American Craft Magazine Features Washington Glass School

American Craft magazine June/July 2013

The American Craft Council(ACC) is a national, nonprofit educational organization founded with a mission to promote understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. Their programs include the bimonthly magazine, American Craft, annual juried shows, various workshops, seminars and conferences, and more.

The June/July 2013 issue of American Craft Magazine showcases the cast glass work being made for the U.S. Library of Congress Adams Building. Julie K. Hanus – American Craft’s senior editor and Perry A. Price    the ACC’s director of education had come to the school in April and made a report on the process and the artists involved. 

From the magazine: The original doors were designed in 1939 by Lee Lawrie, the sculptor whose Atlas graces Rockefeller Center. They’re massive bronze works, depicting 13 mythological and historical figures of language and learning. Over time, they had begun to fail, straining at the hinges, and didn’t meet modern building codes. Rather than altering the historic doors to address these issues, the Architect of the Capitol made a bold decision; in addition to conserving the Lawrie doors, they would reinterpret these unique Adams Building features in glass.

Jeff Wallin and Ray Ahlgren of Fireart Glass in Portland, OR casting the glass panels. Photo by Charlie Lieberman

Review of each of the LOC cast glass panels with the Architect of the Capitol. L-R Paul Zimmerman/HITT Contracting, William Warmus/Art critic, Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Kevin Hildebrand/AOC, Erwin Timmers.

The doors began installation in the spring of 2013 and the entry areas began to transform.

From the interior of East facing building lobby.
The exterior of the first set of six pairs of doors.

The magazine will be on the stands soon – and is online right now! – Click HERE to jump to the American Craft Council website.

Washington Glass Studio team L-R Tim Tate, Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis, Audrey Wilson, Erwin Timmers

Tim Tate & Chris Baer Venice Biennale Exhibit Opens Tonight!

WGS Projects presents Tangents,  a show featuring works by artists Christopher Baer and Tim Tate.  These 2 artists represent a study in contrasts; yet invite investigation into the complicity of their work.  Their work is tangential, yet parallel….both looking deeply below the surface. This compelling show will take place on the 4th floor of the Palazzo Bembo during the Venice Biennale. Opening May 29 through Nov. 24th, 2013; Opening Reception Weds May 29th, 6 – 9pm,Venice, Italy

Left, Christopher Baer;  Right, Tim Tate

Christopher Baer

Working between two studios in Washington D.C. and rural Virginia, contemporary artist Christopher Baer is known for his highly expressive, large-scale mixed-media paintings. His works offer the viewer a glimpse into their process, with previous layers and gestural brushstrokes visible beneath the surface.  Baer emphasizes the boundaries of the canvas by delineating a band along the edge of each painting; each consecutive layer of paint retreats further and further from the border, revealing earlier incarnations of the work.  His long-term series Palisades, named after the part of D.C. where he lives, is a joyful exploration of color, brushwork and line.

Tim Tate

Tim Tate is a Washington, DC native, and has been working with glass as a sculptural medium for the past 25 years. Co-Founder of the Washington Glass School, Tim’s work is in the permanent collections of a number of museums, including the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery and the Mint Museum. He was awarded the title of “Rising Star of the 21st Century” from the Museum of American Glass and was also the recipient of the 2009 Virginia Groot Foundation International award for sculpture. His work has been exhibited at many museums, including the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. He was a 2012 Fulbright Scholar recipient at Sunderland University in England. Working in both video and glass, he is one of the leading artists in the field working with cross over mixed media.

Tim Tate at Katzen Arts Center

Still from “I Was Not In My Right Mind”

Tim Tate: Sleepwalker

Video show at American University’s Katzen Arts Center – June 15 to Aug 15, 2013 featuring collaborations with Pete Duvall and  Richard A. Schellenberg.

Tim Tate is Washington’s best known contemporary glass artist, but his latest work has moved toward video installations. Rich in symbol, metaphor, movement, and mystery, videos, like dreams, enable us to participate in another reality and, through that participation, to be transformed. Hidden within is the latent content which will give the viewer an understanding of what is happening in the mind of a dreamer. For the Katzen project, Tim is working with collaborators Pete Duvall and Richard Schellenberg (both of whom he met through Artomatic).

Pete Duvall


Additional Events: Gallery Talk: Sleep Walker with artist Tim Tate August 10, 4 pm. 
The American University Museum is open from Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Museum will be closed on July 4 in honor of Independence Day.

