Chicago's Art Institute Re-Opens Chagall "Windows"

Emily Heye, associate conservator of objects, uncovers the restored Chagall stained glass windows at their new location in the Art Institute Wednesday. The windows, which were removed five years ago for the construction of the Modern Wing, will open to the public on Nov. 1. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune)

After five years out of sight, one of the Art Institute of Chicago's most popular works is back.

Artist Marc Chagall's "America Windows," dismantled in 2005 for safe keeping during the lengthy, construction of the Art Institute of Chicago's new Modern Wing, reopens to the public Monday.

Chagall created the stained glass panel wall as a result of the city’s and the Art Institute’s response and support for his mosaic “Four Seasons.” He presented the work to the museum in 1977 and dedicated it to Mayor Richard J. Daley for supporting public art.

The artist called his piece America Windows to recogize a country on its bicentennial that valued and supported the arts.

Bueller...Bueller?

The glass wall was also featured in the classic John Hughes film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

After nearly 30 years on view overlooking the Art Institute's McKinlock Court, the glass windows, subject to slight condensation, had attracted atmospheric deposits of oil and calcium carbonate, which appeared as a sheer white film dulling their filtered, colored light, muting the brilliance of colors. Seizing on the opportunity provided by the 36-paneled windows' removal during the lengthy construction, the museum's conservation staff investigated various methods of cleaning, and, beginning about two years ago, the restorative work began.

Detail of one of the Chagall windows.

Associate Conservator Emily Heye commented: "Imagine large Q-tips and lots of time spent carefully rinsing after the fact." Simultaneous to Heye's immaculate restorative work, a new exhibition space was designed and constructed for the windows in the east end of the museum's Arthur Rubloff building.

Daily Art Muse Blog On Artists of Gateway Arts District

The author of the Daily Art Muse blog; Susan Lomuto writes about some of the DC area artists and studios involved in her upcoming internship. Susan is planning on writing about her experience working with different artists within various media.

Tim Tate and Laurel Lukaszweski share a laugh in Novie Trump’s studio

Says Susan of her initial visit to the studios:

"There is a gem tucked away in Mt. Rainier, MD, just a block away from Washington DC – a nondescript, unassuming building where art thrives, relationships flourish, learning is encouraged and life is enriched.
I was only with each of these artists a short time, but it was long enough to understand that they are cultivating an atmosphere of caring, support, friendship, community, humor and learning that helps them create magnificent art and shape extraordinary individuals. I can’t wait to be a part of it and share what I learn with you"

For the full blog posting - click HERE.

Allegra Marquart's Narrative Glass

Allegra Marquart
The Deer, Mouse, Crow & Turtle
kilncast and sand carved glass 18.5" x18.5"

Since 1976 Allegra Marquart has been a professor at Maryland Institute College of Art teaching printmaking. Allegra's imagery continues to gain in visual complexity. Her narrative glass panels started using fables that were familiar to those who know Aesop, La Fontaine and old English rhymes, but now her stories include ones written by Kipling, Edward Lear and ones handed down through generations of American Indians. If you ask Allegra what she does she might say that she makes people stand still, think and smile. Each of these stories are enhanced with a personal drawing style and processes Allegra loves for both making etchings on paper and in the fabrication of glass panels. Allegra’s work is full of invention, humor and pain.

Allegra Marquart
The Blue Jackal
kilncast and sand carved glass 18.5" x18.5"

From Allegra's artist statement:

“For the over a decade my etchings have grown from my observations of city life, human foibles and old fables. About 6 years ago I experienced a kind of epiphany. My images needed to be made of glass! The glass would act as a metaphor for the transparency, fragility, strength, permanence and reflective power in all the moments I was describing. I imagined these pictures in low relief made of glass that would refer to stone carvings on columns and friezes that people in ancient times used to describe their daily life.

Allegra Marquart
The Elephant's Trunk
kilncast and sand carved glass 18.5" x18.5"

So sure was I of this revelation that I went to work immediately. I began with sand blasting deeply into the glass to create my first body of work in this medium that was so new to me. A class at Pilchuck with Paul Marioni taught me how sand casting could give my images even greater physicality and drama. Work at The Corning Studio and The Washington Glass School (in DC) expanded my casting experience.”

Allegra is part of the faculty at the Washington Glass School, and she creates the multi-colored glass panels in the studio's large kilns. Firing color atop color, Allegra creates a basis on which to deep sand carve her visual narratives.

Below is a glimpse into the steps she uses in the creation of the fantastic panels:

Allegra spreads out crushed colored glass (coarse frit) on top of a glass panel that has already been fired with a different color.

