegra Marquart, “On The Bus” (detail), 2014, cast glass, enamel; OA dimensions 48″ L x 24″ H. Photo by Anything Photographic

Allegra Marquart will present a number of her new wall installations. Her new works are not strictly narrative but relate to etchings the artist made years ago when she first moved to the city and began interpreting what she saw on the streets with humor and an eye for juxtaposing disparate situations and individuals.

Sean Hennessey, "The Fur-Suit of Happiness" Cast Glass, Paint, Video (Photo by Anything Photographic)

Sean Hennessey, “The Fur-Suit of Happiness” Cast Glass, Paint, Video
(Photo by Anything Photographic)

Sean Hennessey will be showing his cast glass/ mixed media panels at Habatat Galleries. His new works integrate electronics and videos into the panels.

tate.healing.polyopticon.contemporary_modern_glass.sculpture.installation

Tim Tate, “The Healing Polyopticon”, Poly-Vitro, Glass, Video

Tim Tate will be showing his installation “The Healing Polyopticon” – a 5 ft wide installation consisting of 16 video pieces in varying sizes of cast black frames. Each video is in the form of an eye blinking; each eye different. Surrounding this cluster of 16 video frames are cast black flowers that fills out the 5 ft wide circle . The work is based on a terminal diagnosis he received 30 years ago – and he imagined that he was being kept safe by those who passed before him – all keeping an eye on him thru portals. In this sculpture he portrays people who had effected his life in a positive way…keeping him from passing over, making him safe; imbuing him with self healing energy. This powerful sculpture will at Habatat Galleries space.

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Michael Janis, “Breathing In The Quiet” and “Waiting For The Lover’s Words”, fused glass powder imagery, glass, steel. (Photo by Anything Photographic)

Michael Janis will be showing a number of new works at Maurine Littleton Gallery space. The American Institute of Interior Designers (ASID) chose his work as part of their picks for SOFA Selectswhere highlighted pieces chosen by noted curators, designers, and critics give viewers of the fair way to navigate the huge show.

If you are going to the show – be sure to stop by and visit with the artists – all will be at the Chicago Fair!

Omaha’s Gallery 72 Features Great Studio Glass

Omaha, Nebraska’s Gallery 72 features 11 glass artists in a show that shows the scope of glass as a sculptural medium that opens this week. Titled “The Greatness of Studio Glass Art” the exhibit runs Friday, October 24 thru Saturday, November 15, 2014. The show includes Washington Glass School artists Allegra Marquart and Michael Janis.

From the gallery: This is a very powerful  show with artists that are internationally, nationally and regionally recognized for the strength of their work.  And it has an impressive breath of styles ranging from hand blown to sculptural to story telling using glass to create images.

Allegra Marquart

Allegra Marquart / photo: Anything Photographic

Studio glass is one of the most dramatic sculptural mediums because it offers the artist such a wide range of unique options for their work.  The clarity and optics of the glass, the vast array of surface treatments, colors from vivid to subtle and the layering of colors and textures.

Artists in the show:
John Littleton/Kate Vogel
:  Cast, hand blown and cold work

Therman Statom:  Cut, construction, paint and found objects

Harvey K. Littleton:  Hand blown and hot worked

Gary Beecham:  Hand blown, cut and fused

Victor Chiarizia:  Hand blown with hot work

Allegra Marquart:  Fused and sand carved panels

Chad Fonfara:  Hand blown and formed sculptures

chad.fonfara.gallery_72

Chad Fonfara

Michael Janis:  Fused and cast with powder imagery

Jiyong Lee:  Cut, laminated, carved, and surface refining

Corey Broman:  Kiln-formed and hand blown

Tom Kreager:  Hand blown

Gallery 72 1806 Vinton Street, Omaha, NE 68108

Opening Reception:  Friday, October 24, 5:00 to 9:00 pm
Gallery/Panel Talk:  Wednesday, October 29, 7:00 pm

SOFA Chicago In Sight!

The world-renowned art fair dedicated to Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art & Design (SOFA) returns to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall. Many artists are working on the last bits of work to be shown at the exhibit that runs from November 7-9 2014, with a preview on the evening of November 6, 2014. 

Celebrating its 21st year, SOFA CHICAGO is the longest continuously running, gallery-presented art fair in the city of Chicago, and one of the most successful in the country. Last year’s fair attracted 34,000 attendees from around the globe.

