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 CAHâs 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 schoolâs 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, DCâs 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 â 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 â 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 â 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 â a space that, in a twist of history, was once slated to become WGSâs new home back in 2006 before Hurricane Katrina-related construction delays reshaped those plans.
Over the coming months, weâll 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 isnât just a look back. Itâs a living history â 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 weâre not quite ready to name. Letâs just say: itâs a year shaped by long friendships, shared risks, and the kind of collective energy that doesnât happen overnight.
Weâll be revealing things as the year unfoldsâ not all at once, not too fast. Thatâs 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 Schoolâs 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 â 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. Weâre 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 â and weâre just getting started. Next year will bring special exhibitions, events, and projects that honor our past while looking forward to whatâs still possible.
Until then, we wish you a season filled with warmth, inspiration and lots of glass â and a new year full of creative promise.
We are excited to announce that Washington Glass School Co-Director and Co-Founder Erwin Timmers will be exhibiting at Aqua Art Miami, one of the most anticipated fairs of Miami Art Week. His latest sculpturesâcrafted from recycled glass and steelâwill be on view with Alida Anderson Art Projects in Space 109, alongside works by noted artists F. Lennox Campello and Steve Wanna.
Aqua Art Miami has built its reputation as the premier destination for discovering young, emerging, and mid-career artists. The fair remains beloved for its intimate scale and relaxed yet energetic atmosphere. Set inside the classic South Beach Aqua Hotel, each gallery presents its artists in individual exhibition rooms that open onto the hotelâs lush courtyard, creating a uniquely immersive art experience.
VIP Preview:Â Wednesday, December 3 | 3:00â10:00 pm
Public Hours: Thursday, December 4 | 12pm – 9pm Friday, December 5 | 11am – 9pm Saturday, December 6 | 11am – 9pm Sunday, December 7 | 11am – 6pm
Location:Â Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139 Aqua is centrally located on Collins Avenueâjust a short walk south of Art Basel Miami Beachâs main fair and directly across from the Loews Hotel.
Weâre proud to see Erwinâs environmentally conscious, beautifully engineered sculpture series represented at Aqua this year. His work continues to push conversations about sustainability and material innovation in contemporary art.
Gourd vibes only this Halloween! đ Our fused glass pumpkin is looking smashingâno tricks, just plenty of kiln-fired treats. Happy Halloween from the Washington Glass Schoolâwhere even our pumpkins are glass acts! đ»đ§Ąđ„
WGS artist Michael Janis’ new works are featured int Glass 53. Image by Pete Duvall.
Glass53 is the largest and oldest annual glass art experience in the world. Now in its 53rd year, Habatat Galleries in Royal Oak, Michigan, presents an extraordinary gathering of the work of over 100 artists from over 30 countries. Each artist is a visionary whose mastery of glass transcends mere materiality to embody light, texture, and form in ways that captivate the soul. Habatat seeks to honor not only the works themselves but also the journeys of those who create them. This yearâs exhibition is not just a showcase; itâs a living narrative of glass as an ever-evolving art form. From the grand halls of the worldâs most prestigious museums to the cultural zeitgeist, glass has emerged from the shadows of traditional craftsmanship into the forefront of contemporary discourse. The featured artists are pioneers and storytellers, each bringing a unique perspective to the medium through bold abstraction, intricate realism, or conceptual deconstruction.
Glass53 Booklet (learn all about Glass53): Click HERE
Glass 53 Invited Artists: Shelley M. Allen, Anthony Amoako-attah, Herb Babcock, Michael Behrens, Alex Bernstein, Martin Blank, Jen Blazina, Christina Bothwell, Geoffrey Bowton, Jannah Bowlus, Latchezar Boyadjiev, Peter Bremers, Karen Browning, Nancy Callan, Eunsuh Choi, Deanna Clayton, Amber Cowan, Simone Crestani, Christopher Day, Cheryl Derricotte, Minhi England, Hannah Gibson, Susan Taylor Glasgow, Wilfried Grootens, Baldwin & Guggisberg, Kim Harty, David Huchthausen, Krista Israel, Tim Jaeger, Michael Janis, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen, Richard Jolley, Brent Kee Young, Claire Kelly, Kelly O’Dell, Steve Klein, Vladimira Klumpar, Eriko Kobayashi, Laura Kramer, Jiyong Lee, Steve Linn, Littleton & Vogel, LĂĄszlĂł LukĂĄcsi, BoldizsĂĄr LukĂĄcsi, Lucy Lyon, Dylan Martinez, Robert Mickelsen, John Miller, Lukas Mjartan, James Mongrain, Karin MĂžrch, Josepha Gasch-Muche, Kathleen Mulcahy, Barbara Nanning, David Patchen, Maytas Pavlik, Sibylle Peretti, Pohlman & Knowles, Stephen Rolfe Powell, Colin Reid, Kait Rhoads, Bruno Romunelli, Marlene Rose, Martin Rosol, Richard Royal, Toland Sand, Thomas Scoon, John Sharvin, Judith Schaechter, Jeremy Sinkus, Paul Stankard, Ethan Stern, April Surgent, Lino Tagliapietra, Takizawa Kazuki, Michael Taylor, Bensen & Theofanous, Stephanie Trenchard, Carmen Vetter, Elliot Walker, & Trina Urrata Weintraub.
53nd Annual International Glass Invitational Award Exhibition GLASS53
May 3, 2025 – Sep 19, 2025
Habatat Galleries 4400 Fernlee Ave Royal Oak, MI 48073
The 2025 Creative Crafts Council (CCC) 35th Biennial Exhibition presents 169 outstanding artworks by craftspeople from the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia region. See top crafts in ceramics, enamel, fiber, glass, metal, mixed media, wood, book arts, and jewelry and wearable art. On March 14, 2025 36 artworks received awards for their makers’ outstanding efforts.Â
Jurors for the 2025 CCC 35th Biennial wave to the audience at Strathmore Mansion. L-R: Michael Janis, Mary Higgins, Robert Devers.
Washington Glass School was well represented, with works by Kate Barfield, Erwin Timmers and April Shelford included in the exhibition.
1st and 2nd place winners of the CCC Best Glass category: Janet Wittenberg and WGS’ Erwin TimmersApril Shelford’s work Fossil won Honorable Mention
Saturday March 29, and April 26, 2025: Meet the Makers – come meet crafts people from the CCC Guilds and learn more about their crafts at the Strathmore Mansion 11am-1 pm
35th Biennial Creative Crafts Exhibition of Fine Crafts â Saturday March 15 – Saturday May 24, 2025
The Strathmore Mansion 10701 Rockville Pike North Bethesda, MD 20852
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: âTate’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 personalityâŠâ and ââŠThe 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.â
Artist Erwin Timmers describes his artwork process and themes.
Artist Talk: Sunday, February 23, 2 pm
Eclipse
An Athenaeum Sculpture Invitational
January 16, 2025 â 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
