twenty first century sculpture | Washington Glass Studio

Peppermill Community Center Public Art

Posted on October 10, 2019 by admin |

Peppermill Community Center with the internally illuminated artwork “Telling Our Story…” by Washington Glass Studio.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) commissioned Washington Glass Studio (WGS) to create a public art sculpture for the new addition to the Peppermill Community Center in Landover, MD.

Shop drawing of sculpture by WGS.

Some communities see public art as a way of enhancing or personalizing otherwise impersonal spaces. Others view it as a means to activate civic dialogue or provide a vehicle for the community to express its identity.

These landmarks and special events enhance our experience of a place and our quality of life. They engender a sense of pride and community identity. They reach audiences outside museums, galleries, and theaters, and they add to the beauty of everyday life. They declare the worth of a place and a time in our shared culture.

Erwin Timmers leads a community glass making workshop at the Washington Glass School.

As such, the design of the site-specific sculpture by WGS was centered on finding ways to get the community excited and engaged with the convergence of art, history and community. The proposal for the art was based on a 15’H tower of glass and steel that would be internally illuminated with over 100 glass inset panels. The artwork of the insets were to be created by involving the community via a series of glass-making workshops held at the Washington Glass School.

A great cross section of community came out to be part of the creation of the new public art for Peppermill Community Center.

The residents and stakeholders were tasked with showing what they felt important to them and what inspired them were made. Images of family, nature, the environment, their neighborhoods, their sports teams were rendered in glass.

All sorts of imagery and glass techniques were employed to great effect.

Cast glass images of the social groups – the sewing groups, the cheer squads, the state flag – even a Maryland blue crab were crafted. Historical references to the nearby horse farms and the old roller rink were included in the mix of glass panels. Part of the fun of the artwork is seeing how this mix of images and references all somehow work together.

The tower, titled :"Telling Our Story..." adds a powerfull and dramitic artistic element at the new entry at the community center.

The tower, titled :”Telling Our Story…” adds a powerful and dramatic artistic element at the new entry at the community center.

Shaping places—with landmarks and landscapes, events and ideologies—sets the stage for a critical part of our existence: our connection with our environment; with our past, present, and future; and with other human beings.

The mix of images and stories told create a compelling and inclusive mixture – each distinctive and unique – yet cohesive as a whole.

“Telling Our Story…”
Artist: Washington Glass Studio
Project Team: Teri Bailey, Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers, Tim Tate and Lee Kind.
Media: Cast and fused glass, steel, LED lighting, concrete.
Location: Peppermill Community Center, 610 Hill Rd, Landover, MD 20785
Client: The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Posted in erwin timmers, fused glass sculpture, glass sculpture, glass structure, kiln-formed glass, maryland, md, michael janis, mike janis, mncppc, peppermill, Prince George's County, Public Art, sculpture, teri Bailey, Tim Tate, twenty first century sculpture, warm glass, washington glass school, Washington School of Glass

Laurel Library’s Grand Opening Features Public Art Sculpture by Washington Glass Studio

Posted on November 22, 2016 by admin |

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 inset kiln-formed glass panels express the personality and the individuality of everyone involved in the project.

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

玻璃艺术雕塑 WGS_Laurel Library.MD.aipp.washington_glass_studio.public_art.sculpture.site.specific.sustainable.design.usa.jpg

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!

Posted in american studio glass, anything photographic. anythingphoto.net, architectural application glass, Art In Public Places, contemporary art glass, glass and steel, glass and steel sculpture, glass architecture., kiln fused glass, kiln-formed glass, laurel, light sculpture, Prince George's County, Prince George's County Arts Council, Public Art, sculpture, studio art glass, twenty first century sculpture, warm glass, Washington School of Glass | Tagged Grimm + Parker

Washington Glass Studio Installs Laurel Library Public Art

Posted on November 11, 2016 by admin |

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.

