Artist of The Gateway Arts District Inaugurates Arts Center

The brand spanking new Gateway Arts Center Gallery opens with a show that features area artists. Juried by art critic and expert of the local arts scene, F Lennox Campello, the exhibition will have two receptions - one for both the Arts Center Grand Opening and the 'Artists of The Gateway Arts District' and one at the closing of the exhibition. The grand opening marks years of effort to get the center running.

* Opening Reception and Center Grand Opening: March 19, 2010. The ribbon cutting ceremony will start at 3 pm. The Open House will follow until 8 pm.
RSVP by March 15 by calling 301.864.3860, ext 3.

* To celebrate the exhibition in its own right, there will be a closing reception on April 10, 2010, from 5 pm til 8 pm. Artists juried into the show include:

Alan Binstock,Alison Duvall,Cheryl Edwards,David Korte,Ed Burck, Ellen Baer, Ellen Weiss, Erwin Timmers,JJ McCracken,Joseph Hicks, John Paradiso,Jonathan Kellog,Kate Hardy,Katie Dell Kaufman,Kim Peterson, Kyan Bishop, Laurie Breen,Leila Holtsman, Lindsay Sherman,Margaret Boozer,Michael Janis,Pete Duvall,Sarah Wegner,Shahin Shikaliyev,Tim Tate,Tom Hill,Valerie Theberge

M-NCPPC Gateway Arts Center

3901 Rhode Island Ave.

Brentwood, MD 20722

tel. 301-277-2863

Karen LaMonte @ Smithsonian

Last night was the dinner with artist Karen LaMonte and talk at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Her artwork "Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery" was just acquired by the museum. She talked of her work and process to make this haunting and striking cast glass sculpture - the work is so technically complex that it can only be crafted at Lhotsky's studio in the Czech Repbulic, one of the largest and most advanced centers for glass casting. It was a fascinating and fun night in the museum's galleries!

41st Annual Laurel Art Guild Exhibition Open Juried Exhibition

Each year Montpelier Arts Center hosts an exhibition open to artists aged 18 and older who live in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. It is chaired by a member of the Laurel Art Guild. This year I was juror, and spent a day going thru the entries. It was a surprisingly hard task to whittle down the selection - a very talented roster of artists submitted art for the competition, and 60 works were chosen for the exhibition. Virtually every medium is represented and the range of work is impressive.

I will be giving a brief gallery talk about the selection process on Sunday March 7 during the reception held from 2 pm -4 pm. The winners will be announced at that time as well. The reception is free and open to the public.

Artists scheduled to be shown:

Celestine Ranney-Howes, Melissa Burley, Jennifer Beinhacker Trisha Coghlan, Natalya Parris, Sharon Godlock, Martin Slater, Ardythe Jolliff, R. Teresa LaRocque, Kimberly Bursic, Carolyn Jackson, Pete Campbell, Christine Jacobs, Jeffrey P Coleman, Hans Guerin, Pauline Clatterbuck, Carol Clatterbuck, Crisley McCarson, Charles Reiher, Russ Little, Yolanda Koh, John Flournoy, Barbara Bell, Emlyn Davies-Cole , Nic Galloro, Thomas Burch, Karen Peacock, Susan Ellis, Emily Tarsell, Tod Renshaw, Mavreen K Veihmeyer, Theresa Harrison, Pat C Wilson, Linda Lawler, Sylvia L Valentino, Stephen Boocks, Ed L Cunnilis, Paul Giguere, Kathy Karlson, Harvey Duze, Linda Diane, Bruce Blum, Jim O'Connor, Meredith Osterman, Ron E Wilder, Beth deLoiselle, Sharon J Burton, Laurence Chandler, Lauren Kotkin, Jesse Berry, Joseph Hamilton, Daniel Bell, Lisa Orton, Joan Tarbell Plato, Jacqui Croetta, Amy Sferra, Lynne Slater, Roxana Sinex, Erin Antognoli

Montpelier Arts Center

9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708

41st Annual Laurel Art Guild Open Juried Exhibition

Friday, March 5-Sunday, March 28
Award Ceremony and Reception: Sunday, March 7, 2-4 pm
All ages welcome. FREE

For more information and images, please contact Ruth Schilling Harwood at ruth.harwood@pgparks.com.

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Arts Programs of the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission are supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

HAYSTACK SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHING

MARCH 1
FULL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
Haystack offers full Technical Assistant and Work Study Scholarships. The Craft School awards up to 100 scholarships annually, which are available through competitive application to those who are 18 years of age or older. Applicants may seek scholarship support in more than one category.

