Category Archives: fused glass

“New Connections in Glass” Exhibit at Ice House Gallery

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Washington Glass School resident artist Patricia de Poel Wilberg will be featured in the upcoming “New Connections in Glass” exhibit at the Ice House Gallery in Berkeley Springs, WV. Curated by Maureen Storey, the show runs from May 30 to July 27, 2025, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, May 31, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM.

The exhibition brings together eight exceptional glass artists exploring diverse techniques and perspectives within the medium. Each artist offers a unique lens into the many ways glass can be transformed, manipulated, and used to tell visual stories.

Patricia de Poel Wilberg’s work continues to captivate with her painterly approach to glass. For this exhibit, Patricia debuts a vibrant new series of figurative panels celebrating noted women artists throughout history. These tributes aren’t just portraits—they’re rich, layered interpretations that reference each subject’s distinctive art and style, translated into glass.

Patricia de Poel Wilberg working on her new glass artwork series

Using vitreous enamels and kiln-formed glass, Patricia meticulously builds her panels through multiple firings, fusing and reforming components to create dynamic narratives. Her newest works honor the legacies of women whose creative voices have shaped the art world—brought to life in color, texture, and light.

Evolution of Patricia’s glass artwork tribute to Yayoi Kusama. (The Japanese artist known for their signature use of polka dots and large-scale installations.)

“I wanted to show how the spirit of these artists can be reinterpreted through the language of glass,” Patricia explains. “Each panel is a conversation between their work and mine.”

Featured artists in the show include:
Elizabeth Braun
Rachel Brooks
Mark Hill
Sharon Moffitt
Patricia de Poel Wilberg
Laurie Madsen Snarr
Maureen Storey
Nancy Weisser

We encourage everyone to make the trip to the scenic Ice House Gallery to see this remarkable collection and to support Patricia and her fellow artists. It’s sure to be a stunning and inspiring celebration of innovation in glass.

New Connections in Glass
May 30 – July 27, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 31, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Ice House Gallery
138 Independence Street, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
www.icehousecoop.com

Posted in fused glass, patricia de poel wilberg | Tagged , , ,

GLA53 – The 53rd Annual International Glass Invitational Award Exhibition Opens May 3rd at Habatat Galleries Complex, Royal Oak, MI.

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Michael Janis glass art featured in Glass 53
WGS artist Michael Janis’ new works are featured int Glass 53. Image by Pete Duvall.

Glass53 is the largest and oldest annual glass art experience in the world. Now in its 53rd year, Habatat Galleries in Royal Oak, Michigan, presents an extraordinary gathering of the work of over 100 artists from over 30 countries. Each artist is a visionary whose mastery of glass transcends mere materiality to
embody light, texture, and form in ways that captivate the soul. Habatat seeks to honor not only the works themselves but also the journeys of those who create them. This year’s exhibition is not just a showcase; it’s a living narrative of glass as an ever-evolving art form. From the grand halls of the world’s most prestigious museums to the cultural zeitgeist, glass has emerged from the shadows of traditional craftsmanship into the forefront of contemporary discourse. The featured artists are pioneers and storytellers, each bringing a unique perspective to the medium through bold abstraction, intricate realism, or conceptual deconstruction.

