John Henderson at DC’s "Community of Hope" Collection

John Henderson “Kadima” fused glass

Washington Glass School Resident Artist John Hendersonrecently had a glass artwork panel acquired by Community of Hope, a non-profit organization located in Washington D.C. For 33 years, Community of Hope has provided hope and stability to low-income and homeless adults and children in DC. This acquisition was facilitated by Fitzgerald Fine Arts, an art consulting firm headed by Lillian Fitzgerald.

John Henderson began his artistic studies at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, at Harvard University. John’s artistic journey has taken him through printmaking, water colors, stained glass, metal sculpture, and finally kilnformed glass.

John Henderson

Said John about his glass artwork:“I use glass as my medium because of its translucency and reflective qualities…In working with glass, my focus is on shape, form, texture and color…I use many different materials mixed with glass, yet glass is the dominated focus in all its various applications and techniques.”

“In creating this visual transparency; abstracting images, symbols and text, my work invokes a spiritual awareness and connection to the past. My aesthetic philosophy is an exploration and extension of my cultural identity. I am reclaiming and reconciling the past, with the present, in order to move forward.”

The title of the triptych piece is “Kadima”. Kadima means “Forward” in Hebrew.  The medium is fused glass and each panel measures 8″x10″.

Congratulations John!

Glass Artwork for Shady Grove Hospital

The Washington Glass Studio was commissioned to make cast glass artwork for the chapel at the Shady Grove Hospital. Working with the art consultant – Fitzgerald Fine Arts – the artwork involves integration of glass with a large stone boulder. The artwork anchors and defines the interior chapel of the new Aquilino Cancer Center, now under construction in Rockville, MD.

The stonework required a setting bed and the glass framework was mounted into the concrete. The 5′-0″ H glass panels will cantilever out of steel frame behind the stonework, creating a dimensional screen to the meditative room.  The artwork team comes to the Glass Studio for a final review of the dimensions, process and schedule.

(L-R) Don Sebastian, Erwin Timmers, Lillian Fitzgerald and Erica Kemper review the design documents of the 5′-0″H cast glass panels.
Erwin Timmers describes the cast glass process, and discusses color options.
The design calls for bas-relief leaves cascading around the stone element.

Erwin Timmers said of the artwork concept: “The flowing cast glass leaves create a calming vista and reinforce a sense of transformation. Aided by the almost meditative quality of translucent cast glass, the viewer might contemplate healing visions of nature.”

More will be posted as the glass panels start being set up in the kilns!