creative cohesion | Washington Glass Studio

Sunderland, UK Artist’s Residency @ Washington Glass School

Posted on May 12, 2014 by admin |

Two internationally recognized glass artists have come to the Washington Glass School for an artist residency. Criss Chaney and Robyn Townsend are both UK-based glass artists that work from Sunderland’s Creative Cohesion art studio. During the International Glass And Clay exhibit in March of 2013, Robyn and Criss presented a workshop on glass inclusions at the Washington Glass School.

criss_chaney.robyn.townsend.fused.glass.metal.inclusion

2013 workshop led by artists Robyn Townsend and Criss Chaney (center) outline their process of inclusions into fused glass.

Robyn Townsend said that she looks forward to the opportunity to “explore new directions” in glass art in her return to Washington, DC. If you are in the area – make sure that you stop in and welcome the artists back to DC!

Posted in creative cohesion, robyn townsend, sister city, sunderland, Uncategorized | Tagged criss chaney

International Glass & Clay Exhibit Travels To UK Museum

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Chip Montague |

International Glass & Clay exhibit in Washington, DC, March 2013

This year, Sister City art organizations enabled Washington, DC to host an exhibit of glass and clay artwork by US and UK artists during the month of March. The Washington Glass School – one of the partners in the exhibition – has had a history of working with artists from Washington, DC’s Sister City of Sunderland, England, which is President George Washington’s ancestral home.

The International Glass & Clay exhibit that was originally held here in DC in March of 2013 has moved on – and over the pond – landing in the UK, with the exhibition opening at the Sunderland Museum, in Sunderland, England. Currently, the main show at the museum is an exhibit of tapestries by noted English artist Grayson Perry, titled “In The Vanity of Small Differences“.
Exhibiting at two venues in the City of Sunderland, the exhibit again integrates and mixes works by artists from both cities from August 22^nd – September 29^th 2013. DC artists exhibiting: Sean Hennessey, Jeff Herrity, Michael Janis, Tamara Laird, Laurel Lukaszewski, Tim Tate, Novie Trump. UK artists exhibiting: Stephen Beardsell, Criss Chaney, James Maskrey, Brian Thompson, Robyn Townsend, Margareth Troli, Roger Tye, Phil Vickery and Philippa Whiteside.

Novie Trump’s ceramic installation looks incredible.

If you find yourself in England’s beautiful North East, wandering along the River Wear – do pop into the Museum. Oh, and stop by the National Glass Center for a spot of Prince Rupert’s Drop!

International Glass & Clay
August 22 – September 29, 2013
Sunderland Museum and Creative Cohesion

Posted in artomatic, creative cohesion, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DCCAH, international glass and clay, sister city, sunderland

British Council USA Blogs About Phil Vickery

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Chip Montague |

Phil Vickery glass – photo credit: Jo Howell

The British Council asked Washington Glass School Co-Director Michael Janis to act as a US Cultural Ambassador and write a series of articles for their blog regarding the collaborative art exhibit “International Glass and Clay 2013“, now open in Washington, DC. The latest post is an interview with UK glass artist Phil Vickery, a Sunderland-based artist that has shown his work at two previous US/UK exhibitions held in Washington, DC.

Phil Vickery at the bench.

Michael interviews Phil and outlines his background in glass and his artistic influences. In the article, Phil discusses the benefits and outcomes of the (art) trade missions for him and the Cohesion Glass Network.
Phil also talks about his current series of glass sculptures. Says Phil about his techniques: “I use the material properties inherent to (hot) glass to express this quality. Working with the fluidity of molten glass, I manipulate it into shapes and also allow gravitational force to create my signature spiral forms.”

Click HERE to jump to the full interview on the British Consulate website.

The International Glass and Clay 2013 exhibit is open through March 23, 2013, at Washington, DC’s Pepco Edison Place Gallery, located at 702 Eighth Street, NW, Washington, DC. The show is organized by Artomatic and the DCCAH.

Posted in British Council, creative cohesion, international glass and clay, phil vickery

International Glass & Clay 2013 Opens Friday

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Michael Janis |

Using an art exhibition as a bridge between countries, Artomatic, the DCCAH, the City of Sunderland, England and the UK National Glass Center have collaborated to bring together the Sister Cities of Sunderland, England and Washington, DC in a show that celebrates the medias of glass and clay, as well as celebrating the relationships between the two cities.

