We recently welcomed Wild Side Media and curators from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (CAH) to Washington Glass School for a filmed studio visit and conversation as part of CAHās We Art DC program.
The video features interviews with Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, and Michael Janis, offering a brief look inside our Mount Rainier, Maryland facility as we approach our 25th anniversary. The discussion touches on the schoolās history, the diverse community of artists who work here, and our ongoing mission to support artists through education, collaboration, and access to professional opportunities.
This visit is part of a larger initiative by CAH to celebrate Washington, DCās creative community and highlight the resources available to artists across the city. The video serves as a preview for a longer interview that will be shared in the coming months.
We are proud to be part of a regional arts ecosystem that values mentorship, experimentation, and community engagement ā and grateful to CAH and Wild Side Media for helping share the incredible story of Washington Glass School.
In September 2026, the Washington Glass School marks 25 years of teaching, making, breaking, rebuilding, and believing in glass.
WGS was founded in 2001, by artists Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers, and held its very first class on September 13, 2001 ā just two days after the attack on the United States. At a moment when much felt uncertain, a group of artists and students chose to gather, work with fire, and make something with their hands.
Washington Glass School 1336 Half Street, SE, Washington, DC in 2003
That instinct to keep going forward has defined the studio ever since.
First class listing brochure
What began as the glass program at the Millennium Arts Center at 65 I Street SW (now the Rubell Museum) moved in 2003 to the Washington Sculpture Center. In that same summer, an intrepid, lapsed architect named Michael Janis walked in and took his first class. By 2005, he was named co-director alongside Tim& Erwin ā just as the studio was given its marching orders to vacate Capitol Hill due to eminent domain and the arrival of the Washington Nationals.
In 2006, WGS relocated to Mount Rainier, Maryland, where it has now spent 20 years building a community that extends far beyond the hot shop walls.
Along the way:
Nearly 6,000 students have passed through the studio
WGS has organized landmark exhibitions such as Glass 3 (2006) and International Glass & Clay (2013)
Both Janis and Tate have become Fulbright Fellows
The studio has weathered Artomatic dramas, funding cycles, kiln rebuilds, and more than a few cracked molds
And WGS has created major public works, including the monumental glass doors for the Library of Congress Adams Building, along with numerous civic and community-based projects throughout the region
In September 2026, the anniversary year will culminate in a major exhibition and celebration at the Brentwood Arts Center ā a space that, in a twist of history, was once slated to become WGSās new home back in 2006 before Hurricane Katrina-related construction delays reshaped those plans.
Over the coming months, weāll be sharing stories from the archives, voices from the studio, images of works-in-progress, and reflections from the many artists who have made WGS what it is.
This isnāt just a look back. Itās a living history ā and an invitation to be part of what comes next.
Three mild-mannered artists. One studio. Twenty-five years of heat, pressure, and improbable strength.
2026 arrives with momentum, memory, and a few surprises weāre not quite ready to name. Letās just say: itās a year shaped by long friendships, shared risks, and the kind of collective energy that doesnāt happen overnight.
Weāll be revealing things as the year unfoldsā not all at once, not too fast. Thatās part of the fun.
Happy New Year from all of us at Washington Glass School. Keep your eyes open.
A brief look back at a year shaped by community, care, and creativity at Washington Glass School. This video reflects the artists, collaborations, and shared work that carried us through 2025. Even in these uncertain times, we take care of each other here, using glass as a language of connection.
The new year opens with hope and possibilities, as 2026 brings Washington Glass Schoolās 25th anniversary and a special season of classes, exhibitions, and collaborations planned.
As the year draws to a close, we want to pause and say thank you to our extraordinary community ā our artists, students, instructors, collectors, collaborators, and friends. Your curiosity, generosity, and creative energy continue to make Washington Glass School a place of discovery, connection, and shared brightness.
This year was filled with melty moments, quiet breakthroughs, bold experiments, and the simple joy of working side by side in the studio. Weāre deeply grateful for all of it.
Looking ahead, 2026 marks a major milestone: 25 years of Washington Glass School. What began as a small but determined idea has grown into a vibrant center for glass, craft, and community ā and weāre just getting started. Next year will bring special exhibitions, events, and projects that honor our past while looking forward to whatās still possible.
Until then, we wish you a season filled with warmth, inspiration and lots of glass ā and a new year full of creative promise.
