Category Archives: fused float glass

MICA Presents “Just A Drop”

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Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and the Curatorial Practice MFA (CP) Practicum class present “Just a Drop,” an exhibition on view in MICA’s Meyerhoff Gallery from February 10th to March 3rd, 2023. Through a wide range of objects and materials — including sculptures, illustrations, protest banners, textiles, glass art, videos, and a large-scale newly-commissioned mural — the 13 artists highlighted in this show reveal how water sustains life and shapes human destinies. Inspired by the September 2022 boil water advisory in West Baltimore, the five MICA students that organized “Just a Drop” dove deep into the history of the planet’s most precious resource. For this exhibition, a diverse group of artists, activists, and storytellers were brought together to describe people’s relationships to water via culture, ritual, and conservation. With personal, collective, and mythical imagery and stories, the featured artists invite viewers to reconsider the element that makes up 60% of their bodies and covers more than 70% of the planet’s surface.

Erwin Timmers; “Watered Down”, 2023, cast recycled float glass, steel, LED, 13″W x 39″H x 4″D.

Erwin Timmers is one of the artists in the exhibition, and his work – “Watered Down” is a wall mounted sculpture made of cast float glass. The artwork references the ubiquitous trash that fills the oceans – the disposed water bottle.

Erwin Timmers - environmental artist
Artist Erwin Timmers working in his studio at the Washington Glass School in Mt Rainier, MD.

“Just a Drop” opens at 5:00PM on Friday, February 10th with a public reception featuring a live storytelling performance by Griot Grandmother Edna.

Location
Meyerhoff Gallery
1303 W Mount Royal Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21217

Posted in "dry plaster casting" washington, art from recycled material, cast float glass, cast recycled glass, erwin timmers, fused float glass, LED, Meyerhoff Gallery, MICA, recycle glass, recycle glass sculpture, recycled float glass, recycled glass, recycled glass art

Getting Off Your Glass for Earth Day

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Recycling Glass = Love

As a way to make every day Earth Day  – Erwin Timmers “Going Green” class works at reducing the amount of glass in the waste stream by upcycling  – using recycled glass to make sculptural pieces and architectural elements.

The class eagerly explored ways to give new life to old glass – from bottles to recycled tempered float glass.  Glass chemistry, coloration, and firing temperatures were reviewed for each particular application. The class’ final workshop is next week, when dryplaster – bas  relief – casting with float glass will be explored.

Recycled glass never looked so lovely!

Recycled glass never looked so lovely!

The eco students learn how to make hand built refractory molds for glass casting.

The eco students learn how to make hand built refractory molds for glass casting.

Posted in earth day, earthday, environmental art, fused float glass, going green, recycle glass, recycled float glass, recycled glass art

Washington Glass School Wishes All A Peaceful Memorial Day

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One of the fused glass panels made for the new Laurel Library public artwork.

One of the fused glass panels made for the new Laurel Library public artwork.

To many, Memorial Day, the federal U.S. holiday that takes place every year on the last Monday of May, is just another excuse for a three-day weekend. It’s also known as the day that marks the official start of summer and as a day devoted to getting great deals at the mall. However, the true meaning of Memorial Day goes far beyond barbecues and mattress sales.

The holiday began after the Civil War, and at that time was known as “Decoration Day.” While it was originally founded to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War, today, Memorial Day is a day to honor all of the Americans who have died in military service.

Patriotic Americans should take a moment from their day of celebration and leisure to reflect on the brave sacrifices of those who have given their lives for this great nation. 

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism. George Washington

 

Posted in fused float glass, fused glass, laurel, memorial day

Erwin Timmers : Alchemical Vessel

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The Smith Center for Healing and the Arts will have a special exhibit and fund raising benefit. Titled ‘Alchemical Vessels‘, this initiative will feature the work of 125 artists, selected by 16 invited curators, to engage in a community dialogue on healing and transformation through the arts. Each artist has transformed a provided ceramic bowl using their own personal aesthetic and medium, drawing inspiration from the bowl as a place of holding, open community, a circle of care, sacred space, nourishment, and even the alchemical vessel. 