A number of Washington Glass School artists and alum will be shown at the art fair – Tim Tate will be at Habatat Galleries space, Allegra Marquart and Michael Janis will be showing at Maurine Littleton Gallery‘s space, and alum Jeff Zimmer will be one of Craft Scotland‘s collection that was designed to give audiences in Chicago the opportunity to see and buy some of the finest examples of ceramics, glass, wood, textiles, silver and jewelry being produced in Scotland today. Click on image below to see Craft Scotland’s video about their artists and works being showcased at this year’s fair.

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Glass artist Jeff Zimmer describes his work being featured at Craft Scotland exhibit during SOFA Chicago 2014

Maurine Littleton Gallery Exhibit “Water” Opens July 24

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Allegra Marquart, “Surfing Pony” (detail from larger installation “Beach”, kilncast glass, 2014

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John Littleton & Kate Vogel, “Wave” cast glass, 2013

Established in 1984 and located in Washington DC’s historic Georgetown neighborhood, the Maurine Littleton Gallery exhibits and represents the leading contemporary artists in glass, metal, and ceramic.

Opening this Thursday, July 24th, is the exhibit “Water” featuring works in glass by John Littleton & Kate Vogel, Allegra Marquart, Lu Chi, Michael Janis, and Therman Statom as well as vitreograph prints from glass plates made at Littleton Studios.

Opening reception for the exhibit is Thursday, July 24th from 6 to 8 pm.

maurine_littleton.gallery_dc.glassMaurine Littleton Gallery, 1667 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007

Maurine Littleton Gallery is part of the Georgetown Galleries on Book Hill – click HERE to see the other galleries nearby.

Off To SOFA Chicago!

The works are all finished and packed – and on their way to Chicago’s Navy Pier for the huge arts fair: S.O.F.A. (Sculptural Objects and Functional Art)!

Michael Janis “When She Was There” detail, kilnformed glass, frit powder imagery

WGS’ Tim Tate will have his new glass/video works on exhibit at Habatat Galleries (space # 1100); Michael Janis and Allegra Marquart will both be featured at Maurine Littleton Gallery (space #403).

Allegra Marquart “Cow Over The Moon”, kilncast glass

Tim will also be part of a series of lectures and booth events. He will be part of the Saturday Nov 2 talk about developing new audiences, titled: “Through A Glass, Brightly 
He also will be giving a booth lecture at Habatat’s space titled “Video as the Next Craft Medium” on Saturday at 1:30 pm.

Tim Tate “Guardians of Nature”, Cast Glass, Video

Glass Secessionism will have a talk hosted by William Warmus and Tim Tate in Room 323, from 3-4pm on Saturday. Titled ‘The Gathering: Glass Landscape in the 21st Century’, it will be a round table discussion centered on Post-Studio Glass and Glass Secessionism. For more info – check out the Facebook event posting online HERE.

SOFA CHICAGO opens Thursday, October 31 and runs through Sunday, November 3, 2013 at Chicago’s historic Navy Pier.

The DC5 in St Pete

The “DC5” glass art exhibit – now thru June.

The “DC Five” – (WGS artists Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis, Allegra Marquart, Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers) exhibit of glass artwork at Florida’s Duncan McClellan Gallery in St Petersburg opened with a great reception!
Weren’t able to fly down to sunny Florida? Here are some shots of the show, and of the St Petersburg Museum of Fine Art lecture by Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate on their glass artwork.

Erwin Timmers work is in the center of the gallery.

Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate’s mixed media artwork on the walls.
Erwin Timmers’ kilnformed glass artwork is made from recycled building materials.
Duncan McClellan Gallery knows how to best display the artwork.
Allegra Marquart’s fused and sandcarved glass panels look great!
Michael Janis’ glass tarot cards on exhibit.
Sean Hennessey talks about his artwork at the Museum of Fine Arts in St Petersburg.
Tim Tate makes a point during his talk at the MFA.
Sean looking so much more relaxed than he does here in DC – he loves Florida.
Jacob Stout gave a hotshop demonstration on the Saturday.
L-R Duncan McClellan, Tim Tate, Sean Hennessey.

‘DC-5’ – Works by Artists of the Washington Glass School

Duncan McClellan Gallery

550 24th Street South,

St. Petersburg, FL 33712

(855) 436.4527

Washington Glass Goes South (to Sunny St. Petersburg!)

Duncan McClellan Gallery, located in the heart of St. Petersburg’s arty Warehouse Art District in Florida, will be showcasing five artists from the Washington Glass School.

Sean Hennessey, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Michael Janis, and Allegra Marquart will be the DC five showing in sunny FLA.