Prepping the kiln for another long panel to be loaded for fusing.

After the panel is fired, annealed and cooled, Allegra covers the glass with a thick vinyl resist.

Allegra transfers and draws her imagery onto the resist, later cutting away the elements to be exposed to a deep sand blast session.

The panel is then carved with a force fed media (deep sand blasted) that cuts through the various color layers of glass. Allegra will repeat the process on both the front and back of a panel, allowing the mix of light and color to work with her imagery.

The SOFA Chicago Art Expo will feature Allegra's work at Maurine Littleton Gallery' space (#720).

Click HERE to jump to Allegra Marquart's website.

Recycled Glass Art in Space City

Eco artist Erwin Timmers just returned from spreading the word about fusing recycled glass into artwork at Houston, TX' Hot Glass Houston studios.

The workshop was great fun, the class was enthusiastic and the facilities were first rate. Erwin said that he is looking forward to returning to H-Town (especially if its a cold winter).

Student working with recycled window glass.

Recycled glass after firing.

Charles Bresler: In Memoriam

Sad News: Charles Bresler, lifelong collector of Wood Turnng and Sculpture died Friday. Charlie and wife Fleur just celebrated the opening of their collection at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC. The Breslers are founding members of the James Renwick Alliance, and have been strong supporters of the arts and craft scene. The Bresler's home and collection was featured in AmericanStyle magazine. Family requests donations in Charlie's name to Food & Friends or to The Wood Turning Center.
From the Washington Post:

CHARLES SHELDON BRESLER
On October 22, 2010 of Rockville, MD. Beloved husband of Fleur Bresler; devoted father of Sidney (Phyllis), Susan, Lynne (Michael), Edward, Carol (Carolyn) and the late William; grandfather of Alex, Jonathan, Amanda, Audessa, Jessica, Rebecca, Louis, Anthony and Ruby. Graveside services will be held on Monday, October 25 at 10:30 a.m. at Garden of Remembrance Cemetery, 14321 Comas Rd., Clarksburg, MD. Family will be observing Shiva on Monday and Tuesday at his home in Rockville, MD at 6:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Food and Friends of Washington D.C. or The Wood Turning Center, 501 Vine St., Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Washington Glass School Goes to SOFA Chicago

SOFA Chicago at Navy Pier

S.O.F.A. Chicago 2010
Chicago’s historic Navy Pier is THE place to be for art from Nov. 5 – Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. Chicago’s much-anticipated art fair, the 17th Annual International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair: SOFA CHICAGO 2010 will feature 80 art galleries and dealers from 10 countries. It promises to be an exciting weekend of discovery and collecting for Chicago’s impassioned art audience and for the crowd of national and international attendees. WGS' Michael Janis and Allegra Marquart will be featured at Maurine Littleton Gallery's booth (#720), and Tim Tate will be have a major showcase with Marc Petrovic at Habatat Galleries' space (#1200).

SOFA Chicago Navy Pier Festival Hall 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611

Allegra Marquart The Fox and The Crow

Tim Tate The Seven Waking Dreams Of Man

Michael Janis Somewhere I Have Never Traveled (detail)

The Award Goes to...

Helping Hands Award

Glass art made by the Washington Glass Studio can be many things to many people – including working as creative trophies, awards and gifts. The unique artwork can be a great way to recognize achievement and honor events. A number of large and small awards have been made by the studio, ranging from a keepsake gifts to commemorative glass artwork presented by the Mayor of Washington, DC to the King of the Ashanti Nation in Africa and also to the Mayor of Paris.

Below are some sample images from previous projects:

In 2006, the Washington, DC Trade and Cultural Mission presented the President of Senegal with WGS’ commemorative glass artwork. The cast bas-relief artwork sculpture was designed to symbolize Washington, DC as the (then) Mayor Williams and the DC Trade Mission went through parts of Europe and Africa. Made of cast float glass, the color shifts between amber and a milky-blue.

L to R Washington, DC Mayor Anthony Williams; President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade; Chair DC Commision on the Arts & Humanities, Dorothy McSweeny,

The Black Reel Awards annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films.The Foundation for the Advancement of African Americans in Film (FAAAF) commissioned the Washington Glass Studio to make a unique glass reference to the film industry.

Black Reel Award

Jamie Foxx holding the Black Reel award for his work in the movie “Ray”.

The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) sought out the Washington Glass Studio to make its ‘Clear Choice Awards’, designed to honor manufacturers who expand the frontiers of glass packaging design by using glass containers in innovative ways. The award incorporates an interpretation of the GPI logo into the piece.