Erwin Timmers “Message In A Bottle” kilnformed recycled glass, ceramic

Washington Glass School’s Co-Director has created a work using his signature cast recycled glass. In honor of Earth Day, we are posting about his work in the upcoming show.

Said Erwin of his artwork for the show at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery: “The alchemical vessel speaks about creating purity, harmony and the healing that flows from it.  My work focuses on the disharmony we see in nature and our environment, which has a pronounced impact on our own wellbeing. This [vessel] references how we, as a society, consume and discard resources without much consideration.  I use the water bottle, a vessel in its own right, as a symbol of a useful everyday object that people use and discard thoughtlessly and which has now been severely overused.  Last year we consumed 28 billion plastic bottles, and only roughly 15% of them got recycled.”

“Using the medium of casting recycled glass and specific techniques to manipulate this medium” said Erwin of his glass sculpture, “my work invites the viewer to consider not only the end product, but also the origin of the piece and the process of re-creation. I hope my work showcases the possibility and beauty of recycled material, while encouraging the viewer to consider his or her environmental impact.”

Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery at Smith Farm Center, 1632 U St NW, DC

Alchemical Vessels Benefit: May 17, 2013, 7-9pm

About the Benefit
100% of the ticket sale proceeds will go to support Smith Center’s life-enhancing work and programs for people living with and recovering from cancer.

Benefit Ticket information:

Benefit tickets $125: 125 Benefit tickets will be sold, and each ticket holder at this level will be given the opportunity to select a piece of art. Priority will be given by the order in which the tickets were purchased—so the first to buy a ticket will be awarded first pick of the 125 works, and so on. All 125 works will remain in the show until after the closing of the exhibition on June 7, at which time the new owners can pick them up.

Supporter ticket: $50: This price level is good for entrance to the Benefit only. Ticket holders at this level do not get to keep a piece of art.

If you have trouble purchasing tickets, please call 202.483.8600 or email them at outreach@smithcenter.org.

Posted in art from recycled material, cast recycled glass, earth day, earthday, erwin timmers, fused float glass, Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts, smith center, smith farm, sustainable art design

The "King" Goes to Ohio’s Brazee Street Studios

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Brazee Street Studios in Cincinnati

The King of recycling – Erwin Timmers – heads off this week to Cincinnati’s Brazee Studio, where he will be giving an artist talk on his work on exhibit in the show “Another Man’s Treasure” currently at Gallery One One. The talk is scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 5:00 pm.

Erwin Timmers’ use of recycled glass is featured in his Going Green class.

 While in Cincinnati, Erwin will be teaching a class on using recycled glass  – click HERE for more details of the classes held at Brazee Street Studios.

Cincinnati, Ohio, home of WKRP.
And of Cincinnati style chili (made with unusual seasonings such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice or chocolate. And served over spaghetti doused with shredded cheese.!)


Posted in brazee street studio, cincinnati, erwin timmers, fused float glass, gallery one one, king of recycling

Washington Post Magazine Features Environmental Artist Erwin Timmers

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photo by Ben Tankersley / Washington Post

The Washington Post Sunday Magazine has a great article about how Erwin Timmers is able to source artwork from ordinary cast-offs. Washington Post writer Kris Coronado interviewed Erwin for the “Closer Inspection” column of the magazine, and spent the day at the school with photographer Ben Tankersley, wanting to know the story of seemingly every piece of glass they found.



Washington Post’s Ben Tankersley sets up an impromptu photo studio for Erwin Timmers work



Kris writes: “Erwin Timmers, artist and co-founder of the Washington Glass School in Mount Rainier, has taken recycling to heart. “That’s my carbon footprint,” he jokes, pointing to a depression of his boot set in the large slab of repurposed green glass hung on the wall. “I like using objects that everybody recognizes that are everyday, common items,” he says, “that people don’t really realize what value they have … until they end up in the trash heap.”



Washington Post Magazine “Closer Inspection” Sunday, August 21, 2011

Get your paper this weekend! Or for those looking to minimize their carbon footprint – click HERE to read the article online. Want to know more about Erwin’s upcoming class on fusing with recycled glass or making tables with recycled glass? Click HERE to jump to the Washington Glass School online class list.