Gourd vibes only this Halloween! š Our fused glass pumpkin is looking smashingāno tricks, just plenty of kiln-fired treats. Happy Halloween from the Washington Glass Schoolāwhere even our pumpkins are glass acts! š»š§”š„
The Gateway Arts District is the largest in the region, but it is easy to underestimate as many of its artists work in spaces tucked away or without public hours. An exciting element of this event is that visitors can see spaces not always open, view artists’ work and workspaces, and talk to the artists about their practice on this special day of open houses.
The district roughly encompasses a two mile stretch from Mt. Rainier to Hyattsville with most locations on or around Route 1/Rhode Island Avenue. Best to start at the Washington Glass School at 3700 Otis Street. While some intrepid art goers choose to walk, Free shuttles will be operated along the corridor to help people cover more ground. Street parking is available as well at Lots 1, 3, and 4 in Hyattsville. Shuttle routes and a parking map will be available on the OST website.
In addition to visual art, many neighboring businesses will be poised to welcome visitors for food, drink, and further discovery of the many small and creative places within the Gateway Arts District.
After the open studio tour, all are welcome to the outdoor afterparty from 5 pm ā 7 pm hosted by Broken Square and featuring music, skateboarding, and a food truck at 3698 Wells Ave, Mount Rainier, MD. If something quieter is your preference, head to Portico Gallery at 3807 Rhode Island Ave, Brentwood, MD 20722 for an end of the day porch hang.
Thank you to our sponsors Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, MiXT Food Hall, and Gateway CDC.
The event is FREE and open to the public. Visit https://www.gatewaycdc.org/ost2025 for a map of participating artists and studios to plan your self-guided tour.
The Athenaeum’s “Sculpture Invitational” Curated by Alison Sigethy, the 11-artist show is heavy on ceramic or glass works, including pieces by Washington Glass School principals Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, and Michael Janis.
Athenaeum “Eclipse” artists Lori Katz and Michael Janis chat at opening of show.
Art critic Mark Jenkins writes in his review for the online DisCerning Eye about the show: āTate’s “Vitruvian Lenticular” is literally mutable, since its Leonardo-inspired figures alternately reach to each other or actually touch, depending on the viewer’s vantage point. One of Janis’s glass-panel portraits offers multiple views of a face, suggesting jagged facets of a single personalityā¦ā and āā¦The sense of motion is palpable, as it is with Timmers’s upright circles of recycled glass, jagged and swirling. “Eclipse” showcases solid objects that aspire, or at least allude, to fluidity.ā
Artist Erwin Timmers describes his artwork process and themes.
Artist Talk: Sunday, February 23, 2 pm
Eclipse
An Athenaeum Sculpture Invitational
January 16, 2025 ā February 23, 2025
Artist Talk: Sunday, February 23, 2 pm
Participating artists: Michael Janis, Lori Katz, Mike Price, Carol Prusa, Sarah Hood Salomon, Salih Zeki Sayar, Murat Sener, Michael Enn Sirvet, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Maduka Uduh
The recent order from President Trump to rescind DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs has led to a noticeable downplaying of Black History Month across government agencies. The U.S. State Department, for instance, has prohibited public events or messages celebrating the month, which has been a staple of American culture since the 1970s.
Michael Janis’ design for DC Ward 5 Memorial
In contrast, local organizations in Washington, DC, are stepping up to honor Black history and contributions. The Lamond Riggs Library Friends, in collaboration with the DC Office of Planning, is hosting Foundations of Freedom: Recognizing the Enslaved People Who Built the U.S. Capitol. This special event will introduce WGS Director Michael Janisā design for a new DC Memorial to Honor the Enslaved People Who Built the U.S. Capitol for Ward 5. Along with DCās Office of Planning staff, Michael will offer an overview of a public art proposal. The program will include storytelling, a discussion of the design process, and a Q&A session to engage the community.
Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 1 pm – 3 pm @ Lamond-Riggs DC Public Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave NE, WDC.
To end 2024 on a positive note – We are looking forward to 2025: DCās new Cedar Hill hospital commissioned Washington Glass Studio to make a āDC themedā glass mural (8 foot x 5 foot high). All our studio artists were invited to make inset panels in their glass style. Just started process fitting out glass panels into the steel framework- hereās a sneak peek! The artwork will be installed early in 2025!! Happy New Year!
Artists involved include: Nancy Kronstadt, Erwin Timmers, Tim Tate, Arden Colley, John Henderson, Patricia de Poel Wilberg, Graciela Granek, April Shelford, Jaelin Jones, Jun Lee, Trish Kent, Chip Montague and Michael Janis.
