The Washington Glass School

2014 started with an ambitious solo show at the Glass School  gallery and turned into year of transformation and shows. There were exhibitions, installations, articles, talks and television spots.

Needless to say, a lot has happened. You can be caught up by looking thru the monthly list of events:

January

Audrey Wilson’s exhibit “The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus”

The year started with artist Audrey Wilson’s solo show at the WGS Gallery. The Gallery Beat section of the Old Town Crier newspaper has a great review of the exhibit – “The Aberrant Collection of the Spurious Calamus” – describing Audrey as “another giant signpost in the evolving art history of glass.” 

American Craft’s Chris Amundsen takes a quick pic of Audrey at her show.

One of the visitor’s to the exhibit was the Exec Director of the American Craft Council, Chris Amundsen, who later sent a note to the artist praising the “thoughtfulness and execution” of her work. 

February

Miami’s international contemporary art fair “Art Wynwood 2014″ had featured international galleries presenting emerging, cutting edge, contemporary and modern works. Works by WGS artists Tim Tate, Sean Hennessey, Audrey Wilson, Michael Enn Sirvet and Novie Trump were on exhibit.

Artist Erwin Timmers reviews construction of the steel framework for the glass public art sculpture.

At the end of 2013, the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (DCCAH) had awarded the commission of a new public art sculpture to the Washington Glass Studio. Fabrication of the monumental sculpture took place, as did the community workshops to create the art glass panel insets.

D.C. Ward 7 residents participate in the creation of the District’s newest public art sculpture at workshops held at WGS.

The workshops took place throughout Spring of 2014, and each was filled beyond capacity.

March

American Craft Magazine article about Glass Secessionism.

The American Craft Council  issue of American Craft Magazine featured an interview held by Editor-in-Chief Monica Moses and WGS artist Tim Tate about “Glass Secessionism” and how artists are exploring and advancing the medium. Titled “The World Beyond Studio Glass” the story became one of the magazine’s most controversial article in many years.

Later in the month, glass powder guru – Michael Janis – saddled up and headed out West to talk with the New Mexico and Arizona’s AACG groups about his technique and his artwork. 

Michael Janis talks to the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

April

Michigan’s Habatat Galleries is the oldest and largest gallery in the United States devoted exclusively to artists working with glass as their medium. The gallery hosts an annual “International Glass Invitational“, which for 42 years has introduced and exhibited the greatest artists working creatively with glass. In April,three artists from the Washington Glass School – Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis and Tim Tate were included in the exhibition.

Habatat Galleries 42nd International Invitational.

Tim Tate addresses the Arizona Art Glass Alliance.

April also brought the AACG group from Arizona to Washington, D.C. The collectors, artists, and glass aficionados visited notable local collections, Maurine Littleton Gallery and wound up their tour of the Nation’s Capitol with dinner and a show at the Washington Glass School. 

Josh Hershman’s cast glass cameras.

Glass artist and photographer Josh Hershman shows his kiln cast glass cameras, and integrated the visiting AZ crew and the artists showing into a new artwork. Josh’s artwork piece later received an International 1st Place GAS award, and was exhibited at Chicago SOFA.

May

The James Renwick Alliance (JRA) named WGS’ Michael Janis a “Distinguished Artist”. In early May, Michael presented at the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum’s McEvoy Auditorium. He outlined his career, process, and artwork. The talk at the museum was broadcast live and is now online. 

Michael Janis talks about his artwork at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

UK artists Criss Chaney and Robyn Townsend came to do a residency at the Glass School. The Sunderland artists dove into the projects that were ongoing at the glass studio.

Criss Chaney and Robyn Townsend work with Audrey Wilson.

One of the ongoing projects that started in May was the overhaul of one of the studio’s big casting kilns. The daunting project was one of the all-hands-on-kiln and even involved having Steve Durow, of the glass program at Maryland’s Salisbury University came to help out on this major project. 

Head of the Glass Program at Salisbury University – Steven Durow – looking overwhelmed at rebuilding the casting kiln.

Also in May, Tim Tate was awarded Habatat Galleries 2014 Brilliance Award for “working on the highest level of innovation, intensity, and imagination within the contemporary glass community” .

Tacoma Museum of Glass Exec Director Susan Warner came to the glass school to see what is shaking on this side of the country. Susan Warner – Exec Director of Tacoma Mog – in the other Washington – came for a visit and to get some ideas to take home. Perhaps an East Coast/West Coast thing can result!

L-R Tim Tate, Susan Warner – Exec Director of Tacoma Museum of Glass, and Michael Janis

June

The D.C. Gateway Community Arch public art sculpture continued in its creation. In June, after firing and sizing over 300 individual glass panel insets, installation on site took place.

Artist Derek Thomas joined the studio to work on the sculpture.

 The steel arrived onsite, and the entire studio participated in the assemblage. Miles Lark joined WGS from Michigan to be part of the sculpture team. 

Miles has hit the ground running, helping to install the DC Gateway Arch on his first days in the studio.

July

Bon Voyage Nancy Donnelly!

One of our long-time Studio Artists – Nancy Donnelly said farewall to WGS and Washington, D.C. Off to travel through Europe and ultimately return to Seattle, WA.

Taking over the financial bookkeeping role is artist Laurie Brown, and she now keeps the studio running like clockwork. 

Laurie Brown throws up her hands as she goes thru the books.

WGS often has international artists and come to work and learn at the studio. This year we had Macadonian designers & glass artists Janko and Mimi Gogusevski working at the glass school.

August

Audrey Wilson had a great year for exhibitions! In August, her work was featured at Asheville, NC’s Bender Gallery. Simultaneously, Virginia’s Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center (near Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum) joins with the TCC Visual Art Center featured her artwork in a glass exhibits that celebrated the next generation of the studio glass movement. 

Audrey Wilson at North Carolina’s Bender Gallery.

Michael Janis was off to teach a class in using glass frit to create narrative imagery at Penland School of Crafts in August. With WGS Alum Evan Morgan as his Teaching Assistant, the workshop was non-stop excitement in the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Michael Janis and Evan Morgan discuss kiln schedules at Penland School of Crafts.

Also during August and at Penland – the annual Penland Auction took place. The event is always a favorite – and next year- 2015 – promises to be even bigger, with Tim Tate bringing 100 collectors from the AACG to the party!

Saturday auction pieces at Penland.

September

Sean Hennessey’s mixed and multimedia series “Alice Revisioned” solo exhibit was held in September at the Tony Hungerfold Memorial Gallery at the College of Southern Maryland. Sean Hennessey began this work with the desire to add video and lighting to a series of mixed media artwork based on the writings of Lewis Carroll.

Washingtonian Magazine September Issue listed the WGS Beginner’s Class among the Top 87 cool classes in DC.

Sean Hennessey finishes set-up at the College of Southern Maryland.

Washingtonian Magazine’s September issue featured the top 87 cool classes in DC. Under the category of “Unleashing Your Inner Artist”, the head of the class is Washington Glass School’s beginners class.

October

The ISC conference returned to New Orleans for the 24th International Sculpture Conference: Sculpture, Culture, and Community. This conference had a panel discussions, “Glass as Sculptural Medium in the 21st Century” that had Professor Gene Koss, arts writer/critic/historian/scuba diver William Warmus, and WGS Professor Tim Tate, moderated by Patrick Blythe.

ISC Panel discussion. L-R Patrick Blythe, Tim Tate, William Warmus, Gene Koss.

Omaha’s Gallery 72 held an exhibition that showed the arc of development from the start of the U.S. Studio Glass movement in a show titled “The Greatness of Studio Glass“. The exhibit featured works by WGS’ Michael Janis and Allegra Marquart. The newspaper “The Reader” gave the exhibit a glowing review – Gallery 72 has given us an engaging array of pieces from art glass’s past and present.  It is not to be missed.  Harvey Littleton would be proud.”

In October, Washington Glass Studio was on a shortlist for a new public art project to be created for the West Palm Beach, Florida International Airport. After an intense review and meeting with the arts review jury of Palm Beach County, WGS was awarded the exterior public art projects for the Sheriff Department and the Tourism Office.

Erwin Timmers is briefed on the requirements for the Palm Beach project.

November

Tim Tate’s stunning installation was on the main aisle.

The month started with the extravaganza that is S.O.F.A. Chicago. WGS artists Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis, Allegra Marquart and Tim Tate were all exhibiting at the international contemporary art fair.

SOFA Chicago artists : L-R Michael Janis, Sibylle Peretti, Alex Bernstein, Tim Tate, Laura Beth Konopinski, Ashley McFarland and Josh Hershman.

One of the best aspects of this show is the number of famous glass artists that are actually there in person at the show. It was great to hang out with so many glass stars! More images of the SOFA Chicago show are online – click HERE to jump to the Flickr album. 

Memorial Day, 2014 also was the dedication of one of the Washington Glass Studio’s public art projects completed this year. County Executive Ike Leggett and Council president Craig Rice dedicated the plaza and its Fallen Heroes Memorial, which is part of the Judicial Center Annex construction project in Rockville, MD. 

Fallen Heroes Memorial at Montgomery County’s new Judical Annex and plaza.

December

The pace was non-stop up til the end of 2014. December started with the HUGE Art Basel/Art Miami fairs. WGS’ Audrey Wilson did well at the Context Fair with Alida Anderson Art Project. The Washington City Paper mentioned her work and had her comment on the international art fair in an article “What D.C. Galleries Brought to Two Miami Art Fairs, and What They Got Out of It“. Glass Secessionism (GS) moved forward with founders Tim Tate and William Warmus gathering information about  glass artwork that is outside the traditional Studio Glass realm shown at the art fair.

William Warmus with artwork by Ai Weiwei titled Crystal Cube.

Maryland Public Television (MPT) aired the third season of its weekly arts series “Artworks”. The show features profiles of artists from across the country working in all creative categories: musicians, performers, visual artists, writers, designers, artisans – and experimental others who defy definition. Each program gives viewers insider access to outstanding artists they might never see otherwise. December’s Episode 310 featured artwork by Washington Glass School’s Michael Janis in its “Pop Ups” segment.

Washington Glass School Artist Michael Janis featured on Maryland’s PBS station.

Whew! That was a very busy year! Ok, enough of the  auld lang syne – let’s get to work on 2015!

The Washington Glass School Wishes Joy & Happiness in 2015 to All!

2013 Year In Review

From beginning to end (and we’re not done yet), everyone at the Washington Glass School has been extremely busy throughout this year. We are excited to share a snapshot of what’s been going on and hope it will inspire you as much as it has inspired us!

January

AACG website

2013 Started off right – the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) featured WGS’ Michael Janis as the “Artist of the Month“. The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.
 Erwin Timmer’s sculpture made from recycled glass was selected as part of the Arlington Arts Center ‘s national exhibit INTERWOVEN: Art. Craft. Design.
February

Architect of the Capitol inspects the cast glass.

Erwin Timmers provides thrills for visiting UK artists.

The Washington Glass Studio project of designing and creating cast glass doors for the Library of Congress continued, with an inspection and review of the glass by the Architect of the Capitol. Arrangements for the International Glass & Clay exhibit – the third collaborative exhibition organized by Artomatic and the DCCAH between Washington, DC artists and artists from DC’s Sister City of Sunderland, England took place in February, with the visiting artists arriving late in the month. Erwin Timmers made sure the Brits staying with him had a taste of American adventure, being caught up in a too-fast police car chase that included the escaping fugitive ramming Erwin’s van. The UK artists were told that car chases and gun shootings are as common as they appear in any Bruce Willis movie.
March
Sister Cities Washington, DC and Sunderland, England collaborated to create an exhibition of artwork in the mediums both cities are renown for – glass and ceramics.

The International Glass & Clay opened March 1, and the show featured exhibits, lectures, workshops and talks that integrated artists from the UK and the USA.

Intl Glass & Clay opening night at Pepco Edison Gallery

 
This was the third collaborative exhibition organized by Artomatic, the DCCAH, Sunderland City, the University of Sunderland and the UK National Glass Centre. 

The show garnered a lot of interest from international sources. The British Council USA enlisted Michael Janis as a its US Cultural Ambassador, providing stories to the UK’s blog about artist Phil Vickery and how the relationship between the two glass centers enabled Tim Tate and Michael Janis to fulfill their Fulbright Scholar assignments.

UK glass artists demo at DC GlassWorks.

 
Workshops by visiting artists Robyn Townsend and Criss Chaney at the glass school and hot glass demos by Roger The, Phil Vickery and Colin Rennie gave the DC glass scene lots to see and think about.

Many of the visiting artists enjoyed brunch at Artomatic’s George Koch’s place.

The James Renwick Alliance (JRA) also participated in the international show,  holding a High Tea event at the Edison Place Gallery. 

Tea with the Brits and the JRA formed the closing events. Photo by Miriam Rosenthal.

The UK organizations that showed in the USA arranged to show works by the DC artists in the UK, and featured the artwork at the Sunderland Museum and the Edinburgh Art Fair later in the year. Nancy Donnelly had created
April
The James Renwick Alliance’s Spring Craft Weekend theme was The Stars of Today and Tomorrow. Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery had master artists Bruce Metcalf and Adrian Saxe, along with Hunt Clark and Sean Hennessey, and moderator Cindi Strauss, curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Arts of Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts in a panel discussion about the direction of contemporary craft. 

JRA Spring Craft Weekend panel discusion at the Smithsonian. Photo by Miriam Rosenthal.

Audrey Wilson

The JRA Weekend also had the Glass Fashion Show, MC’d by glass superstar Laura Donefer. Glass artists from around the country participated and modeled the sartorial splendor, including our Audrey Wilson and Susan Taylor Glasgow. 

Susan Taylor Glasgow teaches Michael Janis a thing or two about glass.

Susan Taylor Glasgow lashes out at Michael Janis.

Nancy Donnelly completed a commissioned artwork piece for the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church in McLean, VA.

Nancy Donnelly’s Baptismal Font.

Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey were included in Michigan’s Habatat Gallery’s International Invitational. The exhibition had over 300 works of glass art and 2 separate exhibitions.

“Radar” Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey

May
Erwin Timmers’ colorful eco-friendly glass sculpture was on display in the Brentwood Arts Exchange gallery’s Front Window Gallery in May. Thoughtful and ingenious, Erwin’s sculpture calls attention to contemporary issues through a creative re-engineering of often-overlooked forms and concepts, often focusing on industrial salvage and recycling.

Erwin Timmers sculptures in the Front Window Gallery. Photo by Krista Schlyer.

In May, Duncan McClellan Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida opened an exhibit centered on works by artists of the Washington Glass School.

Duncan McClellan Gallery

Called DC-5′ – Works by Artists of the Washington Glass School, the show had works by Sean Hennessey, Michael Janis, Allegra Marquart, Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers. St Petersburg Museum of Fine Art hosted a talk by Sean and Tim about their works and process.

Sean Hennessey at St. Petersburg’s MFA.

The American Craft Council’s magazine – American Craft featured Michael Janis with a profile on his glass artwork. The huge 8 page story gave insights to his imagery and process. This issue also included work by Tim Tate, and we have learned that the April/May issue won a national publishing award – no doubt due to the WGS stories.

American Craft April/May magazine can’t fit Michael’s head on one page. Photo by Robert Severi.

 
Jumping from Sunny Florida to Glamorous Venice, Italy is a daunting task – but Tim Tate’s artwork can handle the leap easily. Tangents, a show featuring works by artists Christopher Baer and Tim Tate opened on the 4th floor of the Palazzo Bembo during the Venice Biennale. June
The biennial International Symposium and Exhibition of Contemporary Glass – GlassWeekend – was hosted in June by the Creative Glass Center of America at WheatonArts and the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass.

Amy Morgan – talks about the glass sculpture in Morgan Contemporary Glass booth during GlassWeekend.

So much went on

Keke Cribbs @ GlassWeekend.

during the long weekend; a compelling keynote talk by Judith Schaechter; introduction of the 2014 “Rising Stars of Glass”; fantastic demos; looking at the candy storeof glass art, up close and personal; seeing friends, collectors and artists – it was a great time.

American University Museum‘s Katzen Arts Center opened Tim Tate’s show “Sleepwalker”. Tim’s latest work has moved toward video installations. Rich in symbol, metaphor, movement, and mystery, videos, enable us to participate in another reality. The record-breaking show featured collaborations with artists Pete Duvall and Richard Schellenberg. 

“Sleepwalker” installation at American University Museum.

Washington Glass Studio was kept busy in June – creating and installing a new commissioned artwork for Kaiser Permanente‘s refurbished and expanded Largo, MD. medical facility.

Erwin and Audrey install Kaiser Permanente

 
The Washington Glass Studio was also awarded the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities’ Public Art commission for an outdoor sculpture to be located at DC’s new Unity Parkside Health Care center. The new health center is located just down the road from the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, a National Park Service site.

American Craft Magazine featured the collaborative team approach for the Library of Congress cast glass doors.

American Craft Magazine June/July 2013 issue re: Library of Congress cast glass.

July
Big congrats went out to our expat alum Jeff Zimmer. London’s  Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, acquired one of Jeff’s artworks for its permanent collection. Speaking of Brits – Susan Ratliff – a glass artist from the University of Sunderland – came to the Washington Glass School for a summer residency.

Susan Ratliff helps Audrey Wilson create the 2013 DC Shorts film awards.

August

Penland, NC

Sean Hennessey and Tim Tate led a tour for the Penland Auction at North Carolina’s Penland School of Crafts. The guys took the James Renwick Alliance (JRA) group to many of the the artist studios that surround Penland, some of the galleries of Asheville, and then to the beautiful setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains that surrounds Penland for the auction. Accompanying the group was Jennifer Scanlan, independent curator and craft scholar.

Aqualino Cancer Center

In

 August, the Washington Glass Studio installed art glass made for the the chapel in Shady Grove Hospital‘s new Aqualino Cancer Care center.
September
UK ceramic artist Philippa Whiteside came to next door Flux Studios to do an artist residency. UK Sunderland City Council reps came to DC to discuss future collaborative proposals and brought Philippa to the meetings with DC and UK agencies. 

Public Art talk with DCCAH

Mt Rainier’s Joes’ Movement Emporium hosted an exhibit and talk about how public art comes into being. “Public Art Concepts” gave the public a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create artwork for a public space. The exhibit featured scale models and proposals for public art works and opening night featured a lively panel of participating artists and reps from funding agencies that have diverse experience in the public art arena.

Sean Hennessey

October

Sean Hennessy had a solo show at The Dunes Gallery in Washington, DC. His show, titled “The Luxury of Dreams” was a series of artworks based on interpretations of dreams submitted to Sean by friends, colleagues, strangers, and social media connections. Using bas-relief cast glass, painting, drawing, and photography, Sean created a strong and surreal body of works that takes his work to a new level. 

School was back in session with Professor Debra Ruzinsky’s lecture on the history of the studio glass movement. Students, including a class from Salisbury University, enjoyed Deb’s talk that included pre-’60s and ’70s works, works by women, European glass artists, kiln casters, and narrative works – all the alternate viewpoints.

Audrey Wilson’s artwork was selected as the best from the Midwest, 28 glass artworks from 21 glass artists have been selected for this year’s Indiana Glass Arts Alliance (IGAA) annual exhibition.  Titled “GATHERING: Contemporary Glass from the Heartland,” the exhibition at the Indiana University Kokomo Art Gallery. Nearly 150 applications, from 48 glass artists in six states, were reviewed by a two-member jury panel.  Tom Riley, who for 30 years has owned Riley Galleries, in Cleveland, Ohio along with glass artist and director of the glass program at Kent State University, Sean Mercer, collaborated on selecting artwork for the exhibition.

Audrey Wilson

Audrey – who will be having a solo exhibition at the Washington Glass School Gallery – opening Jan. 11, 2014 – had two works selected for the Indiana show.

Baltimore’s gallery and showroom Case[werks] opened its October Group Exhibit, Product Lines: Art & Function Delineated, featuring works of our eco-artist,  Erwin Timmers. Ceramics, furniture, glass, prints, textiles, and design samples were displayed in tableaus.
The pitter-patter of little feet could be heard in the studio – a part-time studio dog, Faygo, arrived. A gentle soul, the pup has been marking his territory in earnest, much to Erwin’s dismay.
November

Tim Tate at SOFA.

The 20th year anniversary of the big S.O.F.A. Chicago Art show proved to be a good one for the Washington Glass School artists. The show always promises to be an overload of art, ideas, artists and extravagance, and it delivered.

Susan Taylor Glasgow’s mobile chandeliers were stunning.

Also this year, a number of talks about the future of the glass movement were held;

Glass Secessionism had a round-table talk hosted by William Warmus and Tim Tate centered on Post-Studio Glass and Glass Secessionism. This talk generated a tremendous amount of buzz during the art fair, and is the ideas generated sure to continue to reverberate thru the glass world. Clearly, this is a topic that has the ability to stir passions – expect more to come. Articles about the evolving nature of studio glass and Glass Secessionism have since been published in Urban Glass’ Art Quarterly winter magazine.

Glass Secessionism panel talk at SOFA Chicago 2013. L-R Tim Tate, Perry Price, William Warmus and Jennifer Scanlan.

Audrey Wilson at CONTEXT/ Art Miami.

December
The winter got hot quickly – with many of the WGS artists showing at the Art Basel/Art Miami fairs. Audrey Wilson worked the fair at Alida Anderson Art Project gallery, and her artwork was among the standout pieces.

In December, we congratulated alum Jeff Zimmer on being awarded the 2014 Stephen Procter Fellowship. The international award will be taking Jeff to Australia for a residency at The Australian National University. 

Harvey Littleton, c. 1978, working at his studio in Spruce Pine, NC

December also brought the passing of the man credited with defining the start of the American Studio Glass Movement, Harvey K. Littleton. His work, his legacy of taking glass to the university, and his concepts still define much of modern glass. 

Time moves us forward, and we don’t always see the end result to which our paths lead. As we look to the future, here’s to keeping our ‘bug eyed’ sense of wonder to the medium in which we work and the people in our lives.

Best Wishes for a Great 2014 from Washington Glass School!