Posted in american glass, architectural application glass, Art In Public Places, contemporary art glass, glass and steel sculpture, laurel, library of, maryland, Prince George's County, Prince George's County Arts Council, Public Art, sculpture, twenty first century sculpture

Glass in the 21st Century Exhibition @ Salisbury University

Posted on January 16, 2015 by admin |

21st Century Glass exhibit at Salisbury University

Maryland’s Salisbury University Galleries will present an exhibition of glass artworks by a diverse roster of noteworthy artists, reflecting the expanded nature of contemporary sculptural glass art. Glass, as a medium, is undergoing a sea change. What started as a bohemian enterprise in the garage of the Toledo museum of art in 1962 turned into a cultural force by the early 1990’s. Artists like Dale Chihuly and the strong influence of Venetian glassworking techniques set the tone for the Studio Glass Movement for more than three decades. The early spirit of experimentation and a devil-may-care attitude toward process gave way to an emphasis on bright colors, skillful execution, and mastery of increasingly complicated techniques. However it is evident that momentum for a new paradigm is building.

$Audrey Wilson, "Jacob's Ladder", Pâte de verre, kiln formed tempered glass, refractory glass, found objects$

Audrey Wilson, “Jacob’s Ladder”, Pâte de verre, Kiln-formed Tempered Glass, Refractory glass, Found objects

Artists who have no previous connection to the material like Roni Horn, Anish Kapoor, and Kiki Smith (among many others) are including major glass sculptures in their body of work, and finding an audience for that work in some of the most prestigious museums around the globe. This would have been virtually unheard of 20 years ago as glass was dismissed out of hand as a purely ‘craft material’. Artists like Josiah Mcelheny take traditional glassmaking processes and turn them on their head by incorporating social commentary and by connecting his work to a historical context., “21st Century Glass” looks at the future of the medium as artists move away from technique-driven work into a more modern approach to the material. Movements like Glass Secessionism (placing the focus on artistic vision) and Hyperopia Projects (artists with glass backgrounds drawing from multiple disciplines and media) are included in this survey of sculptural glass.

Davin Ebanks, “Portrait of the Artist: Redaction: 13.05.17, Pterois volitans”, Blown, Hot-sculpted, Sand-blasted & Mirrored Glass, Wood, Aluminium

Steven Durow, the Head of SU’s Art Department Glass Area was the curator of the exhibition. Durow gave some insight on the show: “I chose the title for this exhibition, Glass in the 21st Century, because I wanted to take note of this moment in time as we settle into the new millennium and to take a glimpse down the road to see where glass as a material for artistic expression might be headed. The work in this exhibition comprises a sampling of artists whose approach to the material of glass exemplify the changes”.

Durow continued: “The digital revolution has given artists access to technologies for video, sound, and interactive media that is unprecedented. Advancements in glass studio equipment and the inclusions of glass programs in the university setting (as well as artist retreat centers like Penland, Pilchuck, etc) have given more people access to the material than at any time in human history. What were once fiercely guarded secrets are now a YouTube search away. Artists have become their own educators. Harvey Littleton, the recognized founder of the Studio Glass Movement in America famously quipped, “Technique is cheap.” Today, it is free. Now that an artist working in glass can do whatever they want, the focus becomes what will they choose to say with it? That is the focus of this exhibition.”

The artist in this exhibition represent the changing way artists are approaching the material of glass. Featured artists include: Karen Donnellan, Davin Ebanks, Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis, Weston Lambert, Carmen Lozar, Sibylle Peretti, Margaret Spacapan, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Audrey Wilson, and Walter Zimmerman

21st Century Glass

January 20th – February 21, 2015

SU Art Galleries, Fulton Hall, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801

Artist Lecture by Karen Donnellan: Thursday February 19 at 5:30pm, Fulton Hall 111
Reception to follow in the University Gallery. SU Art Galleries programming is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council.