We are pleased to invite you to attend the opening reception of the International Glass and Clay 2013, on Friday evening, March 1 from 5:30-8pm, hosted at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C.

Visit our special website for more information about the exhibition http://glassandclay.org/ – There are planned events during the show, including demos, roundtable discussions, wine tastings and more!

Pepco Edison Place Gallery

702 Eighth Street (between G and H streets)

Washington, DC 20068

Posted in artomatic, cohesion glass network, creative cohesion, dc sister city, flux studios, glass and clay, national glass centre, pepco edison place gallery, sunderland, university of sunderland

International Glass + Clay: Collective Imagination Pt 5

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Michael Janis |

Opening March 1, 2013, Washington, DC will host an international exhibit of glass and clay artwork – the third collaborative exhibition organized by Artomatic and the DCCAH between Washington, DC artists and artists from our Sister City of Sunderland, England. With all the amazing glass and ceramic artwork being showcased, Washington Glass School will publish online a five part series of profiles on the artists behind the works. US & UK Artists in the International Glass + Clay 2013 Exhibition in Washington, DC.

Part 5 of 5

Laurel Lukaszewski / Ceramics / US

Laurel Lukaszewski is a Washington, DC area based artist. She has exhibited widely in the Mid-Atlantic region and nationally with solo exhibitions in Washington, DC, Arlington, VA, Norfolk, VA, St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, and Bainbridge Island, WA.

Laurel is a founding member of Flux Studios, in Mt. Rainier, MD and has been a visiting artist at Seattle’s Pottery Northwest and Holland Hall in Tulsa, OK. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards including the Washington Sculptors Group, the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the Washington Project for the Arts Artist Council.

Roger Tye / Glass / UK

Roger Tye has been making glass since 1976, initially as Master production maker for the studios of Pauline Solven and Charlie Meaker, before setting up his own full time practice in 1989.Roger now concentrates on sculptural works. His most recent body of work also combines glass with slate and metal and offers wry observations of social events and situations. He has exhibited and throughout the UK and internationally to 28 countries and his work is in the collections that include Shell, British American Tobacco, American Airlines and the Royal Family.

Audrey Wilson / Glass / US

Audrey Wilson has a BA in Crafts with a Glass Concentration from Kent State University. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Audrey has worked at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio as the studio and teaching assistant, working with the museum’s visiting glass artists. Audrey’s artwork references nature and organic forms, and she specializes in kiln casting, pate de verre and sand casting with mixed media.

Jeffrey Sarmiento / Glass / UK

Jeffrey Sarmiento’s working methods for image transfer in glass have taken him all over Europe and the US as an artist and academic. He holds an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design and a PhD from the University of Sunderland, where he is Reader in Glass. He has also lived in Denmark as a Fulbright fellow, and received emerging artist residencies at UrbanGlass in New York and at Pilchuck Glass School. Based at the National Glass Centre in Northeast England, Jeffrey leads the print and waterjet research areas by teaching, executing artist projects and making his own artwork. As a Filipino-American, his work is inspired by foreign ethnic contexts, expressed through collisions of layered images within glass. His work has been shortlisted for the Bombay Sapphire Prize, and he has held solo exhibitions in Copenhagen, Portland, and Istanbul. In 2012 he was the UK national commissioner for the European Glass Context in Denmark, and he also won the International Glass Prize, at GlazenHuis, Belgium. His artwork is the collections of the Museum of Liverpool, UK, the Speed Museum, USA, and the City of Lommel, Belgium.

Elizabeth Vorlicek / Ceramics / US

Elizabeth Vorlicek is a ceramic sculptor and visual arts teacher living in Alexandria, Virginia. She graduated from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University with a BFA and a MFA degree. Liz has taught in the Arts Department at Episcopal High School in Virginia for the past seven years. She is also a curator and the Director of the Angie Newman Johnson Gallery. Liz joined Flux Studios in Mt. Rainier, Maryland as an Emerging Artist in the fall of 2012. She enjoys traveling, bird watching and baking in her spare time.