Richard Schellenberg


American University Museum Admission is free 202-885-1300 museum@american.edu http://www.american.edu/cas/museum/ 
AU Katzen Arts Center
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016

The DC5 in St Pete

The “DC5” glass art exhibit – now thru June.

The “DC Five” – (WGS artists Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis, Allegra Marquart, Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers) exhibit of glass artwork at Florida’s Duncan McClellan Gallery in St Petersburg opened with a great reception!
Weren’t able to fly down to sunny Florida? Here are some shots of the show, and of the St Petersburg Museum of Fine Art lecture by Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate on their glass artwork.

Erwin Timmers work is in the center of the gallery.

Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate’s mixed media artwork on the walls.
Erwin Timmers’ kilnformed glass artwork is made from recycled building materials.
Duncan McClellan Gallery knows how to best display the artwork.
Allegra Marquart’s fused and sandcarved glass panels look great!
Michael Janis’ glass tarot cards on exhibit.
Sean Hennessey talks about his artwork at the Museum of Fine Arts in St Petersburg.
Tim Tate makes a point during his talk at the MFA.
Sean looking so much more relaxed than he does here in DC – he loves Florida.
Jacob Stout gave a hotshop demonstration on the Saturday.
L-R Duncan McClellan, Tim Tate, Sean Hennessey.

‘DC-5’ – Works by Artists of the Washington Glass School

Duncan McClellan Gallery

550 24th Street South,

St. Petersburg, FL 33712

(855) 436.4527

Washington Glass Goes South (to Sunny St. Petersburg!)

Duncan McClellan Gallery, located in the heart of St. Petersburg’s arty Warehouse Art District in Florida, will be showcasing five artists from the Washington Glass School.

Sean Hennessey, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Michael Janis, and Allegra Marquart will be the DC five showing in sunny FLA.

Renown glass artist Duncan McClellan was one of the featured artists in the first international US/UK exhibits “Glass3” held Georgetown in 2008. Duncan has opened a hotshop and gallery that features rotating exhibitions showcasing nationally and internationally recognized artists. 

The Gallery in itself is a work of art. Duncan has transformed a 7,800 square foot former fish and tomato packing plant into a beautiful, multi- functional space. Lush fruit bearing trees create a veritable Eden within the industrial area that surrounds it. The grounds have become a meeting place for artists, visiting dignitaries and the community. Duncan also created the DMG School Project – an outreach that provide educational opportunities to both artists and community.

Beer, wine and refreshments are available for a donation benefiting the DMG School Project.

Tim Tate

In addition to the exhibit, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg will host an artist talk from The Washington Glass Group on May 12, 2013 at 2:00pm. Immediately following the lecture, the public is invited to a reception at Duncan McClellan Gallery. 

Washington Glass: A Group Exhibition
May  – June 2013
Opening Reception: May, 11 from 5:30 to 9:30pm
Artist Talk: Sunday, May 12 at 2:00 pm at St Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts.


Duncan McClellan Gallery

550 24th St., South‎

St Petersburg, FL 33712
FB event listing – click HERE

Habatat Galleries International Features Washington Glass School Artists

Habatat Galleries, Royal Oak, MI

Habatat Galleries – one of the oldest and largest glass galleries in the United States, is the home of the original International Glass Invitational, which for 40 years has introduced and exhibited the greatest artists working creatively with glass. 

This year, the 41st Annual International Glass Invitational again features glass artwork by Tim Tate. Tim will be showing works from his ‘21st Century Hall Of Wonders’. 

Tim Tate “Nuclear Family”

Tim was inspired by the Smithsonian Art Museum’s exhibit titled: The Great American Hall of Wonders, and created his version of wonders of the 21 Century. His works integrate humor into his invented “scientific discoveries”.

Sean Hennessy “Thoughts of Togetherness”

Also on display is an exhibit called “eXpose” displaying works of 25+ artists never seen before at Habatat. WGS Rising star Sean Hennessey will be one of the artists in that show.

Sean and Tim will also unveil their collaborative works at the show – works that integrate cast glass, video, and electroluminescent panels, and steel.

Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey “Radar”

 

41st Annual International Glass Invitational & EXPOSE 
Saturday, April 27, 2013 to Saturday, May 25, 2013

8:00 pm Saturday, April 27th 2013

Habatat Galleries 

4400 Fernlee Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48073

JRA Organizes August Penland Tour – Plan Now!

