art alliance for contemporary glass | Washington Glass Studio

Contemporary Glass: The Hunt Goes Digital

Posted on March 4, 2026 by admin |

Collector’s Edge presents “The Thrill of the Hunt: Collecting in a Digital Age”, a conversation about how discovery, instinct, and decision-making shape contemporary collecting today.

Reserve your spot today! Free & Open to the public

Date: March 6

Time: 1pm EST

Where: Zoom online! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zAQ4OX1DTJmlOP8BU9SYPg

Panelists include:

• Sarah Traver, President and Director of Traver Gallery

• Charles Shepard, President & CEO of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art

• Jerry Paulson, AACG member and collector

• Ray Chimienti, AACG Board member and collector

• Moderator: Brit Micho; Curator, Fort Wayne Museum of Art

Collector’s Edge presents “The Thrill of the Hunt: Collecting in a Digital Age”, a conversation about how discovery, instinct, and decision-making shape contemporary collecting today. As more and more of the collecting journey unfolds through online access, how do collectors navigate that process and have confidence in their decisions, when work is not always viewed in person before a purchase?

AACG is bringing together a gallerist, museum director, established collector, and newer collector, to hold a dynamic panel discussion exploring how relationships, education, and trust come together to guide the collecting experience in an increasingly digital world.

Posted in aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, Uncategorized | Tagged contemporary glass, glass

Getting Fired Up with AACG: Reflections, Connections, and the Collector’s Edge

Posted on November 3, 2025 by admin |

The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) is a not-for-profit organization and leading resource for glass collectors, art enthusiasts, artists, gallerists, museum personnel, and educators on all things related to glass art. Every First Friday of the month, the AACG hosts virtual programming that is free and open to the public. AACG is committed to community outreach and education and continue to provide a means for educational outreach through the FIRED UP! series.

Glass artist Clifford Rainey with his sculpture

The next First Friday Fired Up! program is on November 7, at 1 PM ET, when AACG will present the launch of its new virtual programming series, Collector’s Edge. This online event is free and open to the public with a thoughtful panel discussion about “Reflections on Artists, Connections, and Stewardship.” The panel includes gallerist David Austin, collector Tom Kasten, artist Clifford Rainey, collector Larry Sibrack, and artist Toots Zynsky, who will share a favorite or formative experience that shaped their connection to the Studio Glass movement and the relationships that deepened their connection to the art community.

First Friday Fired Up! – Collector’s Edge
Date & Time: Nov 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST

Click here to register for free online event!

Posted in aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, fired up

Happy Holidays from Washington Glass School and Studio

Posted on December 22, 2022 by admin |

Tis the Season!

All of us at the Washington Glass School & Studio Wish You and Family a Joyous Holiday Season! And a Happy Healthy New Year!

Artists and Educators from the Washington Glass School

(L-R) Patricia De Poel Wilberg, Erwin Timmers, Christina Helowicz, Nancy Kronstadt, Kate Barfield, Tim Tate, April Shelford, Michael Janis, Trish Kent and John Henderson. Not pictured: Graciela Granek, Sean Robinson, Diane Cabe, Gabrielle Morris, Kyle Crosby, and Daphne Matyas.

Posted in " glass studio", 21st century glass, american craft, american glass, american studio glass, art alliance for contemporary glass, art glass, artists of the washington glass school, collaborative glass, contemporary craft, content driven glass, cool class, cool glass, crafts america, DC, diane cabe, educational program, erwin timmers, future of glass, glass art, glass education, international year of glass, kiln-formed glass, maryland, michael janis, mike janis, mount rainier, new class, patricia de poel wilberg, pg county, pictureshow productions, Prince George's County, Prince George's County Arts Council, recycled glass art, resident artist, studio art glass, studio glass, studio glass movement, sustainable design, Tim Tate, washington glass school, Washington Glass Studio, Washington School of Glass | Tagged mug shot

One Story Is Not Enough – Tim Tate & Michael Janis in Toronto’s Sandra Ainsley Gallery

Posted on June 14, 2022 by admin |

Sandra Ainsley Gallery, Canada’s leading glass art gallery, presents a collaborative exhibition from Washington Glass School artists Tim Tate and Michael Janis titled “One Story is Not Enough“. The exhibition will feature their individual works along with joint pieces that highlight the narrative sculpture.

L-R: Tim Tate, Sandra Ainsley, Daniel Ainsley at the opening of “One Story Is Not Enough”.

Mark, line and material become an extension of touch in the act of representation. The relationship of hand to subject, negotiated through the material, can elicit a response of both visual and tactile.

Michael Janis’ kilncast glass L-R “The Color of Shadows” & “The Place Between Memories”

With these confines, Tim and Michael create works in many techniques, but if you stand slightly back and see their history, a huge thread of interconnected stories weave through their work from day one. The beauty comes into focus and the viewer sees the edges of a world not dissimilar to this one, but so much more thoughtful. They present this glimpse into that alternative world, seemingly unstuck in time somewhere between past and future.