Megan Randall / Ceramics / UK

Megan Randall is a contemporary ceramic artist, and is a current PhD student a Sunderland University where her research focuses on the placement of domestic ceramic objects responding to the context of site. Her work makes use of thrown porcelain alongside other less traditional materials and found objects. Working on the wheel is repetitive this gives pieces a rhythm and flow. Recent work has focused on willow pattern designs, which create their own narrative around domestic spaces, industrial sites and the notions of home.

In the past her work has included site specific installation and interventions alongside designed and hand crafted ceramic objects. The link between the separate worlds of fine art concept and that of designer/maker is the consistent use of porcelain which evokes a sense of luxury, fragility and, in some pieces, vulnerability. Her work combines new technology through the use of the waterjet cutter with the altering of the readymade object.

Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile Part 1
Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile – Part 2
Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile – Part 3
Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile – Part 4
There will be a “Day of Demos” by a number of the visiting UK artists – Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Criss Chaney “Vessel”

11:00 AM at the Washington Glass School, UK-based glass artists Criss Chaney and Robyn Townsend will demonstrate using metal wire and sheet inclusions into cast glass, and painting a layer of metal powders onto the inside mould surface. They will also demonstrate cold techniques for applying metals to a finished piece of glass, and options for patination using common household chemicals. Click HERE to reserve a space at this free demo.

2:00 PM at DC GlassWorks, superstar UK hot glass artists Phil Vickery, Colin Rennie and Roger Tye will show how they work. Click HERE to reserve a space at the free demo.

Posted in aa5, artomatic, creative cohesion, dc glass works, dc sister city, DCCAH, fulbright scholar, international glass and clay, sunderland, university of sunderland, washington glass school

International Glass + Clay: Collective Imagination Pt 4

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Michael Janis |

Part 4 of 5

Tim Tate / Glass / US

Tim Tate is a Washington, DC native, and has been working with glass as a sculptural medium for the past 25 years. Co-Founder of the Washington Glass School, Tim’s work is in the permanent collections of a number of museums, including the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery and the Mint Museum. He was awarded the title of “Rising Star of the 21st Century” from the Museum of American Glass and was also the recipient of the 2009 Virginia Groot Foundation award for sculpture. His work has been shown at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Fuller Museum, the Asheville Art Museum and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. He is a 2012 Fulbright Scholar recipient at Sunderland University in England.

Inge Paneels / Glass / UK

Inge Panneels has been designing and making architectural or sculptural glass pieces since 1998. Inspiration for her work is driven by location and circumstance and life’s rich tapestry a recurrent theme. Inge is originally from Belgium now lives and works in the Scottish Borders but works throughout the UK. Inge also lectures part time at the Glass and Ceramics Department of the University of Sunderland.

A body of sculptural work exploring mapping is emerging; such as “Liverpool Map (2011) commission for the Museum of Liverpool, with new work being developed inspired by residencies at Mercator Museum (Belgium) and Jedburgh Abbey in 2012, to be completed in 2013.

Nancy Donnelly / Glass / US

Nancy Donnelly is a studio artist at the Washington Glass School. She makes 2- and 3-dimensional art glass using color and imagery drawn from her painter’s training. Her work can be seen at Foundry Gallery and elsewhere in the Washington area.

Philippa Whiteside / Ceramics / UK

Philippa Whiteside graduated from Sunderland University in 2010 with a BA Hons in Glass and Ceramics. She was awarded a 12 month scholarship with Creative Cohesion, supported by Sunderland City Council. In May 2011, Philippa was elected Director of Creative Cohesion where she now runs her ceramic studio. Philippa expores her fascination with lettering and words, and often combines ceramics with textile decoration and texture.

Allegra Marquart / Glass / US

Allegra Marquart came to Baltimore, Maryland in 1976 to teach printmaking at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Gradually she became recognized for her narrative imagery that revolves around the joys, absurdities and surprises of human experience. Her prints are held in collections including the Zimmerli Art Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Huntsville Museum of Art. In 2001 she began to explore the possibilities of realizing her images in glass. Allegra began interpreting old stories and intricately rendering them on colorful glass panels. Her glass work was represented in a recent contemporary glass art exhibition at the Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Arts. One of her glass towers is also in the collection of the National Institute of Health in DC.

