The upcoming community presentation on June 22nd at the Landon Park Recreation Center will provide a platform for Ward 5 residents to view and discuss the proposed design for the memorial. This event is not only a preview of the memorial but also an invitation for the community to contribute their voices to this landmark project.
The memorial aims to be a poignant reminder of the systemic racism and exploitation that have marred American history, while also celebrating the resilience and enduring legacy of those who were enslaved. Situated in the nation’s capital, this tribute will join the ranks of many other monuments and memorials, enriching the narrative with stories of those who have been historically marginalized. As the Nation’s capital, monuments and commemorative works have typically been focused on or reserved for commemoration to individuals or subjects of national importance within the monumental core, the original L’Enfant City, and mostly in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6. Many of these subjects participated in slavery, systemic racism, and the mistreatment of, or took actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, certain groups of people, and women.
In a historic move to acknowledge and honor the invaluable contributions of enslaved individuals who helped build the U.S. Capitol, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in collaboration with the DC Office of Planning (OP), has selected WGS Co-Director Michael Janis to design the Ward 5 Public Art Memorial. This significant project aims to shed light on the often-overlooked role of over 200 enslaved people whose labor laid the foundation for one of the most iconic symbols of democracy.
Janis, Co-Director of the Washington Glass School (WGS), has been actively engaging with the DC Ward 5 community to ensure that the memorial resonates with the local residents and accurately reflects the historical significance and human stories behind the Capitol’s construction. This community-centered approach underscores the importance of collective memory and inclusivity in public art.
DC’s Commemorative Works Program reviews proposals submitted by sponsors, but since the program was established in 2001 has received only a handful of applications for local subjects. OP’s Commemorate DC work includes technical assistance to community partners in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8 to identify commemorative subjects and sites before supporting efforts in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6. The Office of Planning’s partners are convening meetings with community groups and residents to discuss subjects to commemorate, appropriate sites, and concept designs of commemorative works. Concept designs will be reviewed by the Commemorative Works Committee who will make a recommendation on each proposal to the Mayor and District Council, who have final review and approval. A link to the 4 initial Commemorative projects here.
The DC Public Art Memorial is more than a work of art; it is a symbol of reconciliation, education, and recognition. It will invite all visitors to reflect on the past and encourage ongoing dialogue about equality and justice.
Join Michael Janis, the DC CAH & OP along with the Ward 5 community on June 22nd to participate in the outlining of a project that seeks to honor the past and inspire a future of inclusivity and acknowledgment. This is an important occasion for Washington, DC, and for the nation, as we begin this transformative initiative.
View of Fondazione Berengo Art Space, Campiello della Pescheria 4
Bill just returned from visiting Venice and can give us great insights into how glass is being used in art today by artists from around the world. He will also talk about Glasstress, a project by Adriano Berengo to further Berengo’s mission to promote the use of glass in the world of contemporary art. The first Glasstress exhibition was launched in 2009 to establish a new platform for art made with glass and was founded as a collateral event of the Venice Biennale. This is the seventh edition of Glasstress, where Berengo Studios has brought together a group of leading contemporary artists from Europe, the United States, Latin America, Africa and China in an ambitious exhibition that explores the infinite creative possibilities of glass. The works are hosted inside the Berengo Art Space Foundation in Murano, an old abandoned furnace transformed a few years ago into a suggestive exhibition space.
This Friday, September 3rd, Michigan’s Habatat Galleries presents the opening of Glass Art Fair exhibition at 11:00 a.m. ET. This will be the VIP preview day for the online art fair as it opens to the public virtually the next day. This presentation includes many of available works that will be featured in the Habatat Galleries 50th in-person celebration.
Michael Janis’ kilncast glass is featured in Habatat Galleries 50th Anniversary exhibit.
Artists from around the world have been invited to this event and the gallery expects a large turnout since all have been apart for so long. During the pandemic Habatat has been pioneering the world of virtual glass art events including Glass49, GlassArtFair, the new annual Not Grandma’s Glass exhibition, and the highly apropos Viral Glass exhibition. Director Aaron Schey has created a treasure trove of digital presentations over the last year via Habatat Now programs which are viewable on YouTube.
Gallery founder Ferdinand Hampson shares his thoughts about Habatat’s Legacy: Founded in 1971, Habatat has promoted, legitimized, and elevated a new art material to a point of recognition by the art community. Fifty years later we evolved with glass. We continue our efforts towards the mainstream though we are no longer outsiders. Fine art collectors, museums, and noted art publications have in many cases recognized the medium and shared in the excitement of what this material can do and be, in the hands of creative artists worldwide.
Tim Tate and Michael Janis’ collaborative work – “The Poetry of Everyday Objects” is featured.
Artists exhibiting include: Michael Janis, Marie Ringwald, Matthew Langely, JT Kirkland, Katherine Mann and Sherill Anne Gross. A second artist talk featuring Matt Langley will be held Saturday, April 2.
Marie Ringwald Chunky Patchwork Sheds – paint, wood, tar paper, various metals + nails; each about 6.5″ high x 5.5″ x 5.5″
Curator Stephen Boocks writes in the catalog of the show: “Marie Ringwald refers to herself as a minimalist but most viewers would not readily characterize her work that way.There are clear associations to architectural structures, primarily warehouses and barns…For Ringwald, developing in the 60s and 70s, minimalist abstraction seemed the most natural way of making art. After years of working in this manner she realized she was incorporating these architectural elements into her abstract works began asking, “Why not bring them out into the open? Why not incorporate the actual materials used in the construction of these structures?”
Michael Janis Again and Again – glass, fused glass powder imagery, steel, 20″ x 20″
In the exhibition catalog “Material World – Art Supplies in the Twentyfirst Century” curator Boocks writes: “When most people think of glass art, they typically think of blown glass (or hot glass) vessels like those of Dale Chihuly… Michael Janis works in the warm glass methodthat fuses glass elements together into one piece by layering multiple glass sheets together. The virtuosity of Janis’ technique supports his imagery, which is often tinged with a nostalgia for days where innocence reigned and magic seemed possible. Janis is not simply naïve, for there is a darker undercurrent to these works that speaks to the loss of this sense of wonder.”
Sherill Anne Gross Blood Sweat and Tears – paper, 18″ x 11″
“To say Sherill Anne Gross is obsessed with paper is an understatement. When the local Pearl art supply store went out of business, Gross purchased all of her favorite papers and many others to build quite a stock of materials… She is not only obsessive about her materials but also about her technique”…writes Boocks.
Here is a video of talented paper artist Sherill Gross as she cuts out her signature:
The Corning Museum of Glass hosts a yearly international review of glass in a publication from Germany called New Glass Review (Neues Glas).
This year’s judges included Rachel Berwick, Department Head of Glass, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island; Mieke Groot, independant curator, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Tina Oldknow, the Curator of Modern Glass for Corning Museum, Corning, New York; and Dante Marioni, glass superstar, Seattle, Washington.
A total of 1,047 artists from 43 countries sent 2,974 images of work for consideration. Of these 100 were selected for inclusion in New Glass Review 30,and I am thrilled to be one of those 100! The publication is due in May, and the images will be part of the Corning Museum’s Rakow Research Library.
