Tis the Season!
All of us at the Washington Glass School & Studio Wish You and Family a Joyous Holiday Season! And a Happy Healthy New Year!
(L-R) Patricia De Poel Wilberg, Erwin Timmers, Christina Helowicz, Nancy Kronstadt, Kate Barfield, Tim Tate, April Shelford, Michael Janis, Trish Kent and John Henderson. Not pictured: Graciela Granek, Sean Robinson, Diane Cabe, Gabrielle Morris, Kyle Crosby, and Daphne Matyas.
Save The Date! May 14th is the proposed date for Washington Glass School Open Studio Tour! Many of the surrounding art studios and galleries will be participating! We will follow health protocols – and it will be great to see all in real life! Come and see what’s new and what has been shaking at the studio!
This Thursday, Dec 16th, from 12 noon- 8pm, join us at the Holiday Open House at Arts’tination @ National Harbor. Prince George’s County Arts & Humanities Council (PGAHC) features artworks by local artists and has a space dedicated to artworks by artists of the Washington Glass School. Shown cast glass by Erwin Timmers.
Symbiotic Presence: The 2020 Prince George’s County Juried exhibition
The Prince George’s County Juried exhibition is sponsored by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. The exhibition will be on display at Brentwood Arts Exchange from November 16 through January 9, 2021.This Call ends on October 2, 2020
SYMBIOTIC PRESENCE
Throughout time, artists have shown the strength and willpower to bring people together and help heal fractured communities, especially during times of crisis. This year’s county juried exhibition, Symbiotic Presence, presents the opportunity for Prince George’s County artists to explore these mutually beneficial and supportive relationships and to tell their stories. Artists inspire communities to re-examine, re-invent and move forward together by showing us that we are not alone, by creating beauty amidst challenges and by revealing truth, thereby returning us to meaning.
JUROR – SHANTI NORRIS
Shanti Norris is chief curator for the Integrated Arts and Healing program at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Fairfax, VA. She is Co-Founder and Executive Director emeritus of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, where she founded the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery. A long-time resident of Prince George’s County, Shanti is the mother of three adult children, and is a sculptor, painter and curator.
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to all artists who are 18 years of age or older who live, work, study, or have a studio in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Artists may submit a maximum of 3 artworks for consideration.
EXHIBITION TIMELINE
DEADLINE TO APPLY ONLINE: Friday, October 2, 2020, 11:59 pm
ARTISTS NOTIFIED: Tuesday, October 13, 2020
ARTISTS DROP OFF WORK AT THE BRENTWOOD ARTS EXCHANGE: Saturday, October 31, 2020. Selected artists will be given the opportunity to schedule their drop off times via SignUpGenius.com prior to the 31st.
EXHIBITION OPENING DATE *: Monday, November 16, 2020
*If The Brentwood Arts Exchange remains closed to the public, the exhibit will be made available virtually.
EXHIBITION CLOSING DATE: Saturday, January 9, 2021
CLOSING RECEPTION, ARTIST AND CURATOR TALK: Saturday, January 9, 2021
*If The Brentwood Arts Exchange remains closed to the public, the artist/curator talk will be made available virtually.
ARTISTS PICK UP WORK FROM THE BRENTWOOD ARTS EXCHANGE: Saturday, January 16, 2021
SUBMISSION CRITERIA
Artists may submit a maximum of 3 artworks for consideration, including 3-Dimensional or video work. All works must be original (no reproductions). Images of works should be high quality and with enough resolution to see significant details.
A bio, artist statement with current contact info and a list of the works submitted with titles, media, date, dimensions, and price listed are also required with submission.
Applications must be submitted online at: m-ncppc.submittable.com
GALLERY LOCATION & HOURS
The Brentwood Arts Exchange is located at 3901 Rhode Island Ave, Brentwood, MD 20722. The phone number is 301-277-2863 and website is arts.pgparks.com.
ABOUT BRENTWOOD ARTS EXCHANGE
The Brentwood Arts Exchange is The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s component of the public-private partnership with Gateway Arts Center, serving as an anchor for Prince George’s County Gateway Arts District. We focus on connecting audiences to diverse forms and ideas within contemporary art through visual arts exhibitions, live musical performances, curated film screenings, and classes. We also operate a retail store, selling functional art by local artists.
M-NCPPC/Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation/Arts and Cultural Heritage Division; Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council; and University of Maryland University College Arts Program invite artists and other art professionals to a two-day symposium:
Public art—art outside traditional galleries or museums—is present everywhere, but many artists have limited knowledge of the various factors involved in participating in public art projects. The goal of this symposium is to demystify the process by bringing together people active in the public art field to address these factors.
The first day provides an introduction to public art through panel discussions geared to all levels of artistic experience. The second day offers a deeper dive into specific components of public art projects. Special closing events will take place on both days. This symposium will give attendees the opportunity to network and connect with presenters and each other.
Selected Panel Topics
Registration and on-site parking are free, but space is limited.
Click HERE to register online.
Alec Simpson at Alec.Simpson@pgparks.com or arts.pgparks.com
Rhonda Dallas at rdallas@pgahc.org or pgahc.org
Eric Key at eric.key@umuc.edu or umuc.edu/art
University of Maryland University College
3501 University Boulevard East, Room 2001
Adelphi, MD 20783 | Directions
Washington Glass Studio sculpture at the new Laurel Library. Photo by Pete Duvall.