Stephen Beardsell / Glass / UK

Stephen Beardsell graduated from the University of Sunderland achieving an MA in glass 2006 and BA in glass and ceramics 2001. Working in sculpture for the past 17 years, Stephen creates mixed media sculptures that sit comfortably in the natural environment without conflicting with their immediate surroundings. Stephen crafts his glass artwork employing many techniques, including blown glass, hot sculpting, and hot casting into sand or graphite moulds, kiln form glass. He recently kiln cast the largest singular piece of glass in the UK – a large oval red lens weighing 350kg (770 lbs), cast in a Czech glass.

Ani Kasten / Ceramics / US

Ani Kasten has been working in the ceramic medium since 2000, beginning with an apprenticeship with British ceramist Rupert Spira. After a year in England, Ani traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal where she spent four years as head of a project for developing stoneware technology for a community of artisan potters in the village of Thimi. Her training in England and the exotic working environment in Nepal have infused Ani’s sculptural vessels with a combined aesthetic, drawing on minimalist British studio ceramics, as well as ancient, weathered, hand-made objects born from traditional cultures throughout Asia. After leaving Nepal, Ani began working in Oakland, California where the fresh natural beauty of the California coastline juxtaposed with extreme urban deterioration began to inform the language of her work. From 2007 through 2009, Ani was an Artist in Residence at Red Dirt Studio in Mt. Rainier, MD, where she worked closely with ceramic artist Margaret Boozer, and further developed her distinct combination of sculpture and vessel work, showing her ceramics nationally at galleries and craft shows.

Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile Part 1
Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile – Part 2
Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile – Part 3
There will be a “Day of Demos” by a number of the visiting UK artists – Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Criss Chaney “Vessel”

2:00 PM at DC GlassWorks, superstar UK hot glass artists Phil Vickery, Colin Rennie and Roger Tye will show how they work. Click HERE to reserve a space at the free demo.

Posted in aa4, artomatic, creative cohesion, dc sister city, DCCAH, fulbright scholar, international glass and clay, sunderland, university of sunderland, washington glass school

International Glass + Clay: Collective Imagination Pt 3

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Michael Janis |

Part 3 of 5

Margaret Boozer / Clay / US

Margaret Boozer lives and works in the Washington, DC metro area. She received a BFA in sculpture from Auburn University and an MFA in ceramics from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Her work is included in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Museum of the City of New York, The US Department of State, The Wilson Building Public Art collection and in many private collections. Boozer taught for ten years at the Corcoran College of Art and Design before founding Red Dirt Studio in Mt. Rainier, MD where she directs a ceramics and sculpture seminar. Recent projects include a commissioned installation at the US Embassy in Djibouti and writing a chapter for U. S. Geologic Survey’s Soil and Culture. Recent exhibitions include Swept Away: Dust, Ashes and Dirt at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.

David D’Orio / Glass / US

David D’Orio has a BFA in sculpture from the University of Hartford and has worked in glass for over 15 years. His artwork features mixed media, glass and steel. Dave is Director of DC GlassWorks, one of the DC area’s premier public access hot glass shop, located in Hyattsville, MD. His work has been shown at Artomatic in Crystal City, the Marlboro Gallery of Prince George’s Community College and last year was part of the Arlington Arts Center Solos. At this past Artomatic Art Fair, the James Renwick Alliance gave Dave’s installation sculpture its ‘Award of Recognition’. David was awarded second place in the 2012 Trawick Art Prize.

Robyn Townsend / Glass / UK

Robyn Townsend‘s work is focused in areas of psychology, biology and philosophy, but the key theme of her work is the human condition. Working in glass as well as casting with industrial materials to create a unique aesthetic and lifelike atmosphere, Robyn shows people for their similarities rather than their differences, their universally qualities that are consistent regardless of race, culture, gender or political background. Robyn says of her work: “I am using intimate and recognizable body parts that give no hint of identity, to highlight the anonymity of people as well as reflect how our actions, often guided by our internal thoughts and fears, allow us to form our own human nature and create ourselves.“

Cate Watkinson / Glass / UK

Cate Watkinson of Watkinson Glass Associates has over 20 years experience as an architectural glass artist, designing and fabricating architectural glass to commission for a wide variety of applications. During this period she has been instrumental in developing the potential of glass in the public realm. Her projects range from decorative glass panels for public and private buildings to street furniture and sculptural public art pieces. She has also exhibited her works in galleries in the UK and across Europe. Through commissioned works Cate has built up a wide range of innovative techniques and has gained significant knowledge and experience working with glass on a large scale in the public realm, not only in aesthetic terms but also in design of structure and durability of materials used. Since 2006 she has held the post of Subject Leader and Senior Lecturer in Architectural Glass at the University of Sunderland in the UK.