On Friday, June 17, at 1 PM (Eastern time), the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) will hold an online zoom MeetUp and Tim Tate and Michael Janis will tour exhibition and talk about their careers and process. Join the AACG to watch it live, or else catch it on YouTube after Friday.

Click Here to register.

Sandra Ainsley Gallery, 100 Sunrise Ave, North York, ON M4A 1B3, Canada

Posted in 21st century glass, 21st century sculpture, american craft, american glass, art alliance for contemporary glass, art glass today, kiln-formed glass, michael janis, mike janis, narrative, narrative glass, Tim Tate, twenty first century glass, twenty first century sculpture, usa, стекло искусство новое, アメリカのガラス芸術, 最好的玻璃艺术, 美国新艺术雕塑 | Tagged toronto

AACG Creates Baltimore Glass Exhibit for IYOG!

Posted on March 25, 2022 by admin |

Artworks by : Dr Joyce Scott, Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Soledad Salamé & more!

2022 is the International Year of Glass (IYOG) AND the 60th Anniversary of American Studio Glass Movement. As part of the events celebrating glass, Howard Cohen of Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass has organized a spectacular exhibit of glass artwork during the Glass & Optical Materials Division (GOMD) conference in Baltimore at Coppin State University. This will be the first glass exhibit in Baltimore since 1996! The goals of the show are to showcase ways glass has matured into a sculptural medium, bring a diverse group of renown artists from the Baltimore/Washington region to the arts communities, and students in the area, and amplify artists voices including members of the BIPOC, Hispanic, LGBQT and immigrant communities. The exhibit will feature artwork by Dr Joyce Scott, Tim Tate, Soledad Salamé, Erwin Timmers, and Michael Janis. The exhibition is made possible through the support of the GOMD, the American Ceramic Society, Corning & Owens Corning for funding some of the exhibition costs and to fund the Baltimore scientific outreach to Baltimore City High schools.

The exhibit is scheduled to run from Mid-May through June 2022.

Posted in "glass secessionism", 21st century glass, 21st century sculpture, aacg, african american artists, art alliance for contemporary glass, Baltimore, BIPOC, howard cohen, international year of glass, iyog, studio art glass, studio glass, washington DC, washington glass school, Washington School of Glass, wgs contemporary, 最好的玻璃艺术, 美国新艺术雕塑 | Tagged coppin state university

AACG Fired Up! with Joyce Scott

Posted on March 8, 2022 by admin |

Joyce Scott; *Head Shot*, 2008, Seed beads, thread, glass, bullets, 18 1/2 × 4 1/2 × 4 1/2 in

Dr Joyce Scott

Join the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass on Tuesday, March 15, at 2 p.m. Eastern time, when MacArthur Fellow Dr. Joyce J. Scott examines the extremes of human nature by conflating humor and horror, history and fantasy, as well as beauty and brutality to create artworks that not only mine the fabric of our complex collective history, but that reveal universal truths.

Joyce Scott, *War Baby,* 2014, Hand-blown Murano glass, beads, thread, photographs

Best known for her use of the off-loom, free-form, glass bead weaving technique referred to as the peyote stitch, Scott merges beads, blown glass, and found objects with autobiographical, sociological, and political content to unapologetically confront themes of racism, sexism, violence, inequality, history, and oppression while simultaneously embracing splendor, spirituality, nature, and healing. For this episode of Fired Up!, expect the unexpected! Sometimes, her boundless energy and creativity will spill forth in delightful and playful ways, mocking cultural stereotypes.

Free – Open to the public. Click below link to register for AACG talk:

AACG Fired Up! Meeting Registration – Zoom

Posted in aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, fired up, joyce scott

International Year of Glass 2022

Posted on January 8, 2022 by admin |

2022 is the International Year of Glass AND the 60th Anniversary of American Studio Glass Movement.

The United Nations has declared 2022 as the International Year of Glass (#IYOG2022) with programming occurring worldwide to celebrate all aspects of glass: studio and public art glass, architecture, history, technology, industry, and science. This exciting journey began in 2018. Support came from 1500 Universities and research centers, societies and associations, museums, artists, educators, manufacturers and companies in 78 countries on 5 continents.

The official kickoff will take place on February 10-11, 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland at the UN Palace of Nations. Among other scheduled activities, a National Day of Glass event is planned for April 5-7, 2022 in Washington, D.C. that will feature the North American glass industry, art community, government agencies and educational systems that rely on glass.

Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) is a member of the IYOG2022 International Steering Committee and is tasked, along with The American Ceramic Society (ACerS), with leading promotion efforts around the art component of this global initiative. To accomplish this, AACG requests that U.S. museums, glass centers and schools, artists, regional glass collector’s groups, and other entities with a focus on or interest in contemporary glass assist by sharing information about exhibitions, panel discussions and IYOG2022 celebrations with admin@contempglass.org and https://ceramics.org/iyog. These programs will then be included on the AACG event calendar of art-related glass events throughout 2022 so all can enjoy.