Glass53 Booklet (learn all about Glass53): Click HERE

Glass 53 Invited Artists: Shelley M. Allen, Anthony Amoako-attah, Herb Babcock, Michael Behrens, Alex Bernstein, Martin Blank, Jen Blazina, Christina Bothwell, Geoffrey Bowton, Jannah Bowlus, Latchezar Boyadjiev, Peter Bremers, Karen Browning, Nancy Callan, Eunsuh Choi, Deanna Clayton, Amber Cowan, Simone Crestani, Christopher Day, Cheryl Derricotte, Minhi England, Hannah Gibson, Susan Taylor Glasgow, Wilfried Grootens, Baldwin & Guggisberg, Kim Harty, David Huchthausen, Krista Israel, Tim Jaeger, Michael Janis, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen, Richard Jolley, Brent Kee Young, Claire Kelly, Kelly O’Dell, Steve Klein, Vladimira Klumpar, Eriko Kobayashi, Laura Kramer, Jiyong Lee, Steve Linn, Littleton & Vogel, László Lukácsi, Boldizsár Lukácsi, Lucy Lyon, Dylan Martinez, Robert Mickelsen, John Miller, Lukas Mjartan, James Mongrain, Karin Mørch, Josepha Gasch-Muche, Kathleen Mulcahy, Barbara Nanning, David Patchen, Maytas Pavlik, Sibylle Peretti, Pohlman & Knowles, Stephen Rolfe Powell, Colin Reid, Kait Rhoads, Bruno Romunelli, Marlene Rose, Martin Rosol, Richard Royal, Toland Sand, Thomas Scoon, John Sharvin, Judith Schaechter, Jeremy Sinkus, Paul Stankard, Ethan Stern, April Surgent, Lino Tagliapietra, Takizawa Kazuki, Michael Taylor, Bensen & Theofanous, Stephanie Trenchard, Carmen Vetter, Elliot Walker, & Trina Urrata Weintraub.

53nd Annual International Glass Invitational Award Exhibition GLASS53

May 3, 2025 – Sep 19, 2025

Habatat Galleries
4400 Fernlee Ave
Royal Oak, MI 48073

Email: info@habatat.com
Phone: 248-554-0590

Posted in american glass, american studio glass, art glass, art glass today, artists of the washington glass school, contemporary art glass, cool glass, creative glass, fused glass, fused glass imagery, glass art, glass gallery, habatat galleries, imagery in glass, narrative glass, royal oak, studio glass movement, top glass artist, Washington School of Glass | Tagged , , , ,

Looking Forward to 2025!

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To end 2024 on a positive note – We are looking forward to 2025: DC’s new Cedar Hill hospital commissioned Washington Glass Studio to make a ‘DC themed’ glass mural (8 foot x 5 foot high). All our studio artists were invited to make inset panels in their glass style. Just started process fitting out glass panels into the steel framework- here’s a sneak peek! The artwork will be installed early in 2025!! Happy New Year!

Artists involved include: Nancy Kronstadt, Erwin Timmers, Tim Tate, Arden Colley, John Henderson, Patricia de Poel Wilberg, Graciela Granek, April Shelford, Jaelin Jones, Jun Lee, Trish Kent, Chip Montague and Michael Janis.

Posted in " glass studio", contemporary art glass, cool glass, creative glass, eco-friendly glass, fused glass, glass, glass and steel sculpture, kiln fused glass, kiln-formed glass, narrative glass, twenty first century glass, Uncategorized, washington glass school, Washington Glass Studio, Washington School of Glass | Tagged

Winter Open Studio Is Coming!

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Winter Open Studios Set for Dec 14th! Mark Your Calendars!

Join us in the DC region’s largest one-day visual arts event! On Saturday, Dec. 14th, from Noon til 5PM, Washington Glass School and its Resident Artists, Teachers and Students will participate in the Winter Open Studios! See what we’ve been up to!
Come visit hundreds of working artist studios in the Gateway Arts District, along Route 1 from the DC line/ Mount Rainier up to Hyattsville, MD.

December Holiday Open Studio Gateway Arts District DC Maryland
Washington Glass School 3700 Otis Street, MD Rainier, MD

Posted in " glass studio", art glass, artists of the washington glass school, contemporary art glass, cool glass, creative glass, fused glass, glass art, holiday open house, kiln fused glass, kiln-formed glass, kilncast float glass, open house, open studio, studio art glass, studio glass movement, washington glass school, Washington Glass Studio, Washington School of Glass

Washington Post on the DC Glass Scene Seen at Artomatic

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Washington Post article on 2024 Artomatic exhibit

Great review of Artomatic culture event in the Washington Post. Art critic Mark Jenkins enjoys the all-sorts arts experience and singles out the glass art for comment, including using WGS artist Michael Janis’ artwork titled “Waiting for the Moments that Never Come” as the illustrative work for the show. Writes Mark:

“…Among the various business and governmental sponsors of this year’s Artomatic is a small but internationally renowned arts group, the Washington Glass School. The Mount Rainier, Md., studio has taken a large chunk of the building’s fifth floor to showcase the elegant creations of co-founders Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers and several other glass virtuosos. Tate, who credits Artomatic with playing a significant role in his career, is showing a sculpture that riffs on Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man.” The provocatively androgynous update positions eight glass figures — male, female and combined — in a circle surrounded by mirrors and lights that simulate a sense of endless replication…”

In the galleries: Artomatic: Unpretentious, approachable, convivial – Review by Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, April 5, 2024

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2024/04/05/art-gallery-shows-dc-area/

By contrast – have a read about how the Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik thought of the 2004 Artomatic exhibit:

…”The result is the second-worst display of art I’ve ever seen. The only one to beat it out, by the thinnest of split hairs, was the 2002 Artomatic, which was worse only by virtue of being even bigger and in an even more atrocious space, down by the waterfront in a vacant modern office building. I won’t dwell on the art. And I certainly won’t name names…There may just be a few decent things hidden in the mix — with so many thousands of objects on display, the law of averages says there must be. But three hours’ worth of looking didn’t spot too many. Some of the glasswork looked all right. (Glass is such a gorgeous medium it’s hard to screw it up, and you need some basic training even to begin to work in it.)

Artomatic 2004: Hanging Is Too Good for It by Blake Gopnik

November 10, 2004

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2004/11/11/artomatic-2004-hanging-is-too-good-for-it/353b4ecd-8d74-475b-9386-63d5acd048db/

Artomatic runs thru April 28th. 2100 M Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Posted in 21st century glass, american glass, art glass, artists of the washington glass school, bullseye glass, cool glass, fused glass, gay glass, glass art, mark jenkins, twenty first century glass, washington glass school, washington post, Washington School of Glass | Tagged , , ,

Artomatic Event: The Washington Glass Scene, March 16th, 5-7PM

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Step into a world where glass transcends its ordinary form and becomes a canvas of boundless creativity. The Washington Glass Scene on display in Artomatic’s Level 5 invites you to celebrate the kaleidoscopic fusion of artistry and craftsmanship on April 16th, 2024 from 5-7PM. Prepare to be captivated as the magic of glass takes center stage in a creative showcase unlike any other. Join us as we celebrate the transformative power of this versatile medium, where every piece tells a unique story and invites you to explore the depths of imagination. Meet the artists that are making the Washington Glass Scene a distinctive voice and push the boundaries, redefining the possibilities of glass. Event is Free and open to the Public!

Artomatic 25th Anniversary Event: Celebrate DC’s Glass Scene!

2100 M Street, Washington, DC 20037

Posted in " glass studio", 21st century glass, american glass, american studio glass, art glass, art glass today, artists of the washington glass school, artomatic, conceptual glass, contemporary art glass, content driven glass, cool glass, creative glass, fused glass, fused glass sculpture, glass, glass art

5208 – Glass and Woodblock Printing Fusion

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After the smashing success of last year’s class, we’re back with an improved version. Dive into the intersection of glass casting and woodblock printing. Participants will embark on a journey merging traditional techniques to create new and unique artworks.

You will learn the fundamentals of woodblock printing, and how to carve intricate designs into wood blocks to produce striking prints. Then we will explore a novel approach: using the woodcut blocks to create molds for casting glass.

This hands-on course explores the fusion of traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques by transforming carved woodcut blocks into glass printing plates.

By the end of the course, students will have produced 4 remarkable artworks: a traditional woodblock print, a cast glass duplicate, and a print piece of each that celebrates the harmonious marriage of these two distinct mediums.

Printmaker Jun Lee
Artist/Instructor Arden Colley
Prints from Glass Casting

Posted in " glass studio", Class, class schedule, classes, dc art class, fused glass, fused glass class, glass class, summer class list | Tagged

Class 5300 – Fused Glass Coral Bowls

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Diverse and beautifully mesmerizing, coral provides shelter and creates an environment to help marine life thrive. Inspired by the labyrinth-like patterns of coral found in our oceans, we invite you to make a fascinating interlocking glass design!
Students are provided with a variety of glass colors to choose from, as well as tools to cut and shape the pieces. As one carefully arranges the glass fragments, they can experiment with different patterns and arrangements to create a stunning coral-like design. Beginner level experience.