The Asheville-Penland Tour again promises an exciting 5 Days this Summer! The James Renwick Alliance Board of The James Renwick Alliance (JRA), along with Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey the organizers – invite you to an upcoming summer excursion and art experience, August 7-11, 2013.

One of the most enjoyable arts trips in this country is to the area outside of Asheville, NC – an area dense with amazing studios. This trip will also include the Penland School of Crafts Annual Auction in a stunningly beautiful setting.

Accompanying us on this trip will be Jennifer Scanlan, independent curator and craft scholar. For over a decade Ms. Scanlan was an associate curator at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York. She brings with her a depth of craft knowledge and a scholarly conversation about the works we will see on studio tours and the auction.

The day before we will be visiting the studios of some of the most talented artists surrounding Asheville.This will honestly be the best five-day excursion you have ever taken…at least we are going try to make it that way. We will be given phenomenal access to some of the finest studio artists this country has to offer!

Here is the schedule of events:

Wednesday, August 7

We arrive in Asheville….either by plane or driving down, your choice.If you come by plane we will arrange pick up.  Our base will be the Inn at Little Switzerland on the Blue Ridge Parkway with spectacular views of the valley, a favorite spot, close to both Asheville and Penland.  

Our first event will be an evening welcome cocktail and dinner at the Inn. The price of this event is included in the trip.

Thursday, August 8

We leave at 8:30 am to see the sites of Asheville and visits to some amazing artists’ studios for private tours.  Below is a list of those studios and events 

  • Randy Shull and the River District Artists.
Randy Shull

Randy Shull is an artist who works fluidly between varieties of media, including furniture design, spatial design, painting, and landscape design.  He is highly acclaimed for his rich and sensual use of color and space. A recipient o f many awards and grants, Randy has also had four solo shows in New York in the past decade. His work is included in a number of important museum collections including The Brooklyn Museum,  The High Museum in Atlanta, The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Mint Museum of Craft & Design ,Racine Museum of Art, The Gregg Museum of Art & Design, and Museum of Art and Design. 

Zack Noble

Zack Noble is an artist that specializes in modern sculptural, functional and architectural work. He has taught at Penland School of Crafts and John C. Campbell Folk School. He has studied and worked with noted blacksmiths in Great Britain. His work has been featured in a number of books and craft magazines, and is in private collections across the U.S. 

Grove Park Inn

Lunch that day will be on the beautiful Sunset Terrace of the amazing Grove Park Inn. The Grove Park Inn is a nearly 100 year old historic resort hotel on the western-facing slope of Sunset Mountain within the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Asheville, North Carolina.  The Inn is an AAA Four-Diamond Hotel and has been since 2001.  It serves as one of the most romantic places to stay on the eastern U.S. seaboard and has been visited by many United States’ Presidents and other people of notoriety. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel is an important example of the Arts and Crafts style.

  • After, we visit with Amy Tavern and Joanna Golderg.
Amy Tavern

Originally from Upstate, NY, Amy Tavern received a BFA in Metal Design from the University of Washington in 2002.   In the last two years she has had solo exhibitions at Beyond Fashion in Antwerp, Belgium and at Velvet da Vinci in San Francisco, CA. She has also exhibited in group shows at Sienna Gallery and Heidi Lowe Gallery, among others.  In 2009 Amy received several emerging artist honors including an American Craft Council Searchlight artist.  Amy’s jewelry has been published in numerous books such as New Rings and 500 Silver Jewelry Designs and she was featured on the cover of Metalsmith Magazine’s 2012 “Exhibition in Print.”  Amy recently completed a three-year artist residency at the Penland School of Crafts and just celebrated her 10th year in business.  Her work can be found in galleries around the United States and abroad.

Joanna Goldberg

Joanna Golberg began making jewelry at the age of 13, using fishing lures, beads, and (very heavy!) old coins. Joanna is also a well-known and respected author. She has written four books on making handcrafted designer jewelry–Making Metal Jewelry, Creative Metal Crafts, The Art & Craft of Making Jewelry, and The Ultimate Jeweler’s Guide –all titles published by Lark Crafts, an imprint of Sterling Publishing, Inc.  Joanna teaches jewelry making at noted craft institutions, such as the Penland School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts.  Her jewelry has been published in Art Jewelry Magazine, Lapidary Journal, Ornament Magazine, 1000 Rings, 500 Wedding Rings, 500 Enameled Objects, and 21st Century Jewelry.  Joanna operates out of an amazing studio in downtown Asheville.