Please visit Haystack's website at www.haystack-mtn.org for more information about scholarships, the application process, and to download an application form.

Contact Haystack direct for any questions and to discuss their workshops and scholarship opportunities in more detail. Please call (207) 348-2306 or email haystack@haystack-mtn.org.

REMINDER: April 1 is the deadline for regular (non-scholarship) applications.

Hamiltonian Projects Fellowship Application

The Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship Program is now accepting applications for their 2010-2012 Term.

Deadline: Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Hamiltonian Artists, a 501(c)3, has announced its third annual open call to new, emerging artists to apply to their two-year Fellowship Program, aimed to aid in the professional development of visual artists.

Please refer to the Hamiltonian Artists website for the application requirements, restrictions and forms. The application process will close at 5:00 pm on on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, and any applications received after that date will not be considered.

Good Luck!

Running Around the ACC

Tommie Rush at booth #2104

Tim Tate & I ran through the American Craft Council show at Baltimore's Convention Center - looking at the cool work and catching up with some old friends who are exhibiting at the huge show. Unfortunately, we were not able to stay too long, and we also were there on a wholesale market day - where the artists showing on those days are marketing to retail buyers - many of the booths were not open as a result. The ACC opens for the public on Thursday February 25, 2010.

The Glass artists have a strong showing - and some (tho not all) are:

Penland artist-in-residence Devin Burgess' sculptural glass is beautiful & sublime.

Tim Tate and Devin Burgess at the ACC.Tommie Rush's booth is filled with vibrant color - her "Happy Pills" in the foreground.
Kenny Pieper's newest works show how his incredible detailed and intricate canework can feel spontaneous .
Tim Tate explains theory on how to market glass to Urban Glass artist Jamie Harris.
Jaimie Harris' Infusion Panels - the result of experiments he pursued at a recent residency at the Corning Museum of Glass. These one-of-a-kind panels begin as solid sculptures and are then kiln-cast into flat blocks, carved and polished.

ACC Baltimore Opens Feb 25!

More than 700 of the country's leading craft artists will gather in Baltimore's convention center for The American Craft Council Show - the largest juried, indoor craft show in the nation. The highest quality of handmade jewelry, furniture, clothing, glass, and more, will be available for purchase at the Baltimore Convention Center, February 25-28, 2010.

Be sure to see some of our not-to-miss glass favorites like:

• Tommie Rush @ Booth 2104
• Thor Bueno @ Booth 1613
• Kenny Pieper @ Booth 2405
• Charles Savoie @ Booth 725
• Devin Burgess @ Booth 3903
• Martin Kremer @ Booth 927
• Jeremy Newman @ Booth 1402
  

And many more fantastic glass artists - Also mixed media, jewelry, demos and presentations - for more info: American Craft Council Tommie Rush

LOCATION
Baltimore Convention Center

One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

RETAIL DATES AND SHOW HOURS
Thursday, February 25 (10 am - 6 pm)
Friday, February 26 (10 am - 9 pm)
Saturday, February 27 (10 am - 6 pm)
Sunday, February 28 (10 am - 5 pm)

For information on the Wholesale dates, please click here.

ADMISSION - SAVE UP TO $5 BY PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS ONLINE!
Purchase, print and bring right to the door!
Buy Tickets Online
ON-SITE ADMISSION $15 per person $25 for a two-day pass $30 for a three-day pass SPECIAL FRIDAY EVENING ADMISSION: $6 after 6pm.

Roni Horn show at Boston's ICA

Roni Horn, Pink Tons, 2008, Solid cast glass, 48 x 48 x 48 in
Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Europe

Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art has a comprehensive retrospective exhibition of the New York conceptual artist Roni Horn - whose can be seen as drawn from minimalism and conceptual art. Horn's remarkable glass sculptures, for example, aren't Donald Judd's inert boxes but shifting and slippery objects that belie their solid mass. The most recent example of this work, "Pink Tons" (2008), occupies the foyer gallery of the ICA. At approximately five tons, the sculpture has been called the "largest piece of glass in the world," according to the ICA's new head curator, Helen Molesworth. Though the glass is virtually unmovable, the imperfections in its core "afford the viewer a dizzying, unsettling experience" according to the Bostonist.

The Glass Quarterly Blog has a great review of the show, with some other photos, but one has to marvel at the immensity of the casting and imagine the how much annealing time it would take to make that huge piece. Looking at the cracks in the piece, however, one would guess that whatever it took, it was not enough.

Spring Craft Weekend is in the air!