Posted in cool class, cool glass, fused, fused glass, fused glass class, kiln fused glass, kiln-formed, kiln-formed glass, kilncast

Hope & Healing Exhibition at Montpelier Arts Center

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The Annual Prince George’s County Juried Exhibition, now in its 34th year, draws on the vast core of visual artists that live, work, or maintain a studio in Prince George’s County. This exhibition also serves to foster an inclusive spirit among the participating artists as well as showcase their talents, skills, and diverse use of mediums. This year’s exhibit is themed “Hope & Healing”, presenting works that reflect and symbolize what connects us as people and what gives faith and optimism for the future of our society.

Washington Glass School is so proud of Resident artist April Shelford – whose work titled “Summer” was selected for the exhibition.

April Shelford, “Summer”, 2022, kilncast glass, steel. Photo by Pete Duvall.

34TH ANNUAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY JURIED EXHIBITION

November 2, 2022-January 6, 2023

Public Reception : Sunday, November 6, 3-5 pm

Montpelier Arts Center

9652 Muirkirk Road

Laurel, MD 20708

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Michael Janis Finalist in 2022 Contemporary Craft Prize

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Michael Janis, “Allowing Our Past to Become Part of Ourselves” detail, 2022, fused glass, glass powder imagery. Photo by Pete Duvall.

17 national and international finalists have been selected for this biennial exhibition in glass art, featuring newly created, innovative works.

Michael Janis glass art - title "Allowing Our Past to Become Part of Ourselves" 60"H x 40' W fused glass, glass powder imagery aluminum

Glass is itself a transformation: created when ordinary sand encounters extreme heat. In this breathtaking exhibition, glass is transformed again, this time by 17 contemporary artists from across the globe. The resulting work pushes the boundary of traditional craft techniques and takes glass from the realm of the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Transformation 11: Contemporary Works in Glass is Contemporary Craft’s 2022 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize juried exhibition. The winning artist and their work will be announced and presented at the public opening of the exhibition on Friday, September 9, 2022, where they will receive a cash prize. The 2022 prize will be awarded in the category of glass, and must meet the requirement that it has been made within the last 12 months and addresses the theme of “transformation.” Seventeen contemporary artists from across the globe explore creative concepts and innovative approaches in their use of the glass medium, with the winning artist sending additional works to demonstrate the breadth of their work.

The 2022 Raphael Prize finalists are: Dean Allison, Pittsburgh, PA; Eunsuh Choi, Rochester, WI; Donald Friedlich, Madison, WI; Michael Janis, Washington, DC; Lauren Kalman, Detroit, MI; David King, Danville, KY; Eriko Kobayashi, Carbondale, IL; Weston Lambert, Tacoma, WA; Patrick Martin, Emporia, KS; Hisayoshi Muto, Yatomi, Aichi, Japan; Aya Oki, San Bernardino, CA; Miroslava Ptackova, Zlín, Zlínský kraj, Czech Republic; David Schnuckel, Rochester, NY; Michaela Spruzinova, Ústí Nad Labem, brná, Czech Republic; Ben Wright, Stanwood, WA; Ayano Yoshizumi, Everard Park, SA, Australia; and Hoseok Youn, Toledo, OH.

The jury for the 2022 prize includes Anna Rothfuss, Project Development Manager, Derix Art Glass Consultants, LLC U.S., Portland, OR; Heather McElwee, Randi & L. Van V. Dauler, Jr. Executive Director, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA; Alexandra Raphael, enameller, London, England; Catherine Raphael, metalsmith and writer, Pittsburgh, PA; Rachel Saul Rearick, Executive Director, and Kate Lydon, Director of Exhibitions (retired), Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA

Contemporary Craft, 5645 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Contemporary Craft hours: Mon-Sat: 10 AM – 4 PM

September 9, 2022 – March 18, 2023

This opening is free and open to the public.

ABOUT CONTEMPORARY CRAFT

Contemporary Craft presents contemporary art in craft media by regional, national, and international artists. Contemporary Craft offers cutting edge exhibitions focusing on multicultural diversity and contemporary art, as well as a range of artist-led studio workshops, community engagement programs, and a store. Located at 5645 Butler Street in the Upper Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org

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