Washington Glass School: A Legacy of Art, Resilience, and Community

Washington Glass School ca 2004, located in the Washington Sculpture Center in SE DC.

In the aftermath of the 2000 Artomatic show, renowned glass artist Tim Tate and metal/eco-artist Erwin Timmers felt the need to create a space for the growing glass art community in Washington, DC. Their solution was the founding of what was first called “Meltdown”—the future Washington Glass School. The school’s very first class, held on September 13, 2001, came in the shadow of one of the most tragic days in American history. While the founders initially considered canceling the session, the overwhelming desire of the students to move forward created an indelible bond. The class became a healing space, where sadness and fear were channeled into creativity and connection.

Meltdown Studio class schedule 2001
Early light fixture class (ca 2002) shows off their finished works.

From those early days, the Washington Glass School (WGS) has embraced community and resilience as core values. In 2003, the school relocated from its original home—now the Rubell Museum in DC’s Southwest neighborhood—to the Washington Sculpture Center. Michael Janis, an innovative artist who joined the school that year, became a director by 2005. His leadership, alongside Tate and Timmers, continued to steer the school as it grew in reputation.

Future WGS Director Michael Janis (center) in his first class at Washington Glass School, 2003.
Michael Janis works with students from DC’s Stuart Hobson Middle School (ca 2004).

In 2006, a turning point came when the school’s building was taken by eminent domain to make way for the Washington Nationals’ baseball stadium. Unfazed, the WGS team moved just outside the District to Mount Rainier, Maryland. It’s been their home ever since, where they continue to teach, collaborate, and create public art.

WGS Directors (L-R Michael Janis, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers)

WGS has evolved into a dynamic hub for artistic exploration, encouraging artists to challenge the conventional limits of glass as an art medium. Their collaborative spirit thrives, with glass artists working alongside creatives from other disciplines, producing public art that speaks to the heart of the community.

kelly towles, washington glass school
In 2024, DC artist Kelly Towles painted a mural “I ❤ Glass” on the facade of the glass school.

Tim Tate & Joyce Scott = ? The Art of Glass

Goya Contemporary – where for the past 25 years has built a progressive reputation for creating visionary, historically relevant exhibitions, features glass artists Joyce Scott and Tim Tate together in a show titled “Now: Collaborations by Joyce J Scott and Tim Tate“. The centerpiece of the show is a 9ft long cast glass wall entitled “Now”. This was a 7-month project with Joyce and Tim that deals with societal issues that were being discussed in our culture while we were producing it. Issues included racism, homophobia, misogyny and the war in Ukraine.

Goya Contemporary

Mill Centre Studio 214, 3000 Chestnut Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21211

NOW: Collaborations by Joyce J. Scott and Tim Tate
Reception: April 20, 2024, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
April 12- June 12, 2024

Glass Art Magazine Covers Tim Tate’s Legacy In Glass

The January / February 2024 issue of Glass Art Magazine has a spread all about WGS Co-Founder and Co-Director Tim Tate. Artist & Author Sara Sally LaGrand writes about Tim’s story and how he has put his life experiences and feelings into his art. The article covers his history and how his artwork includes aspects of not only his life as a gay artist, but as a vehicle to promote the ideation of a more inclusive world.

Tim Tate & Joyce Scott, “NOW”; 2022, cast glass

The Glass Art Magazine issue also covers Tim’s recent collaboration with artist Joyce Scott, making a 6’H x 9’W wall sculpture titled “NOW” that incorporated themes of Racial Equality, Woman’s Rights and LGTBQIA+ issues that our world struggles to come to terms with.

Joyce Scott and Tim Tate Spill the Tea at Hillwood Museum.

L-R Wilfried Zeisler, chief curator and deputy director of Hillwood with artists Joyce J. Scott and Tim Tate.

Some photos from the last night’s talk at DC’s Hillwood Museum – ‘A Conversation with Joyce J. Scott and Tim Tate’.

Tim Tate, Christina Waddler and Joyce Scott

Artists Joyce J. Scott and Tim Tate had an engaging and insightful conversation moderated by Wilfried Zeisler, chief curator and deputy director of Hillwood.

Joyce and Tim talked about their artistic practices and inspiration for their work, including the stories and process behind “Him” by Scott and A Century of Longing by Tate, both featured in the current Glass: Art. Beauty. Design. exhibition. https://hillwoodmuseum.org/exhibitions/glass

Joyce and Tim talked about their current projects, including the process of working collaboratively on a monumental glass project.