Michael Janis / Glass / US

Michael Janis developed a focus on kiln-glass after working for twenty years as an architect in the United States and Australia. Now Co-director of the Washington Glass School, Michael has taught at the Penland School of Crafts, California’s Bay Area Glass Institute, and The Glass Furnace (Istanbul, Turkey). His work has been shown at major galleries and art fairs and is included in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2011, Michael mounted a solo exhibition at the Fuller Craft Museum (Massachusetts). His work was featured in Corning Museum of Glass publication ‘New Glass Review’, and he was named a “Rising Star” by the Creative Glass Center of America. In 2012, awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, Michael went to the UK’s University of Sunderland and National Glass Centre. He was an Artist-in-Residence at the Institute for International Glass Research (IIRG). American Craft Magazine will have an 8-page profile of Michael and his work in the 2013 April/May issue.

Criss Chaney / Glass / UK

Criss Chaney is an internationally recognized glass artist, who has exhibited extensively in the UK, Europe, and the United States. Including a solo exhibition at the Museum Humanum in Austria. For years she has been developing techniques for combining glass and metals, exploiting methods for working with both materials. Her pieces make people question their views on glass and push the boundaries between glass and other media. She now makes her work at Creative Cohesion in Sunderland, where she has recently completed a large public art commission. Criss’ work is about the human experience, spirituality and the subconscious.

Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile Part 1
Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profile Part 2

There will be a “Day of Demos” by a number of the visiting UK artists – Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Criss Chaney “Vessel”

2:00 PM at DC GlassWorks, superstar UK hot glass artists Phil Vickery, Colin Rennie and Roger Tye will show how they work. Click HERE to reserve a space at the free demo.

Posted in aa3, artomatic, creative cohesion, dc sister city, DCCAH, fulbright scholar, international glass and clay, sunderland, university of sunderland, washington glass school

International Glass + Clay: Collective Imagination Pt 2

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Michael Janis |

Part 2 of 5

Sean Hennessey / Glass / US

Sean Hennessey is a mixed media artist based in Washington, DC. Working in glass, concrete, steel, light and video, Sean creates imaginative wall relief works inspired by architectural sculpture and drawing narrative content from philosophical, mythological, historical and personal interpretations. Sean has received fellowships with the city of the District of Columbia, an award of Craft Excellence from the James Renwick Alliance, and is in the collection of the US State Department Art in Embassies Program. His work has been seen on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, HGTV, The Kennedy Center and at Aqua Art Miami. Sean is currently a Resident Artist at the Washington Glass School.

James Maskrey / Glass / UK

James Maskrey started working with glass in 1990. He originally trained as an apprentice and subsequently worked for 7 years at a hot glass studio in Dorset, in South West England. He left to study glass at The Surrey Institute of Art and Design, graduating in June 2000. After graduation he was appointed as Artist in Residence at the Surrey Institute. In 2001 James joined the Glass and Ceramics department at The University of Sunderland, where he graduated with an MA in Glass with distinction in 2004. His work is held in many collections including The Crafts Council, Dan Klein and Alan J.Poole (National Museum of Scotland), Perth Museum and Art Gallery, Northlands Creative Glass, The Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Manchester Metropolitan University special collection and Crystallex (Czech Republic). He has exhibited widely in the UK, in the USA and at the International Glass Symposium in the Czech Republic.

Joe Hicks / Ceramics / US

Joe Hicks has been living in Washington DC where he moved after receiving a BA in Art from Shippensburg University in 2000. He enrolled at The George Washington University where he studied for three years earning his MFA in Ceramics in 2005. Joe Hicks currently maintains a studio for his own ceramic vessels and sculpture work, participating in ceramic and sculptural exhibitions on the regional and national level. He directs the ceramic program at Gallaudet University and is an Adjunct Professor of ceramics at The George Washington University.