Posted in 21st century glass, glass secession, international, Post studio glass, twenty first century glass, twenty first century sculpture, 美国玻璃艺术家

If Its Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Chip Montague |

Michael Janis’ glass artwork is on exhibit at Belgium’s Glazen Huis as part of an international show titled “The Glass Canvas”, curated by J. Maes. The gallery exhibition is seen as a meeting between old and new in a glass context of religion, architecture, art and entertainment. The show contrasts historical glass artwork with contemporary glass work, from 14th and 16th century stained glass, 19th century glass photo negatives to work from current art glass leaders.
“This exhibition is an investigation into the use of glass as a canvas. It is a series of confrontations of the glass canvas in its physical appearance (smooth-rough light-dark transparent screen-reflection miniature-monumental), but also in the psychological experience (accessible-unreachable reveal-blur protect-invite). Going from the canvas as a mediator between inside and outside, to the glass surface as an image former or transformer, as a classical canvas or carrier of a concept that appears as a rigid skin or as a flexible weaving. The glass canvas presents itself as a breakable membrane that gives access to the unreachable reality, which it reflects or deforms, fragments or defragments.The glass canvas is a virgin surface that is covered with paints and emulsions or damaged by chemical or mechanical attacks, but in its clear state can be used as a high gloss protector.”
Artists exhibited : J.Schaechter [US], A.Salvador [IT], W.Berckmans [BE], M.Dukers [IT], F.Jespers [BE], F.Federer [GB], L.Semecka [CZ], S.Peretti [DE/US],M.Janis [US], R.Hawes [CA], N.Sandberg [US], T.Lahaie [US], J.Röder [DE], D.Sandersley [GB], K.Vanderstukken [BE/CA], I.Rosschaert [BE], M.Martens [BE], G.Pierson [BE], J.Caen [BE], E.Leibovitz [BE], W.Delvoye [BE].
‘The Glass Canvas – Glass as a canvas, as carrier through history’
April 10 – September 25, 2011
Het Glazen Huis
Flemish Center for Contemporary Glass Art
Dorp 14b, B-3920 Lommel, Belgium
http://www.hetglazenhuis.be/

Click here to jump to Glass Quarterly’s comments on “The Glass Canvas”

Posted in 21st century sculpture, belgium, glazen huis, judith schaechter, michael janis, nathan sandberg, Sibylle Peretti, Therese Lahaie, twenty first century sculpture

Judith Schaechter Creativity Workshop

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Michael Janis |

The Sin Eater Glass 25 x 46 x 6 inches

As part of the James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Artist Series, Judith Schaechter will teach a Creativity Workshop on May 21, 2011. Designed to help artists explore ways to break through “artists block” and expand their creative practice, participants will engage in group discussions as well as individual exercises. On Sunday, May 22, Judith Schaechter will present a lecture on her work in the Grand Salon at the Renwick Gallery. The lecture will be free and open to the public.

Lockdown Glass 21 x 31 x 6 inches

Judith Schaechter, renowned stained glass artist, is the recipient of many grants, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in Crafts, The Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, The Joan Mitchell Award, the Pew Fellowship in the Arts and a Leeway Foundation grant. Her work is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Corning Museum of Glass, The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick and numerous other collections. Judith’s work was included in the 2002 Whitney Biennial, and she is a 2008 USA Artists Rockefeller Fellow.

The Minotaur (detail) Glass 38 x 25 x 6 inches

Workshop Description:
Creativity is mysterious, miraculous and utterly crucial to an artists’ practice. Because Judith Schaechter herself experienced some difficult bouts of artist’ block, she did a great deal of research into this fascinating and elusive subject. How does one become inspired? How does one choose the one idea to pursue amongst many ideas? Are there techniques to improve oneself creatively?

Ultimately, Judith divided creativity into the following: Inspiration, Perspiration (developing ideas into pieces), Practice (work habits, motivation), Audience and Beliefs.
This workshop will begin with a questionnaire, which should identify areas of interest to the participants. Judith will then share a presentation on what she has discovered. Lively group discussions and individual exercises will follow.

Distinguished Artist Series workshops are $30 for members, $40 for non members. The subscription cost for all four programs is $100 for JRA members and $140 for non-members.
For more information or to register for any of these programs please e-mail: admin@jra.org

Posted in 2011, 21st century sculpture, distinguished artist, james renwick alliance, JRA, judith schaechter, twenty first century sculpture

The Washington Glass School

Category Archives: twenty first century sculpture