  • Asheville Art Museum / Curator Tour by Nancy Sokolove
Asheville Art Museum
Stoney Lamar

Founded by artists in 1948, the Asheville Art Museum annually presents an exciting, inviting and active schedule of exhibitions and public programs.  Any visit will also include experiences with works of significance to Western North Carolina’s cultural heritage including Studio Craft, Black Mountain College and Cherokee artists. Special exhibitions feature renowned regional and national artists and explore issues of enduring interest. At the time of our visit, there will be a Stoney Lamar 40-year retrospective.  Stoney will be joining us to talk to us about the work. At the same time, there will also be a Black Mountain College – New Acquisition show. This should be one spectacular event.

  • Blue Spiral Gallery
Blue Spiral 1

No trip to Asheville would be complete without a visit to the famous Blue Spiral Gallery. This amazing gallery presents work by exceptional Southern artists and object makers in a beautifully renovated building in the heart of downtown Asheville.  The light-filled, 15,000 square-foot gallery spans three floors connected by an open stairway. This spacious setting allows Blue Spiral 1 to offer considerable diversity, affording accessibility to various tastes and aesthetics.  

Now, on to dinner!  We are planning our meal at the spectacular Limones Restaurant in the center of Asheville.  Then back to the Inn at Little Switzerland.

Friday, August 9

Today we will stay closer to Penland, exploring several studios and then joining in the festivities surrounding the Penland auction, which begin at 3 p.m. with auction previews.  Dinner is included.

  • Visit with sculptor Lisa Clague  9:30 to 10:30am
Lisa Clague
Lisa Clague

The distinctive figurative sculpture by Lisa Clague hovers between fantasy and reality –- playful, mysterious, contemplative. “Although the imagery in my work comes directly from my own dreams which, in turn, respond to very personal experiences. I must also acknowledge a debt to the surrealist movement. Artists such as Hieronymous Bosch, Frida Karlo, Louise Bourgeois and Hans Bellmer have been profoundly inspirational“…“My hybrid figures have been influenced by prehistoric art, the “Great Mother” figurines from the Neolithic period, the animal-headed figures from the rock shelter of La Madeleine, and also the bird-headed Egyptian Goddesses and archaic Greek Kouros figures.”

  • Visit to sculptor Mel Chin  11:00am to12:30pm
Mel Chin

Mel Chin was born in Houston to Chinese parents in 1951, the first of his family born in the United States, and was reared in a predominantly African-American and Latino neighborhood. He worked in his family’s grocery store, and began making art at an early age. Though Mel is classically trained, his art is both analytical and poetic and evades easy classification. Alchemy, botany, and ecology are but a few of the disciplines that intersect in his work. In 1989, Mel had a one-person exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. 

Mel Chin

Mel Chin has also exhibited in numerous group shows including the Fifth Biennial of Havana, Cuba; Seventh Architectural Biennial in Venice, Italy; Kwangju Biennale, Korea; Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; the Whitney Museum of American Art; P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center; Museum of Modern Art; and the Asian American Arts Centre, New York City among others. Mel has received numerous awards and grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council for the Arts, Art Matters, Creative Capital, and the Penny McCall, Pollock/Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Rockefeller and Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundations, among others.

  • Penland Gallery

Elizabeth Brim

No trip to Penland would ever be complete without a visit to the Penland Gallery. The Penland Gallery – featuring work by artists affiliated with Penland School of Crafts – is a stop worth adding to your trip through Western North Carolina. It is the perfect place to choose a gift, add to your craft collection, or learn about contemporary craft.

Bob Trotman

Lunch this day will be on the porch of the Penland Gallery. Lunch will be a box lunch furnished by the spectacular restaurant Knife and Fork. During our lunch we will have special presentations from Bob Trotman (wood sculptor) and Elizabeth Brim (metal sculptor).

Now it’s on to the auction. It begins at 3 p.m. with the silent auction in the new state-of-the-art facilities in the Print/Letterpress Studio.  Dozens of Penland’s artists will be showing there. Then on to a lovely dinner and wine under the beautiful tent overlooking the valley on Penland’s grounds while the main Friday night auction goes on. After this, it’s back for a quick cocktail at the Inn at Little Switzerland.