Dr Margareth Troli / Glass / UK

Dr Margareth Troli is based at the National Glass Centre (UK) in Sunderland where she explores the integration of digital technologies in her artwork. She completed a Phd in 2011 with the support from the Art and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). She developed technical approaches for the Studio Glass through the investigation of waterjet cutting. Margareth’s research has also been presented at international conferences, and she has received numerous prizes, awards and scholarships for her artwork. Margareth has participated in several international exhibitions and design fairs such as the British Glass Biennale (UK,) 100% Design, (UK), SOFA New York, Designers Block, (UK), Coburger Glass Prize Exhibition, (DE), Design Mart (UK) and The British Parliament.

Tamara Laird / Ceramics / US

Tamara Laird has a wide range of experience, teaching and studying internationally. In 1985 she moved to Nairobi Kenya, where she worked at the National Museums of Kenya on a United Nations Preservation project for the Island Community of Lamu, and as Professor of Art [Ceramics] at Kenyatta University. In 1994, Tamara relocated to Bangkok, Thailand, where she carried out extensive research, visiting individual artists, traditional village production practices, and full-scale industrial ceramic factories. Sponsored by the Thai Government, Tamara joined an educational tour of Industrial Production Facilities. Tamara has also traveled through Mexico, documenting production methods that integrate traditional and contemporary industrial production. Her frequent travel throughout Italy, researching Italian Majolica from Deruta in the north to Vietri in the south, continues a life long habit of documentation, focusing on connections between local culture, artistic development and traditional practice. These experiences have been integrated into her teaching practice, bringing universal craft education practice to the classroom.

Syl Mathis / Glass / US

Syl Mathis has been with the Washington Glass School from its first “glass and steel” workshop. Self-taught as a glass carver, Syl combines investment casting techniques, high pressure abrasive carving, and cold-working techniques to create sculptural pieces in glass that often reflect stylized natural artifacts. His imaginative and skillful use of design–designs which are combinations of man-made and natural forces–not only reflects a love of Nature which invites meditation and thoughtfulness, but also, eloquently highlights the beauty of Nature’s own patterns with a precision that transcends the mere manipulation of tools or careful, mechanical dexterity. As a professional educator, Syl is a firm believer in process, the process of creative expression and of learning; as such, each carving is both a piece of art and the first step in a journey that promises to deepen our perception of Nature.

Click Here to jump to US / UK Artist Profiles Part 1

There will be a “Day of Demos” by a number of the visiting UK artists – Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Phil Vickery and Roger Tye @ DC Glassworks 2009

11:00 AM at the Washington Glass School, UK-based glass artists Criss Chaney and Robyn Townsend will demonstrate their techniques for combining glass and metals, exploiting methods for working with both materials. Click HERE to reserve a space at this free demo.

2:00 PM at DC GlassWorks, UK hot glass artists Phil Vickery, Colin Rennie and Roger Tye will show how they work. Click HERE to reserve a space at the free demo.

Posted in aa2, artomatic, creative cohesion, DCCAH, international glass and clay, office of the secretary, sister city, sunderland, university of sunderland, washington glass school

International Glass + Clay: Collective Imagination Pt 1

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Michael Janis |

Part 1 of 5

Colin Rennie / Glass / UK

Colin Rennie has worked with glass as a material for sculpture since 1992. He developed a love of glassblowing and cold glass working while at Edinburgh College of Art. He currently teaches at the University of Sunderland where he runs the BA Hons Programme in glass and ceramics, and also at the University of Wolverhampton and Sars Potteries, Musee atelier du Verre In France. In that time his work has achieved recognition in major collections and competitions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum London, Ebletoft Glass Museum Denmark, Hsin-Chu Municipal Glass Museum, Taiwan, Ernsting Stiftung Glasmuseum Germany, and nomination for the Jerwood prize for glass.

Novie Trump / Ceramics / US

Novie Trump is a DC based sculptor and installation artist working primarily in ceramic and mixed media. Formally trained in classical archaeology at the University of North Carolina, her work has been selected for juried and invitational exhibitions in the US and Europe and has been featured in numerous publications. Winner of the Strauss Fellowship, she has been awarded numerous grants and commissions for several public art works, the most recent at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. She has served on several nonprofit boards of arts organizations, currently she serves as the Chair of the Distinguished Artist Series for the James Renwick Alliance.