Dinner with the artists at the Hillwood Museum.

Glass: Art. Beauty. Design. is on display thru January 14, 2024

https://hillwoodmuseum.org/

Hillwood Museum

4155 Linnean Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20008

Deborah Czeresko & Tim Tate at Asheville Art Museum

If you are anywhere near Asheville  next week, think about stopping by and joining glass artist Deborah Czeresko, winner of the reality competition series Blown Away, and Tim Tate, artist and Director of the Washington Glass School, for an exciting conversation exploring both artists’ long history of using glass sculpture to highlight LGTBQ rights. Both artists will share images of earlier pieces while discussing their artistic journeys, work, and the art world.  Thursday, Oct. 5, 5:30 – 6:30

Click on link to register: https://shop.ashevilleart.org/collections/event-tickets/products/hospitality-workers-date-night

Joyce Scott and Tim Tate Collaboration Unveiled!

Joyce Scott & Tim Tate; “NOW”, 6′ x 9′; cast glass, mixed media. Photo by Pete Duvall.

Now that Joyce Scott’s 50-year retrospective has been announced, we can share this image of the Dr Joyce Scott/Tim Tate collaborative mural that has been in creation for over 6 months! What a joy to get to work with this huge icon of contemporary art and MacArthur Fellow!

Artist Joyce Scott, Goya Contemporary Gallery Exec Director Amy Eva Raehse and Tim Tate work on the collaborative mural at Washington Glass Studio, 2023.

Titled “NOW” the work measures 9ft W x 6ft H and the mixed media, cast glass wall focuses on topics around racial inequality, women’s rights and LGTBQ+ issues.

Detail of panel in “NOW” by Dr Joyce Scott and Tim Tate.

Said Tim about the work – “This is a once in a lifetime project, and I couldn’t be prouder of any piece I have ever made.”

Detail of panel in “NOW” by Dr Joyce Scott and Tim Tate.

The artwork is available at Goya Contemporary in Baltimore and will be on display there in Sept or Oct. (Check with gallery).

Tim Tate Talks! Art Clinic Online hosts online presentation by famed founder of Washington Glass School.

Saturday, July 22nd, from 10:30 am til 11:30 am – join Queer Glass Artist and Co-Director of the Washington Glass School, Tim Tate as he talks about his art work and his upcoming “Utopian Queer Futurism” exhibit on Art Clinic Online. The episode will be hosted by Jamianne Jacobim, Executive Director of the James Renwick Alliance.

Want more?! Watch ACO presentation of Eco-artist and WGS’s Co-Founder Erwin Timmers work and inspirations on youtube. Click on image below:

Watch WGS Co-Founder Erwin Timmers’ ACO talk on youtube.

Happy Holidays from Washington Glass School and Studio

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!

Artists and Educators from the Washington Glass School

(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.

Washington Glass Studio Returns to Art Basel / Art Miami Fairs!

CONTEXT Art Miami 2022

Miami’s Longest Running International Art Fair Art Miami and sister fair CONTEXT Art Miami featured artwork by many artists from the Washington Glass Studio.

View into part of the Alida Anderson Art Projects space in Miami

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, almost 20,000 guests came to the opening of the 10th edition of the sister fair to Art Miami. CONTEXT Art Miami is dedicated to the development and reinforcement of emerging and mid-career artists, and the vibrant contemporary and modern art fair was the natural setting for the works carried by Alida Anderson Art Projects (AAAP).

Tim Tate’s endless mirror series are a favorite of visitors to the fair.

This year’s AAAP booth at CONTEXT Art Miami showed works by glass mixed media artwork by Christina Helowicz, Michael Janis, Tony Porto, Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers. It also featured mixed media works by J Jordan Bruns, Lenny Campello, and Steve Wanna.

Tony Porto chats up collector group describing the collaborative sculptures made with Michael Janis.

Some Art Miami Highlights:

Christina Helowicz installs her blown glass /mixed media sculpture at the Art Miami fair.
Erwin Timmers with a San Francisco collector that acquired his cast recycled artwork for her collection.
Nora Atkinson, Curator-in-Charge for the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery flanked by Michael Janis & Tony Porto.
Lenny Campello (center) describes Michael Janis’ new glass panel artwork.
Christina Helowicz, Director of Alida Anderson Art Projects talks about Steve Wanna’s paintings.
alida anderson, michael Janis and Tony porto, christina helowicz, f lennox campello, lenny, erwin timmers at dinner.