Saturday, August 10

The morning begins with coffee and breakfast at The Barns at Penland, where we will be treated to a show by the resident artists here at Penland, always a highlight and much fun. From there we attend a show given by the Core Students where we will see the work of tomorrow’s most promising artists.  On to the Saturday silent auction and artist chats….then on to the main festivities of the luncheon and live auction.  This will definitely be the highlight of the weekend!

  • After the auction we will head to the studio of Anne Lemanski in Spruce Pine.

Anne Lemanski

Through the use of materials such as vintage paper, vinyl, textiles, wood veneer, metal and artificial sinew, Anne Lemanski creates a menagerie of sculptural portraits.

The politically charged content and form of the sculpture happens through the combination of a copper rod armature and hand-stitched “skin.” Anne’s current focus is on the complex, symbiotic relationship between humans and animals, highlighting our admiration for anima ls as symbols, and our exploitation of them to suit our needs.

Afterwards, we head back to the Inn at Little Switzerland, where we will have time to freshen up before a lovely farewell cocktail and dinner party where you will be able to swap stories with the new friends you made on this spectacular trip!

Sunday, August 11
Travel day…..those that need a ride to the airport, we will arrange it.  If you are driving down, and wouldn’t mind taking folks to Asheville and Penland from the hotel, please let us know. 

The cost of this trip is only $625; $75 is a non-refundable donation to the James Renwick Alliance.  You pay the cost of your hotels, meals and transportation (hotel /anywhere from $120 to $200 per night). Meals at the Friday night auction, breakfast and lunch at the Saturday afternoon auction are included. This trip is limited to 20 people. Cut off date is July 1, but please sign up early.

To RSVP, contact Cicie Sattarnilasskorn by email at admin@jra.org or Tel: (301) 907.3888

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Tim Tate “Positive Progression” 2003 glass, clay, collection of F. Lennox Campello

For Valentine’s Day, we look at one of Tim Tate’s mixed media works – “Positive Progression”. The work was part of his 2003 Seized Moments…Captured Memories exhibit at Fraser Gallery.With the upcoming international glass + clay exhibit at Edison Place Gallery opening March 1 – this day’s post is a perfect time to reflect on how some of the artists involved took the combination of the medias to heart…

Washington Post art critic Michael O’Sullivan wrote of the work at the time:  Tate’s heart work is certainly nothing new to those who have been following his career of late, especially those who have seen his work at Renwick Gallery, which owns one of his pieces. “Seized Moments,” however, shows Tate pushing himself in new directions. One especially autobiographical piece from this show, titled “Positive Progression” and consisting of a clear glass heart that seems to wither away into a crude clay stump, is especially fine. It isn’t pretty by any means, as Tate’s work usually is, but it sure is powerful.”

Click here to jump to the entire 2003 Washington Post article.

Bourgeon Book Launch

The arts magazine Bourgeon has published hundreds of articles by artists about their work since 2005. All of the articles document the artwork and personal and artistic journeys of the authors as professional artists. is an anthology of contemporary art written by the artists themselves.
Bourgeon: Fifty Artists Write About Their Work  is an anthology of contemporary art written by the artists themselvespublished by the non-profit Day Eight.

The book signing was last night at the Art Club of DC – here are some snaps at the opening:

 
Editor Robert Bettmann talks to the audience at the book signing.
Artist Jessica Beels (center) at the reception.
Artist Tim Tate and Donovan Lessard at the DC Arts Club.

Glass Comes to Duke Ellington

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Tim Tate discusses his imagery and references to students at Duke Ellington School

Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey were invited to speak to the visual arts students of  DC’s Duke Ellington School of Arts. The two talked about glass, the business of being an artist and about their work.

Sean Hennessey outlines his process and integration of electronic media into his cast glass panels.

The Visual Arts department offers a sequence of courses in drawing, two-dimensional concepts, painting, sculpture, photography, computer graphics design, and art history.  As they develop and progress, students may also choose elective courses in computer graphics, print-making, AP art studio, sculpting, and painting.  Students will begin assembling their best works into a portfolio in the 11th grade year as a record of production and to use in applications to art schools and universities.  

Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey with art teachers and the principal of Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Upon returning, both Sean and Tim expressed how impressed they were of the artworks and the interest in artwork media by the students of Duke Ellington. Said Tim of the experience of working with the young students – “I’m not sure who was more inspired, Sean and I or them!”.

More interactions between Washington Glass School and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts are being planned.