“This is an extraordinary time to celebrate the material of glass in the arts, science, technology, communications, architecture, and sustainability of the environment on a global basis,” said Laurence Sibrack, board president of Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. “It is our hope that artists and art institutions and organizations will join us in sharing IYOG2022 programming. Simultaneously, we will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the American Studio Glass movement in 2022.”

Posted in aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, IYOG2022

Lucy Lyon- Fired Up! Online presentation by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass

Posted on October 10, 2020 by admin |

Artist Lucy Lyon will present an online ‘zoom’ presentation that will be part of the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) Online Education in Art Series

AACG’s new Education Series, “FIRED UP”, features Lucy Lyon giving all a look inside her artist studio, process, and life on October 20 at 2pm EST. Working in cast glass, her work centers largely on the notion that despite the interaction we have in meeting up with each other, each of us is essentially alone. That brings up a bit of melancholy but it also makes the individual unique and therefore very important.

She started working in glass simply because it is a very seductive material and chose to focus on sculpting figures. Lucy says: ” What interests me most is trying to convey the intellectual and emotional state of the individuals in my pieces, relying on subtle gestures, a turn of the head or twist of the hips, to express the figure’s state of mind.”

We will explore these narratives with her, as we dive deeper into her inspiration and process.

All lovers of glass art are invited to attend!
Register today using the Zoom link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlcu-qqTwvHNOKkSnBhEtmLl3mGNmuyMOV?fbclid=IwAR2sG5l7hPLZNB4Ggqldy1u25GxzKbxwx-QfjE9H8bozRxKrPhW_4NzO9sQ

Posted in aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, fired up | Tagged Lucy Lyon

Demystifying Public Art – Online presentation by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass

Posted on September 3, 2020 by admin |

Artists Erwin Timmers & Michael Janis will present an online ‘zoom’ presentation that will be part of the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) Online Education in Art Series – “Demystifying Public Art.”

Public art created by artists of the Washington Glass Studio both enrich and celebrate diverse communities. Successful projects include – The Monumental Doors for the Library of Congress, Laurel Library, the Washington DC Gateway Arch, and the West Palm Beach International Airport.
Michael Janis and Erwin Timmers will discuss how they navigate the complex processes from finding the projects to their ultimate creation and installation.

On Tuesday, September 15, at 2 p.m. Eastern time, AACG starts their Online Education Series called “FIRED UP” – click on the link to register for the free event:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYucemupz4jE9xI6GbpH6qoSHz7-iWuztOT?fbclid=IwAR0A-NoKAxTtkf6k12vBHvukn8IlUFRaY5uTfj97pj5yBBaA3-bsCO0abDc

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.

The Alliance informs collectors, critics and curators by encouraging and supporting museum exhibitions, university glass departments and specialized teaching programs, regional collector groups, visits to private collections, and public seminars.

Posted in aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, art education, demetra theofanous, education, erwin timmers, glass sculpture, howard cohen, michael janis, mike janis, Public Art, Washington School of Glass, wgs contemporary, アメリカのガラス芸術, 玻璃艺术, 美国新艺术雕塑 | Tagged fired up, online, zoom

UNBREAKABLE: Women in Glass

Posted on September 1, 2020 by admin |

This Friday, Sept 4th at 3pm EST – Facebook group “21st Century Glass Conversations” page with the support of the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass will be hosting an international zoom walk through of the new Glasstress edition, UNBREAKABLE: Women in Glass

Time: Sep 4, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join free Zoom Meeting by clicking link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87395514631?pwd=dWhqTk5VRzFnVHJ2dU1TUWw4aXJ0UT09

This show truly marks the firm establishment of 21st century glass in so many ways. The curator of the show, Koen Vanmechelen will be showing us highlights of the show in the beautiful setting of an older factory in Murano, now the space of Berengo Studios and Glasstress.

The “Women In Glass ” show is the perfect counter-point to the “Venice and American Studio Glass” show at Le Stanza Del Vetro happening at the same time. One, revering the past and one showing a new present day possibility while predicting the future. Both together symbolize the full world of glass
This show include such well known US artists as Karen LaMonte, Joyce Scott and Judy Chicago, but also women artists from around the world working in glass. Some of the international artistist include Prune Nourry, Liliana Moro, Renate Bertlmann and Monica Bonvicini. New, perhaps, to American viewers, but hugely famous in their own countries and internationally.
This marks a rare moment in history, where because of Covid, we will get the chance to see the show from our own homes the day before it opens.

Please share!!

Posted in 21st century glass, aacg, art alliance for contemporary glass, GLASSSTRESS, GLASSTRESS, twenty first century glass

The Washington Glass School

Category Archives: art alliance for contemporary glass