Renown glass artist Duncan McClellan was one of the featured artists in the first international US/UK exhibits “Glass3” held Georgetown in 2008. Duncan has opened a hotshop and gallery that features rotating exhibitions showcasing nationally and internationally recognized artists. 

The Gallery in itself is a work of art. Duncan has transformed a 7,800 square foot former fish and tomato packing plant into a beautiful, multi- functional space. Lush fruit bearing trees create a veritable Eden within the industrial area that surrounds it. The grounds have become a meeting place for artists, visiting dignitaries and the community. Duncan also created the DMG School Project – an outreach that provide educational opportunities to both artists and community.

Beer, wine and refreshments are available for a donation benefiting the DMG School Project.

Tim Tate

In addition to the exhibit, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg will host an artist talk from The Washington Glass Group on May 12, 2013 at 2:00pm. Immediately following the lecture, the public is invited to a reception at Duncan McClellan Gallery. 

Washington Glass: A Group Exhibition
May  – June 2013
Opening Reception: May, 11 from 5:30 to 9:30pm
Artist Talk: Sunday, May 12 at 2:00 pm at St Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts.


Duncan McClellan Gallery

550 24th St., South‎

St Petersburg, FL 33712
FB event listing – click HERE

Area Artists Exhibit at SOFA Chicago 2012

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Gateway artists and their work will be amongst crowds at the international  art show SOFA CHICAGO, the annual arts expo devoted to Sculpture Objects and Functional Art (SOFA). Celebrating its 19th year, SOFA CHICAGO is one of the world's foremost contemporary art fairs, featuring nearly 70 art galleries and dealers from 10 countries along with special exhibits by renowned museums, universities and arts organizations, and an extensive lecture series.

Gateway Arts Featured at the SOFA include:

"Unhemmed" Ani Kasten, ceramic, reclaimed wood,  plaster, photo by anythingphoto.net

Ceramic artist Ani Kasten will have her work at Massachusetts’ Lacoste Gallery space (#508). Ani’s ceramic and mixed media work takes their influence from nature as well as the nature of change. 

"Skyline", Ani Kasten, ceramic, reclaimed wood, plaster, photo by anythingphoto.net

Infused with a modern, minimal aesthetic, her - amazingly structured and unstructured at the same time - work references the built world as well as reminding one of a natural or ancient object exposed to the rigors of time.

Glass Artists Allegra Marquart and Michael Janis are both featured at Georgetown’s Maurine Littleton Gallery space (#408).

"Gecko Gets Told" Allegra Marquart, sandcarved fused glass and enamel, photo by anythingphoto.net

Allegra Marquarts’ colorful artwork delights in storytelling and mines fables and fairy tale for both content and imagery. Allegra sandcarves the panels of glass she fuses at the Washington Glass School, working on both sides of the glass slabs, playing with the translucent quality of the medium.

3 separate works - "Flying in Place", "Lessons Learned and Unlearned", "The Optimism of Language", Michael Janis, fused glass imagery, silver and steel, photo by anythingphoto.net

Michael Janis’ glass sculpture works are also at Maurine Littleton Gallery space His new works show how perceptions are based on perspective, where the mirrored glass cylinders refigure the distorted glass frit images into new shapes. 

"Flying in Place" Michael Janis, photo by anythingphoto.net

Both Allegra and Michael work from the Washington Glass School, located in Mount Rainier, MD. 

"21st Century Dadaism", Tim Tate, cast glass, video, electronics, photo by anythingphoto.net
detail "21st Century Dadaism", Tim Tate

Another Washington Glass School artist – Tim Tate – is featured at Michigan’s Habatat Galleries space (#1100). Tim’s incredible mixed media works exploit the beauty of glass and invests it with a narrative that takes the work to a new level. One work – “21st Century Dadaism” incorporates video projection onto cast glass components, with the effect of producing a disembodied human face, created from the disjointed. If Dadaism had occurred today, it might have resembled this. 

"Vegetable Peddler And Her Son", Tim Tate, cast and blown glass, photo by anythingphoto.net

His other sculpture works, from a series he calls his “Cabinet of Curiosities”, incorporate cast glass elements made from the “lost wax” process are a delight in creating surreal worlds. This is a breakout year for Tim, whose work is currently on exhibit at Mesa, Arizona’s Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum.

Tim Tate in front of Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Mesa, AZ.

SOFA Chicago 2012 - Friday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 4; Preview Thursday, Nov 1.

For more info - visit the SOFA Chicago website

SOFA Chicago at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL