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: “Tate’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 personality…” and “…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.”
Artist Erwin Timmers describes his artwork process and themes.
Artist Talk: Sunday, February 23, 2 pm
Eclipse
An Athenaeum Sculpture Invitational
January 16, 2025 – 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 Janis’ design for a new DC Memorial to Honor the Enslaved People Who Built the U.S. Capitol for Ward 5. Along with DC’s 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.
Curated by Alison Sigethy and produced by Veronica Szalus, “Eclipse” is an invitational sculpture show opening Jan 16th at the Athenaeum that examines light and shadow, liminal space, and the passage of time.
An exhibition titled “Eclipse” evokes themes of transformation, obscuration, revelation, and the interplay of light and shadow. The works of Washington Glass School artists Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, and Michael Janis seems to fit so seamlessly into such a thematic framework, each offering a unique interpretation of these ideas through their distinct techniques and narratives.
Detail of Tim Tate’s work in the “Eclipse” exhibit
Tim Tate is known for combining traditional glass craft with modern video elements and digital media to create mixed-media sculptures that explore themes of memory, mortality, and the passage of time. His works often embody themes of transformation, obscuration, revelation, and the interplay of light and shadow. In this exhibition, Tate’s work symbolizes the moment of revelation that occurs during an eclipse, where hidden truths or forgotten histories come to light. His lenticular prisms that shift between imageries effectively capture the fleeting moment of an eclipse where light is temporarily blocked yet still visible in other forms. Said Tate: “In my lenticular series, I aim to capture the nature of memory and perception. By layering multiple images within a single lens, I create a sense of depth and dimensionality that shifts and changes as the viewer moves.”
Detail of Erwin Timmer’s cast recycled glass artwork featured in “Eclipse” exhibit.
Erwin Timmers is deeply committed to environmental sustainability, and his works crafted from recycled glass introduce a theme of renewal and regeneration within the “Eclipse” exhibition. Timmers uses discarded materials to create beautiful forms, highlighting the potential for transformation in the most unexpected places—much like an eclipse, which temporarily alters perception and understanding. His work often conveys a narrative of reclaiming what is cast aside, fitting well into the exhibition’s overarching theme of cycles of destruction and rebirth. Once destined for landfills, the recycled materials are reborn as testaments to the power of transformation and the importance of reexamining our relationship with the natural world. Timmers’ recycled glass sculptures also play with light, given the translucent nature of glass, adding a dynamic interplay of illumination and shadow. Said Timmers about his work in the Eclipse series: “I explore the intersection of environmental waste and beauty. By casting discarded materials into sensuous forms, I aim to reveal the beauty hidden within the discarded and the forgotten. As we stand at the edge of ecological crisis, I believe that art can serve as a catalyst for change, inspiring us to reimagine our place within the delicate balance of the ecosystem.”
Detail of Michael Janis’ “A New Dawn” glass artwork featured in “Eclipse” exhibit.
Michael Janis’ sgraffito glass portraits, which often explore identity, human emotion, and societal themes, align with the “Eclipse” theme by focusing on the layers of human experience and the partial obscuration of self. His technique of layering powdered glass to create complex imagery is akin to the way an eclipse gradually reveals or conceals—shadows and light playing across the surface, revealing deeper meanings. His works evoke the internal eclipses we face—moments where parts of ourselves or our histories are hidden or revealed depending on the perspective or light shed on them. Janis’ portraits also symbolize the personal and psychological aspects of an eclipse, dealing with identity, transformation, and the hidden aspects of the self that come to light.
Said Janis of his frit powder portraits: “Each element of my artwork serves as a kind of representation of the chaotic nature of human existence. By abstracting the realistic figures, I highlight the intricate layers that shape our identities, both internal and external. These divisions symbolize the diverse aspects of our personalities, experiences, and cultural influences that converge within a single being.”
Eclipse An Athenaeum Sculpture Invitational Curated by Alison Sigethy January 16, 2025 – February 23, 2025 Artist Reception: Friday, January 17, 6 – 8 pm 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 Athenaeum is home to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA), an organization dedicated to the maintenance and preservation of the building and the celebration of regional arts. The Athenaeum Gallery 201 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Earlier in the year, Greenbelt Metro Apartments LLC, in partnership with the City of Greenbelt, commissioned WGS artist Erwin Timmers team to create three-dimensional artwork to be installed at Motiva, a new 354-unit residential development in Greenbelt, MD.
Erwin Timmers, original concept design for Motiva
The artwork design was to be a place marker that enlivens the Motiva Greenbelt complex and surrounding area. Erwin Timmers also outlined how sustainable design would be integrated into his design, using recycled glass.
Motiva Concept: Two tall stylized plant shapes will grace the side of the public plaza at the main entrance. The plant “stems” will be the structural elements and have branches coming out the sides which will hold circular glass flower shapes. The structure will be made of powder coated steel, with a coloring that shifts from green below to yellow and red above. The plant stems will bow outward and then come closer together toward the top. They seem to form an entrance or gateway. The two shapes will be similar, but uniquely different.
Community glass making workshop at the Washington Glass Studio was held earlier this year.
The glass inset panels that form the petal circles will be made with neighborhood community participation, in workshops held at the Washington Glass Studio.
The Greenbelt community enthusiastically joins in making the newest public art for their town. Color selection was treated with the utmost care.
Timmers said that the inspiration for his nature inspired design comes from the MOTIVA complex’s natural surroundings and the environment. Flowering plants that are native to the area include Black-Eyed Susans, Asters, and more. Flowers are often a symbol of growth and opportunity, and the artist said “just as wildflowers need diversity to make a healthy eco-system, so do people…”
Artist Erwin Timmers helps Greenbelt resident volunteer create their first glass masterpiece. The public art “stems” arrive at Powdercoat studio to receive their colorful finishes.Steel framework for the glass “petals” are prepped for their protective paint finishes.
The finished install date will be Mid-September – more about this great project as we get photos!!
Concept 1 design by Michael Janis for DC’s OP & CAH TAP project in Ward 5
WGS Co-Director Michael Janis’ public art design (concept 1 & 2) for DC’s memorial to the Enslaved People that built the US Capitol has many steps before the Mayor’s approval. One can see -and vote! – on the two concepts online :https://engage.dc.gov/JD4865#tab-50371
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in collaboration with the DC Office of Planning (OP), awarded Janis the commission create the significant project that aims to shed light on the often overlooked role of over 200 enslaved people whose labor laid the foundation for one of the most iconic symbols of democracy.
Photo of first community input event in Ward 5 site, April 20, 2024
Great review of Artomatic culture event in the Washington Post. Art critic Mark Jenkins enjoys the all-sorts arts experience and singles out the glass art for comment, including using WGS artist Michael Janis’ artwork titled “Waiting for the Moments that Never Come” as the illustrative work for the show. Writes Mark:
“…Among the various business and governmental sponsors of this year’s Artomatic is a small but internationally renowned arts group, the Washington Glass School. The Mount Rainier, Md., studio has taken a large chunk of the building’s fifth floor to showcase the elegant creations of co-founders Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers and several other glass virtuosos. Tate, who credits Artomatic with playing a significant role in his career, is showing a sculpture that riffs on Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man.” The provocatively androgynous update positions eight glass figures — male, female and combined — in a circle surrounded by mirrors and lights that simulate a sense of endless replication…”
In the galleries: Artomatic: Unpretentious, approachable, convivial – Review by Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, April 5, 2024
By contrast – have a read about how the Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik thought of the 2004 Artomatic exhibit:
…”The result is the second-worst display of art I’ve ever seen. The only one to beat it out, by the thinnest of split hairs, was the 2002 Artomatic, which was worse only by virtue of being even bigger and in an even more atrocious space, down by the waterfront in a vacant modern office building. I won’t dwell on the art. And I certainly won’t name names…There may just be a few decent things hidden in the mix — with so many thousands of objects on display, the law of averages says there must be. But three hours’ worth of looking didn’t spot too many. Some of the glasswork looked all right. (Glass is such a gorgeous medium it’s hard to screw it up, and you need some basic training even to begin to work in it.)
Artomatic 2004: Hanging Is Too Good for It by Blake Gopnik
The James Renwick Alliance for Craft (JRA) is a vibrant group of art enthusiasts, collectors, artists, educators, students and art professionals who share a passion for contemporary American craft. Their group explored Artomatic on Sunday March 25th- and for fun, picked their favorite works of craft-based art that they found. Great to have the collector group be introduced to new art and artists! No particular order to this list (with AOM Room listed)
Full Top Ten pList: Erwin Timmers (Glass lobby L5), Jun Lee (7057), Davide Prete (808), Michael Sirvet (6108), Jeff Wilson (7058), Valerie Theberge (808), Laurel Lukazewski (5094), Griffon Dillon (Glass Lobby L5), Anthony D’Amico (818, 5100) & Melissa Burley (5103). Congrats to the JRA picks- but all at AOM are winners!
The National Capital Art Glass Guild (NCAGG) was founded in 1978 as a community of artisans interested in art glass. Every year Guild members conduct classes in many glass techniques and present programs to interested schools, organizations, and community groups.
WGS Artists at NCAGG Exhibit L-R Patricia de Poel Wiberg, Kate Barfield, April Shelford, Graciela Granek, Michael Janis, John Henderson.
The juried NCAGG member show at the Strathmore Mansion features outstanding works by area glassmakers in multiple styles – and many works by WGS artists!
Patricia de Poel WilbergApril ShelfordKate Barfield
The show runs through October 28, 2023
April Shelford in awe of Erwin Timmers’ cast sculptures.
The Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize Award and Exhibition Application Deadline: Friday, October 22, 2021 Exhibition: September 9, 2022 – March 18, 2023 In celebration of its 25th anniversary in 1997, Pittsburgh’s Center for Contemporary Craft established a $5,000 prize for excellence in the field of contemporary craft. This biennial award, which is given in conjunction with a catalogue, video profile and juried exhibition, is funded by the daughters of Elizabeth R. Raphael, the founder of Contemporary Craft and a nationally known figure in the contemporary art scene for many decades. Prizes are selected by medium, with the designated medium changing with each biennial award. The 2022 prize will be awarded for a work in glass.
MEDIA CRITERIA
The 2022 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize competition is open to all artists working in glass. Emerging artists are especially encouraged to apply.
THEME
The prize will be awarded to a work created between August 2021 and July 2022 that addresses the theme of “transformation.”
JURYING PROCESS
Jurying will take place in two phases. From the initial submissions, a group of finalists will be invited to submit a work on the selected theme for the final jurying and inclusion in the Raphael Prize exhibition. Only one work per artist may be provided for final jurying. Artists are eligible to include work made after August 2021.
DEADLINE
All digital entries must be received by 5 pm Friday, October 22, 2021.
JURORS
A six-member panel will select finalists from the initial submissions, and also select the prize-winning entry. Jurors will include: Heather McElwee, Randi & L. Van V. Dauler, Jr. executive director, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA; Anna Rothfuss, project development manager, Derix Art Glass Consultants, LLC U.S., Portland, OR; Alexandra Raphael, enameller, London, England; Catherine Raphael, metalsmith and storyteller, Pittsburgh, PA; Rachel Saul Rearick, executive director and Kate Lydon, director of exhibitions, Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh,PA.
ELIGIBILITY
Open to exceptionally talented artists who are in the early, mid or late stages of their career and reside in the United States or abroad.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Application materials must include:
1) Resume (2-page maximum) in doc or pdf format (file size must be under 1MB);
2) 4 Representative Images similar in quality and nature to the work the artist would enter if selected as a finalist, images need not be the exact pieces the artist intends to enter (file size for each image must be under 2MB);
3) Image Details including: title, year, medium, size, retail value
4) Non-refundable Entry Fee* of $45 payable online or via check payable to Contemporary Craft, 5645 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Previous Raphael Prize videos may be viewed at: https://contemporarycraft.org/exhibitions/elizabeth-r-raphael-founders-prize.
More information and to apply: https://contemporarycraft.org/exhibitions/elizabeth-r-raphael-founders-prize/
Contemporary Craft 5645 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Contemporary Craft has relocated to its new, permanent home in the Upper Lawrenceville neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA and opened its doors to the public on September 3, 2020.
Through its mission of engaging the public in creative experiences through contemporary craft, the organization offers meaningful art opportunities through four core values:
Providing vital support for artists Filling critical gaps in public education Sharing cross-cultural perspectives Using art to build community.