The Washington Glass Studio (WGS) has recently completed installation of a community based site specific public art commission for Prince George’s County Laurel Library. The new building was designed by Grimm + Parker Architects, with the grand opening of the new library scheduled for November 28, 2016. Features of the spectacular new library include an inset floor area in the children’s section where kids will get to peer at a replica velociraptor skeleton through the glass floor. Just a few miles away from the library site is Dinosaur Park, where scientists work to excavate fossils from the early Cretaceous period. Dinosaur imagery was also included as a theme running through the glass artwork panels.
WGS design proposal sketch.
WGS was awarded the commission to make the outdoor sculpture at the front of the new library by Maryland’s Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council (PGAHC). The Art in Public Places Program RFQ sought out artwork that would provide world class artwork for Prince George’’s County residents and visitors.
WGS proposal for the project was a 17’H internally illuminated glass and steel sculpture that incorporates glass panels made by the community,residents and stakeholders of the Laurel, MD community. The engineering of the steel framework involved detailed analysis of the structure and its components. WGS worked with structural engineer Holbert Apple to ensure the integrity of the design.
Detailed analysis of sculpture was part of the design development process.
Over 100 glass inset panels were made during the series of workshops held at the Washington Glass School. The Baltimore Sun newspaper featured a story by reporter Lisa Philip about the process.
A series of community glass quilting bees were held at the Washington Glass School for the library during the summer. Photo by Lisa Philip/Baltimore Sun
The artwork’s title “Involve Me and I Learn” is based on a phrase attributed to US Founding Father Benjamin Franklin (who also opened the first US public library). The name references the engagement of the community. The neighborhood and the Laurel Library supporters had joined in making the individual glass panels in workshops at the Washington Glass School.
The resulting variations in each tile’s imagery and technique embody the artist’s concept in bringing the people from the diverse community together to create a cohesive and vibrant sculpture.
The artwork’s internally illuminated kiln-formed glass panels express the personality and the individuality of everyone involved in the project. Photo by Pete Duvall
Project Information
Artist: Washington Glass Studio
Design Team: Laurie Brown, Michael Janis, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Audrey Wilson. With Josh Hershman and Pierre Browning.
Structural Engineer : Holbert Apple Assoc Inc
Photo by Pete Duvall
Laurel Library
507 7th Street, Laurel, MD 20707
Grand Opening / Dedication – 10:30 AM, Monday, November 28, 2016 – All are invited!
The steel structure is lowered by crane onto the foundation at the new Laurel Library
Washington Glass Studio installed their outdoor sculpture at the new Laurel, Maryland library. The 16′ H tower titled “Involve Me and I Learn” has over 100 glass tiles mounted in the steel framework. The artwork’s title – attributed to Ben Franklin – references the engagement of the community. The neighborhood and the Laurel Library supporters had joined in making the individual glass panels in workshops at the Washington Glass School. The Baltimore Sun had earlier in the year covered the story of the glass quilting bee workshops.
Siteworks for the sculptural and architectural application of glass were completed and the risky business of installing the works just took place.
Audrey Wilson rises to meet the challenge.
Washington Glass Studio Co-Director Erwin Timmers bolts the steel framed glass panels to the main structure.
The panels were fitted and bolted in place and the internal LED lighting was installed. Prince George’s Art in Public Places has advised that the official opening of the stunning library is set for November 28th.
The Washington Glass Studio was awarded the commission to create the new landmark artwork sculpture for the Laurel Library (now under construction next to Emancipation Park in Laurel, MD). Baltimore Sun reporter Lisa Philip visited the Washington Glass Studio last week as the Library area residents and interested citizens collaborated in glass-making workshops to make the inset panels . Click HERE to jump to Lisa Philip’s article on how the artwork is engaging the community.
Baltimore Sun coverage of how the Washington Glass Studio engages community.
photo credit:Lisa Philip / Baltimore Sun Media Group
Erwin Timmers, co-founder and -director of Washington Glass Studio, advises a Laurel resident on his creation of a glass tile for the public art sculpture that will stand in front of the new Laurel Library, set to open this fall.
Maryland’s Prince George’s County Leadership Council toured the Washington Glass School as part of their meeting. Co-Director Erwin Timmers discussed with the Council ways that the public art process could integrate the community in the design and fabrication of art. The tour continued onward to next door Otis Street Arts Project.
Erwin Timmers outlines the process of involving community in the design of public art to the Leadership Council tour.
Prince George’s County Leadership Council discuss the public art process and how it can be integrated into the public spaces and buildings.
>In earlier posts we described the Washington Glass Studio’s design for an outdoor public artwork @ the Prince George’s County Circuit Courthouse. The original courthouse was destroyed in a terrible fire in 2004. After the fire was put out, the bell tower cupola structure was salvaged, and the Washington Glass Studio designed a new forecourt sculpture that uses the original cupola structure and copper dome as the basis for the entry artwork at the recently refurbished courthouse.
Installation of the cast glass has started – here are some in-progress photos:
Casting glass components for sculpture in the kiln.
Nicole Puzan sets cast glass into the custom steel frame.
Michael Janis prepares the center inset cast glass panels.
The refurbished cupola onsite at Prince George’s County Courthouse.
Alonzo Davis reviews installation of steel framework.
Installing the glass into the steel.
Erwin Timmers coordinates the metal artwork.
Images of the legal system and community are cast into the glass – the new courthouse can be glimpsed as a reflection in the glass.
Looking thru the glass from the interior of the cupola.
Still to be installed – the neon elements and the outdoor seating.