Erwin Timmers / Glass / US

Erwin Timmers is Co-founder and Director of the Washington Glass School and one of the DC area’s leading ‘eco-artists’. Recycling, waste, the environment and how they relate to society are recurring themes in his work – and, as an educator, Erwin has developed a number of courses that integrate ecological sustainability into the program. His work featured in various prominent collections and has received commissions from numerous commercial enterprises, such as Starwood Urban, The United States EPA Headquarters, Maryland’s Prince George’s County Courthouse and the US Library of Congress.

Dr Andrew Livingstone / Ceramics / UK

Dr Andrew Livingstone holds a BA(Hons), MA and a PhD, The Authenticity of Clay and its Redefinition within Contemporary Practice: Ceramic Familiarity and the Contribution to Expansion. He is an academic at the University of Sunderland where he leads both MA Ceramics and CARCuos the Ceramic Arts Research Centre. He recently exhibited in ‘Red Hot’ an exhibition of clay in contemporary art in Germany together with Ai Weiwei and Richard Deacon. His research area is focused on ceramics in the widest sense engaging with material, process and the social contexts in which ceramics operate. The familiarity of ceramic material and object take center stage within his research, where both the handmade and ready made are employed within both installation and conceptual applications. Andrew’s work operates within the expanded field of ceramics and investigates the employment of and interface between digital media, film, animation, photography and non-ceramic intervention.

Jeff Herrity / Ceramics / US

Jeff Herrity had along career in Internet marketing helping non-profit organizations integrate offline and online communications, including membership and donor development fundraising efforts. After 15 years in the industry, Jeff decided to change paths and pursue art and art education at the Corcoran College of Art+Design, where he graduates May 12, 2012. His work currently explores the relationships we create in a give-and-take marketing driven culture.

Brian Thompson / Glass / UK

Professor Brian Thompson is Associate Dean of Faculty of Arts, Design & Media at the University of Sunderland. He has been awarded numerous prizes including: the Norwich School of Art Fellowship, the Pernod prize and the Peter Stuyvesant Art prize.From a background in fine art, he maintains a continuing practice in sculpture and drawing, exhibiting his work. Brian’s sculptures reference how journeys explore landscapes, how paths get worn, compress and build up over many generations; how rivers cut and change course as they journey to the sea. These routes and points where they cross reveal the topography of the world and tell us something about how we come to know and navigate in nature.

Phil Vickery / Glass / UK

Phil Vickery is an international award winning glass artist who is based in the North East of England. Phil was awarded the Renwick Award for Distinction in Glass in 2009, and in 2011 was chosen for one of five Honorary Diplomas of the Jutta Cuny – Franz Foundation, Germany. Most recently he was the winner of the Art In Lyddington award for best 3D in show, UK, 2012. His work involves two references concepts of thought, human nature, and the subconscious. His technique showcases the process, movement and fluidity of glass; gathering over and over again to make the internal twisting more encased and to form an aesthetic of maelstroms in water.

There will be a “Day of Demos” by a number of the visiting UK artists – Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Phil Vickery and Roger Tye @ DC Glassworks 2009

2:00 PM at DC GlassWorks, UK hot glass artists Phil Vickery, Colin Rennie and Roger Tye will show how they work. Click HERE to reserve a space at the free demo.

Posted in 2013, aa1, creative cohesion, international glass and clay, sunderland, university of sunderland, washington glass school

US/UK Collaborative Art Precedents : Glass 3 and Artomatic

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Michael Janis |

As the arrangements for the UK artists are being finalized, the Washington Glass School blog takes a look back to the first two collaborative exhibitions and their outcome.

GLASS 3__________________________
In 2008, Artomatic organized an exhibit that showcased glass art, focusing on how three “glass” cities approach the medium. The collaborative show was titled “Glass 3” referencing the invited glass centers of Washington, DC, Toledo, Ohio and Sunderland, England.