The artists at CONTEXT Art Miami raise their glass in toast! Salud! Amor! Dinero! Clockwise from left bottom: Steve Wanna, Erwin Timmers, Michael Janis, J Jordan Bruns, Christina Helowicz, Tony Porto, Lenny Campello, Joe Ivacic, Danny Marder.

Tim Tate: Reflections on Studio Practice

Glass Sculptor and Artist Tim Tate looks back on 20 years of creating a community. He recently put together some of his observations on well, how did we get here?

Artist Tim Tate

“I had been raised in a household filled with craft materials. I rarely saw my mother’s hands empty, always creating something. I inherited this love. I spent my early adult years being trained in the methods revolving around studio glass while attending the 2 weeks to 2-month workshops of Penland, Pilchuck, Corning, Pittsburg, etc. (I had no money to attend grad school …though I yearned for Cranbrook). These years of varied workshops and practitioners was the perfect way to obtain a broad outlook on the entire field. We founded the Washington Glass School in 2001 with very specific goals. Let me see if I can make this clear.

Tim Tate & Joyce Scott work on a new collaborative sculpture at the Washington Glass School.

1). We wanted to be something other than a traditional studio glass shop. From the beginning we realized we wanted a much broader approach; something that reflected the mission of education centers like the Crucible in Oakland and Penland in NC. We embraced mixed media work from the beginning with varied classes in kiln formed glass, steel, electronics, encaustics, etc. Our idea was not to in any way denigrate the rich history of studio glass, but to live just outside of those confines to see what would happen. To step slightly away from the 20th century.

Tim Tate
Tim Tate “We Rose Up”, 2017, Cast objects, mirrors, and LED’s, 32 × 32 × 4 in.

2). As a gay man in glass, it was apparent that diversity was sorely lacking in every way in the glass world. So we did outreach and advertised our classes in many publications that went to diverse populations, rather than wait for these populations to approach us. This worked very well. Even now we go to the Facebook pages of different neighborhoods to show our class schedules.

Einar and Jamex de la Torre at Washington Glass School 2015
The Brothers De La Torre visit the Washington Glass School in 2015.

3). We have embraced social media in every way possible, from individual and school Facebook and Instagram pages (where we post regularly) to administering a Facebook discussion group. This group is called “21st Century Glass/Conversations and Images/Glass Secessionism” and maintain over 8000 members from 97 countries.

With William Warmus we came up with the original concept of “Glass Secessionism”…to step slightly away from the recognized canon of 20th century glass and to create as much dialog and critical analysis as possible. There have been over 1.5 million words written and over thousands of images shared on this page focusing almost entirely on that theme.

In 2008, Artomatic held an international glass show.

4). We participated in many local shows here in the DC area, such as the spectacular Art-O-Matic show that truly put us on the map. We also curated many shows over the years to include local emerging artists. I have served on a dozen boards and juried dozens of shows and grant applications to stay in the loop and form a community bond. There are 3 Co-Directors here, all sharing a similar mission….to create a large regional, national and international community to foster new growth within our field.

2009 Glass Workshop at Washington Glass School. L-R Cheryl P Derricotte, David Cook, Nicole Puzan.

5). Our first class was on Sept. 13, 2001…. a difficult day in history to start anything being right after 9/11. We thought no one would even attend the first classes. But we discovered something else….no one cancelled. It appeared that while the purchase of art slowed to a trickle around the country, the creation of art thrived. Our first class was filled with artists who wanted to make narrative work about the devastation of that event. From that moment on we embraced narrative work with all our hearts. Works about political events, social injustices and inequalities were common within our sculptural classes, and certainly in my own works. We have now been in operation over 20 years, with over 6000 students. 60% of those were and are women, we have a large population of BIPoC students and we have worked with hundreds of LGTBQ students. We are so very proud of this fact.

My purpose for serving on boards right now is to focus on the building of communities as an artistic practice. I want to take a slight step away from academia as these institutions can become elitist, and I want to be non-elitist as we have been from the beginning. I also like regional boards that focus in the mid-Atlantic.

My personal practice had been deeply imbedded in the world of glass galleries and museums, though frequently as an outsider. I have stepped away from this in the last few months. I have moved towards the fine art world once again, as I had started there. It feels great to go back to my roots, surrounded by a community that reaches far beyond anything we ever anticipated.” – Tim Tate, October, 2022