National Building Museum

The melting mountains of snow are revealing jolly jonquils; the birds are returning and the days are getting longer - it can mean only one thing: Spring Craft Weekend is soon!

This April, there are many events planned that even the most jaded art lover, craft fancier, and media-specific aficionado can participate in.

The 28th Smithsonian Craft Show (Thursday April 22- Sunday April 25, 2010 www.smithsoniancraftshow.org ) is one of the country’s most prestigious juried exhibition and sale of fine American craft. The show features 120 top craft artists, each one reflecting the story of contemporary American craft in one of 12 categories: basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art and wood, and takes place in the historic National Building Museum in Washington, DC. There are also many lectures, demonstrations and tours sponsored by the Craft Show.

Want more? the The James Renwick Alliance has many activities and events planned, including dinners catered by major chefs, live and silent craft auctions, visits to galleries, a craft symposium, visits to private craft collections and artist studios. A special free event is the annual Saturday morning symposium sponsored by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the James Renwick Alliance. Special guests will be Mark Sfirri, Randy Johnston and Yoshiko Wada, who will receive the JRA's Distinguished Educator award, and the topic is How Craft Makes its Way into the World. Stay tuned for news on events and participating artists. All events are open to the public with ticket and offer fun, excitement and interest for those new to studio crafts as well as experienced collectors.

Want even more? Well, Washington, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty has proclaimed the week to be "Craft Week DC" and there will be tours, special exhibitions and events at the Washington Glass School and the surrounding craft studios that weekend. Some celebrity guests will give awesome demos - like Matthew Szosz inflating float glass!

Save the dates! - More info to be posted soon!

Say, Isn't that OUR Jennie?

The new summer catalog of classes held at the beautiful and historic Penland School of Craft in the mountains of North Carolina were delivered a couple of weeks past. Inside, amongst the fantastic listings and descriptions of courses in different media (Books, Clay, Glass, Wood, Drawing & Painting, Iron, Metals, Photography, Textiles, Prints and Specials) is a photo of our Jennifer Lindstrom, shown working on her artwork last year.

Jennie hard at work in the print edition of Penland's summer course catalog.

It is always nice to see Jennie working on her artwork!

For more about Penland and information on their immersion courses, Click HERE.
Scholarship deadline is fast approaching Click HERE for the link.

WPA Art Auction Gala March 6

The Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) invites contemporary art aficionados to indulge their passion for art at the WPA Art Auction Gala on Saturday, March 6, at 6 p.m.
All proceeds benefit WPA programs and exhibitions. For tickets and more information, please visit www.wpadc.org/auction/auction.html. The dinner tickets are sold out, but party tickets are available.

To purchase party tickets, click here to download the form. For information on bidding in absentia, or the Auction Gala, please email the WPA at: wpa.auction@gmail.com The Cream exhibition is open for viewing, Tuesday - Sunday, 11am - 4pm at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Admission is Free. More information on the exhibition is available at www.wpadc.org. Preview the works at auction.wpadc.org

Upcoming Classes @ the Glass School

Some great classes are coming up - old and new favorites!

Roll-up = Fused and blown glass

Up first is the Bullseye Roll-up. In this class you get to fuse and blow glass! This process allows the detail and care that you can get in a fused piece can be transferred to the hotshop and blown into a dimensional piece. If you are a fuser - a great introduction to the world of blown glass. If you are a blower - imaging the detail you can get!

Nancy Donnelly's Green Eggs & Ham fused glass panel.

Blowing at DC Glassworks studio.

The finished work.

Class 1007 - The Great Bullseye Roll-up

If you've ever been interested in making your fused glass panels into blown vessels- then this is the class for you! Come experience one of the most exciting trends in glass - where you get the best of both worlds. One class will be spent fusing Bullseye Glass into a panel at the Washington Glass School. The next class will be held at DC GlassWorks where you will help blow the glass into a vase, or bowl, or even go more sculptural! This class is for all experience levels, both fusers and blowers who want to see their imagery in blown glass.

Instructors: Dave D'Orio & Michael Janis

Dates: Saturday, February 27 & March 6, 1:30 to 5:00 pm each day

Tuition: $350

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Also coming up everyone's favorite way to work with photos - emulsion transfer! This fun class gets the photographer in you working! Your photo images (taken during class or from your slides) are transferred via polaroid-style film to glass, paper, whatever. A great way to get imagery in your art!