GPI Clear Choice Award 2007

Forbes magazine and the BearingPoint consultancy honored visionary executives with their ‘Compass Award’. Designed and made by WGS, the award works both as corporate recognition and also as a branding initiative.

Forbes/BearingPoint Compass Award

Other awards by the Washington Glass Studio:

International Film Festival

Howard University Middle School Mathematics and Science award

University of Maryland Smith School of Business

If you or your organization are interested in having a unique, custom made glass award, call the Washington Glass Studio (202)744.8222, and look at the studio's website.

JRA Hosts "Media Day"

The James Renwick Alliance is hosting an exciting new program series titled "Media Days". The six craft media (metal, clay, wood, glass, fiber and jewelry) each have an in-depth educational experience consisting of a visit to four venues to learn about studio glass artists, collectors, a gallery and museum collections.

October 23 is Media Day: Glass

Event Led by: Tim Tate and David Montague.

The journey to discover glass on October 23 starts at the Washington Glass School. The day will continue with a discussion with Jerry and Gwen Paulson; following a 'dutch treat' lunch in Alexandria, VA at 1 p.m., participants will move to the Renwick Gallery to visit with glass collectors Paul and Elmerina Parkman. The day will conclude at the fabulous Maurine Littleton Gallery.

Cost: $25 ($15 voluntary contribution to the James Renwick Alliance).

Transportation to each venue is the responsibility of each participant.

RSVP by Thursday, October 21st, James Renwick Alliance

301.907.3888 or admin@jra.org

Opening A Glass Studio - A Modern Fable

History Lesson - 2003

The Washington Glass School celebrates its 10th year anniversary in 2011, archives and photos are being searched for the nuggets of history and indicators of the path we traveled.
We often work with the school systems and offer ways to have middle school students come to the Glass School for free for an afternoon of creating cast glass tiles - a way to outreach to the schools and integrate their courses in math, science, physics, and art with a practical and hands-on application.

Tim Tate lectures the class from Stuart Hobsen, 2003.

Way back in 2003, the glass school was located in the District on Half Street, SE (the site is now part of the outfield of the Nationals baseball stadium). One of the schools that took us up on the offer was DC's Stuart Hobson Middle School. Part of the educational section of the class was to review a quick history of studio glass art; with an emphasis on contemporary masters. One of the students mentioned during the art history lesson that his uncle sometimes paints on glass. (Tim Tate's response: that's great kid.)

Glass artist Therman Statom was discussed - as he grew up in Washington, DC, and that prompted the boys in the back into giggling fits. It turned out student was none other than Therman's nephew, Jevon. He never knew that his uncle was considered to be a master of his craft.

Therman Statom

“Chair” Circa 1992

assembled glass sculpture with mixed media

53 X 48 X 32"

The class continued, with books and art magazines pulled out to show that every issue had an article or exhibition that featured Therman's work. Jevon was taken aback at the celebrity factor of his uncle. Jevon later wrote a nice thank-you letter to the School:

Jevon Statom's letter dated 11/19/03:
Dear Mr Tate & Staff
I want to thank you for letting my classmates
and I come to your shop. You taught me about glass.
I really appreciate you that you did all of this for free.
I am really excited that you acknowledged my uncle, Therman
Statom. I know that he was famous, but not that famous,
especially in DC. I really enjoyed the glass sculptures that
were on display, and how to find the tinted side of
glass. You have inspired me to try glass art for a while.
Sincerely
Therman's nephew,
Jevon Statom

Tim Tate & Jevon Statom 2003

A nice footnote to the story - a few years later, we were able to repeat the story to Therman Statom when he taught at the Washington Glass School - as part of a James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Artist series in 2006.

Therman Statom teaching at Washington Glass School 2006

Bourgeon On Tim Tate

The online arts magazine Bourgeon has a great article about Tim Tate and the Washington Glass School. The magazine article's highlights include Tim's achievements and plans for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Washington Glass School and his thoughts about the tremendous changes that are remaking the art world landscape. Tim talks of how the artist's career path has changed, and how he has succeeded - indeed thrives, within the current technological and social interactive changes going on.