Sunderland is home to the UK’s National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland. The North East of England has a long tradition of glassmaking – since the 7th century as glassmakers from France were brought in to make the stained glass windows. The numerous glass factories of the 17th and 18th century have now closed, and in its place a number of studio glass artists working in smaller studios.
Toledo, Ohio is known as “Glass City” – where in 1962, Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino presented the seminal glass workshop with the Toledo Museum of Art. This workshop profoundly influenced the American Studio Glass Movement.
Washington, DC glass artists work at using glass as an expressive component in a larger whole, mastering technique in order to express content. The “post-craft” artists strive to make works that transcend words and discrete disciplines – therein lies their beauty.

Design of the Glass 3 exhibit graphics and catalog by Jon Gann.

Artomatic had secured an exhibition space in the Georgetown Mall, and in February, artwork and artists from the UK and Ohio came into DC setting up the multi-level space.

2008 “Glass 3” Exhibit. Photo by Tracy Lee.


Artist Vanessa Cutler (R) talks about the UK artwork with Sunderland City Council’s Anne Tye (C) and DCist’s Heather Goss (L) on opening night.

DCist city blog writer Heather Goss wrote of the 2008 collaborative show “Glass 3”:
“But does all of this lovey-dovey, hands-around-the-world stuff translate into a good art show? In this case, definitely. Glass work has always faced a tough challenge being accepted as “fine art” and not “a bunch of bowls and vases you find at the craft fair.” And if anyone can make you change your mind, its the artists from Sunderland. Some of the artists are actually experts in glass theory with Ph.Ds and have developed techniques that not only create beautiful art, but have revolutionized architecture and other uses for the medium.”
Click HERE to jump to full DCist article.

A catalog of the works in the show was published, a copy is in the Corning Museum of Glass’ Rakow Library.

Click HERE to jump to the Glass 3 catalog pdf.
The Brits returned charged up with the success of the interaction with the Americans, and based on the Washington Glass School model, created a not-for-profit artist run studio facility in Sunderland; Creative Cohesion. The new organization is home to professional artists working in glass, ceramics, fine art and mixed media, with a gallery, arts workshops and a glass hot-shop.

UK’s Stephen Reveley’s fused glass forms at 2009 Artomatic.

Artomatic 2009__________________________
In 2009, Artomatic held the 10th anniversary of its unjuried art fair in DC’s Southeast, near the Navy Yard. 38 artists from the UK were able to participate in the event via Creative Cohesion joining with Artomatic in the planning of the exchange. A number of the visiting artists were part of the University of Sunderland and the UK’s National Glass Centre and held workshops where they demonstrated their techniques.

UK glass casting workshop by Stephen Beardsell held at Washington Glass School, May 2009.

Sarah Blood’s neon artwork at Artomatic.

The Artomatic was a great success, and the visiting artists were able to connect to the US artscene. Glass artist Phil Vickery’s artwork was selected by the James Renwick Alliance to receive their Craft Award of Distinction.

Award winning glass by Phil Vickery.

2009 UK / US Artomatic artist reception

The connection between the sister city artists had been strengthened, andProfessor Peter Fidler, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland was impressed with the artists at Washington Glass School, and sought out ways to continue the interaction.

Later, after Tim Tate and Michael Janis were successful Fulbright Scholar candidates, the connection to the University of Sunderland continued; in 2012, they both were Fulbright Scholars at the University and held workshops at Creative Cohesion.

The Brits are back this year, and the exhibit has broadened to include ceramic artwork.To complement the artwork, International Glass and Clay 2013 will host panels at Pepco Edison Place Gallery all month long meant to inspire in depth conversation about cultural diplomacy, Fulbright exchanges and international artists residencies and the arts. The events will include representatives from cultural institutions in the nation’s capital, including embassies, government entities, think tanks and local arts organizations.

“This year, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities launched a program encouraging District artists and arts organizations to develop cultural partnerships with our sister cities, which we are proud to implement,” said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “International Glass and Clay 2013 is an excellent example of how cities with differing cultures can approach diplomacy through their respective creative heritage.”

International Glass and Clay2013 will open from Friday, March 1 to Friday, March 22. It is free for the public to attend. At Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 Eighth Street (between G and H Street). Gallery hours are 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Tuesdays, and 12 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The Gallery Place Metro station servicing the green, red and yellow lines is within close walking distance to the gallery.

Posted in american studio glass, artomatic, british glass, creative cohesion, fulbright, glass 3, glass three, glass3, media based art, sunderland, UK glass artists