Class 1008 - Photographic Image Transfers On Glass

The photo-emulsion transfer process did not die with Polaroid. Learn how to make your images, manipulate them and put them onto almost any surface using Fuji's instant print film. Instructors Alison and Pete Duval will show you several tips and tecniques so you can get the most from your images. This will be a hands-on workshop, so com prepared to get your hands dirty All materials will be supplied by the instructors - but students are encouraged to bring their own slides and any materials they would like to transfer images to. There is a $20 lab fee for supplies to be paid to the instructors on the day of the workshop.

Instructors: Pete & Alison Duvall

Dates: Sunday, February 28, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Tuition: $150 (+ $20 lab fee)

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and - don't forget:

Class 1009 - Introduction to Rubber Mold Making

In this weekend class you will tackle the basics of making rubber molds. These molds can be used for the production of parts that can be dupicated in wax - the first step in the Lost Wax Process for casting glass, bronze or aluminum. (Hint: Debra's amazing Lost Wax Casting class will be offered next semester - plan ahead!) Students will bring in their own pieces to review and explore mold production, undercuts, multipart mold-making, and casting of wax. Students will learn about a variety of materials and which to use in different situations. Students will be asked to bring a minimum of 3 small objects (not more than 1.5" in any direction).

Instructor: Debra Ruzinsky

Dates: Sat/Sun, March 6 & 7, 9:30am to 1:30 pm

Tuition: $300

Imagery In Glass Class

Instructor Michael Janis explains how imagery can be fused into glass.

Class 1005 - Imagery in Glass was alot of fun this weekend, a great way to celebrate the end of the blizzard weather the DC metro area has been suffering thru. The class dove right in learning how to use glass frit powder, high temperature enamels, stencils, glass paints and fused glass photo-imagery.

Michael Janis outlines the sgraffito technique

Michael is assisted by artists Chris Shea and Dave Pearcy.

Hands on practice is the best way to learn any new process.
all photos by Tracy Lee

Happy Valentines Day!

Blizzard of 2010 Shuts Glass School

Snowpocalypse! Snowmageddon! Snowgasm! Whatever you call this record breaking snow dump, it spells yet another day of heavy snow and blizzards in the capital of the free world as Washington, DC comes to a standstill. Congress and federal government offices are closed as is the Washington Glass School.

The weight of the snow is bringing down trees all over. DC's department of transport is telling drivers to stay off the roads except for emergencies. Washington just broke its record of 54.4 inches of snow for a season (138.2 centimetres), set way back in 1898-99.

Michael Janis Awarded Saxe Fellowship

This weekend was the annual auction at California's Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI - a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and educating glass artists, students and the community).
Lots of beautiful and provocative works of art were auctioned, raising over $110,000 to benefit the school.

The judges chose the best piece in the auction, and three other Jurors’ Choice Awards. The criteria for these awards were uniqueness and creativity within the world of glass as well as for the individual artist, technical mastery, and content beyond mere technical beauty or mastery.

Awards were given, and the top prize, the Saxe Award went to Michael Janis for his piece 'Meridians'.

Michael Janis / Meridians
Glass, Fused glass powder imagery, steel 12.5" x 12.5" photo: anything photographic

The Saxe Fellowship Award, named after world-renowned collectors George and Dorothy Saxe, is chosen by a jury of Dorothy Saxe, Maurine Littleton, Director of the Maurine Littleton Gallery, and Micaela Von Zwoll, Director of the Micaela Gallery. The winner of the Saxe Fellowship will receive a cash prize and will be invited to participate in BAGI’s Visiting Artist series. Previous winners of the fellowship include Sabrina Knowles and Jenny Pohlman.

Congratulations to Michael and all the artists!

There are still several pieces available - the full catalog is online... please call Chris Moore at 408 993-2244 to inquire about them.

A Farewell to Butterstick

Bling-Bling, the panda made of glass Photo by Anything Photographic

The giant panda Tai Shan was sent off to China from the National Zoo here in Washington, DC.
Our good-byes include the memories of the Washington's DC Commission on the Arts public art project: Pandamania .
The Washington Glass School's entry was Bling-Bling - a glass covered panda. Glass school students and resident artists cast unusual elements for the artwork, including a cub scout cap, a mouse whispering into the ear, a heart tattoo, a fish, and faces are among the over 7,000 pieces of recycled glass.

l-r Lisa Frieda, Justine Light and Kay Janis work on the panda.


The panda is ready to roll to its location in front of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Erwin Timmers & Kerri Sheehan celebrate the panda's delivery.

Covered in cast recycled float glass and sporting dichroic glass jewelry.

The Capitol Hill newspaper Voice of the Hill called the panda a "dazzling concoction of shimmering glass"

Bling-Bling situated at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 2004
photo: Anything Photographic