"in the late 1980’s, the art world presented a hugely different terrain than it does today. In those days, there was one primary path. An emerging artist would try to be noticed by a local gallery, which, if the artist were lucky, would represent him/her in that geographic region. Ideally, one would find several different galleries in different regions, striving for a New York gallery one day. If a gallery had contacts with a museum curator, perhaps it could get them to notice your work. The art world was full of gate-keepers – gallerists, curators, writers –all dominated by a small number of very knowledgeable people who had their own stable of familiar and talented artists. It was very tough to be noticed from the outside."
"Utilizing Facebook has been a big change, and a big ally, in my work. It started, as all good Facebook stories begin, with [a posting of] a video of a cat playing the piano. ... 24 hours later, I was in a show at the Museum Of Art and Design in NYC called “Dead or Alive” with Damien Hirst and Nick Cave."

For the full article click HERE.

Elizabeth Ryland Mears

Elizabeth Mears is an award winning artist who creates objects in glass and mixed media primarily through the glass blowing technique of Flamework. She studied at Penland School of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, and the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, receiving scholarships and eventually teaching at those same venues, as well as others. Her book, FLAMEWORKING, was published in 2003 by Lark Books, and she is a contributing author to PENLAND BOOK OF GLASS published in 2008 by Lark Books. In 2009 Mears was named a Master Artist for the state of Virginia, and she was one of four artists chosen to install work in the Capitol Hill office of Senator Mark Warner to represent the arts in Virginia
.
Living in northern Virginia, she is inspired by nature in all seasons and forms.

Liz utilizes the forms of nature to create works of glass, which reflect her relationship to both her inner and her outer worlds. The glass is first worked in the mesmerizing flame of a bench torch then often is combined with other materials to become the exquisitely crafted and nationally exhibited objects for which she is known. Liz’s creations are represented by galleries throughout the nation and are included in numerous private, corporate (Mellon Bank Headquarters), and museum collections (Racine Art Museum, LOWE Museum) and have also been included in numerous magazine articles focused on contemporary glass art and books including: Women Working in Glass, Formed of Fire, 500 Glass Objects, Contemporary Lampworking, and Etched Glass.

Liz will be teaching two spectacular lampworking classes here at the Washington Glass School, where her love of nature and glass come together!

Class 1036 - Lets Make Leaves! with Elizabeth Ryland Mears
Why leaves you may ask. We will pay homage to Nature's small factory (Bio 101...CO2 + chlorophyll, + sunshine = sugar and O2) while we learn to control the bench torch, manipulate hot glass, direct the heat, use tools to create shape and texture, and work with different sizes of clear rod and tube. The focus of our endeavors will be to make "parts" which can be incorporated into larger sculpture at a later time.
Dates: October 23/24, 10am til 1 pm, $350

Class 1037 - Building Flowers With Bridges! with Elizabeth Ryland Mears
"Bridges" are to Flameworking what exoskeletons are to beetles...they hold everything together. We will use the technique of "bridging" to make a daisy-like flower. We will make the flower then add the bridging to hold all the parts in place while we thoroughly fuse the glass together in the flame of the bench torch. This technique is invaluable when larger sculpture is created, so we will practice on a smaller object. The instructor will guide you step by step through the process. The bridging is temporary so will be removed to reveal a small object ready for further creative use.
Dates: November 06/07, 10am til 1 pm, $350

Click HERE to get more information about her classes at the Washington Glass School.

Liz will be teaching for a week next spring at Penland and a week at the Pittsburgh Glass Center in June 2011, and had just completed a Professional Artist in Residence (PAiR) at Pilchuck.

Call For Entries St Louis Craft Alliance

Gregory Grennon oil on glass

Saint Louis' Craft Alliance has announced a national invitational and juried exhibition titled "Identify Yourself" - exhibition dates are May 20-July 3 , 2011.

The theme of the show is, “Who are you? What is your history and what makes you, you?” The curator/juror, noted gallery owner Duane Reed, will be choosing work that explores ideas pertaining to cultural identity, psychological identity or personal narrative.

Some of the invited artists include Sonya Clark, Gregory Grennon, Elizabeth Lo, Mark Newport and Joyce J. Scott. The exhibition will be at the Craft Alliance DELMAR LOOP location: 6640 Delmar Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63130.

All featured works must be made of clay, glass, metal fiber or wood.

Entry postmark deadline is MARCH 25, 2011.

Click HERE to jump to prospectus.

Michael Mangiafico Flamework Workshop

Michael Mangiafico works thru the detailed steps to create incredibly articulated lampworked sculpture.

Michael Mangiafico (aka 'Fig') has been working thru an awesome workshop at the Washington Glass School this weekend, taking students on a journey thru the insect world, working with them to make glass bugs.

Fig shows how to do an ant right.

Soon glass ants are everywhere!

And they became unintentionally irradiated and thus become THEM!