Gateway Open Studios Tour

7^th Annual Gateway Open Studio Tour!

15 Venues. 70 Studios. 120 Artists.

Saturday, May 14^th, 12-5pm in the Gateway Arts District of Prince George’s County, MD

Get up close and personal with legions of local artists in their studios and see the work of this intensely creative community

The Gateway Arts District will host their 7^th Annual Open Studio Tour on Saturday, May 14 from 12 PM to 5 PM. Maps will direct visitors on a self-guided tour of the new

Gateway Arts Center

3901 Rhode Island Avenue

Brentwood, MD 20722

and over 70 art studios within a half-mile radius. Food carts at several locations; free parking.

Following the Tour is the After Party! The Gateway Arts Center will concurrently feature two exhibitions: “Big Ideas: Sondra N. Arkin, Ellyn Weiss, Susan Finsen” (artist talks at 2 PM and 4 PM), and “Body,” curated by Ledelle Moe (party/opening reception following the Open Studio Tour, from 5:30 PM to 8 PM)

Maps and more information available onsite, or at www.gatewaycdc.org.

Metro: West Hyattsville station (green line) is 1.5 miles from the Arts District (easy biking); Rhode Island Avenue station (red line), 3 miles

Washington Post on Renwick Craft Invitational

The Post arts critic Michael O'Sullivan has a very insightful review of the Renwick Craft Invitational.

Of the work shown by Judith Schaecter, Michael writes: "... I stood at that midpoint for several minutes, listening to the reaction of random visitors as they crossed the unseen threshold.

"Now this is disturbing" was a typical comment. "It's a nightmare" was another. Both statements, I would like to believe, were intended as compliments.

The artwork inspiring such strong sentiments is by Schaechter, whose postmodern twist on the stained-glass window has more in common with comic books -- albeit darkly subversive, R-rated ones -- than ecclesiastical decoration.

Death, arson and lust are just a few of the themes of Schaechter's bold and striking, if ambiguously narrative, works. Mounted in softly luminous lightboxes, Schaechter's pictures transform the part of the Renwick where they're hung into a church of the weird and wonderful. They're easily the most powerful, and disturbing, things in the show..."

Click here to read the full review.

The Craft Invitational exhibition (March 25 thru July 31, 2011) features works by four extraordinary artists, who are creating works of superior craftsmanship that address the classic craft notion of function without sacrificing a contemporary aesthetic:

• Cliff Lee (b. 1951), a former neurosurgeon who works in Stevens, Pennsylvania, creates elegant porcelain vessels with the exactitude of a doctor, often using his knowledge of chemistry to re-create medieval Chinese glazes long thought lost to history.
• Matthias Pliessnig (b. 1978), a furniture maker in Philadelphia, uses boat-building techniques in new ways to create graceful forms with curved wood strips that may have up to 5,000 points of contact without the aid of hardware.
• Judith Schaechter (b. 1961), a glass artist based in Philadelphia, brings a wealth of knowledge about traditional stained-glass practice to her moody windows.
• Ubaldo Vitali (b. 1944), a fourth-generation silversmith and master conservator of historic silver working in Maplewood, New Jersey, uses classical techniques he learned in Rome to create luminous works for popes, kings, and presidents.

The Renwick Craft Invitational is a biennial exhibition series established in 2000 to honor the creativity and talent of craft artists working today.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Glass Sparks: Erwin Timmers

In honor of Earth Day, today's artist profile is about eco-artist Erwin Timmers.

Erwin has become one of the area’s leading “green artists”. Recycling, waste, the environment and how they relate to society are recurring themes in his work - all of which he blames on his Dutch heritage. Erwin’s main medium is one of the least recycled building materials; float glass or window glass, and he has had to develop new techniques to work with this material.

Originally from Amsterdam, Erwin Timmers moved to California, graduating from Santa Monica College for Design Art and Architecture in 1995. Erwin’s artwork and sculpture has always incorporated recycled materials, and often integrated lighting elements. In 1999 he came to the Washington DC area and along with a new home came a new passion: Glass - creating the perfect marriage of metal and light. Combining this with found and recycled metal, his work carries strong environmental themes.

"Mr Cobrahead", recycled materials, cast recycled glass

"Love Me, Love Me Not", recycled steel, cast recycled glass, neon

Seeking to further his knowledge on using recycled glass, Erwin soon found there were few local options that taught glass techniques and recycled glass processes. And with little information available, Erwin became a pioneer in the field, developing his own kiln schedules. Fate would have it that he met up with Tim Tate, who was then starting the foundations for a glass school in Washington, DC. With his experimental approach and his easygoing, accessible teaching attitude, Erwin and Tim started the Washington Glass School in 2001. Erwin developed a number of courses that integrate his love of the materials and his environmental philosophies. His sustainable design knowledge has been sought by other glass schools, and besides courses here at the Washington Glass School, he has been teaching across the country, spreading the word about eco-friendly art.

Erwin Timmers chats with Italian glass Maestro Lino Tagliapietra.

Erwin has also become a leading consultant in LEED Certified artwork. He has received multiple public art commissions and is also featured in numerous private collections. The EPA had commissioned Erwin and the Washington Glass Studio to create an educational sculpture for the courtyard at the EPA's Washington, DC headquarters.

Low-Impact Demonstration Project, Ariel Rios Courtyard, Washington, DC. Quinn Evans Architects, John Shorb Landscaping

Erwin Timmers and Evan Morgan installing recycled glass panels.

Recently completed architectural projects include recycled glass works for Prince George’s County Courthouse and for Fox Architects and he is currently working on an eco-friendly project for the new Safeway in Bethesda, MD. Erwin's expertise in the field of environmental art is sought out by the media, with interviews on local news stations, including this video where Erwin's demonstration of tempered glass did not go quite as planned. The Washington Post Magazine has just interviewed Erwin for an upcoming article on recycling, scheduled to come out this June. His artwork is featured in several books, notably “Art Glass Today” by Jeffrey Snyder and “Ideas for Creative Reuse” by Garth Johnson. Two more books that include work by Erwin are due out this Spring/Summer.

"Self Scrutiny", cast recyled glass
photos: Anything Photographic

"Self Scrutiny" detail

Erwin's environmental focused artwork has found an audience, from Miami International Art Fair to local and regional art gallery shows, including and upcoming engagement at Project 4 Gallery this summer. His work showcases the possibility and beauty of recycled material, while encouraging the viewer to consider his or her environmental impact.

"What We Leave Behind" cast recycled glass, steel.

Using glass salvaged from a Virginia office building refurbishment, disposable technology and ephemera from recent decades are expressed as though discovered from a future archaeological dig.

"What We Leave Behind" detail, 2000's

photo by Anything Photographic

His work is not always appreciated in the manner he expected - a feature on his work on the Artist-a-Day website prompted viewers to ask if the work was made of Jello.

Erwin will be one of the artists featured in the upcoming LongView Gallery show Artists of the Washington Glass School: The First Ten Years.

Washington Glass School: The First 10 Years
LongView Gallery
1234 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC May 19 - June 19,2011
Artist Reception, May 19th, 6:30-8:30 PM

For other glass artist profiles

Diane Cabe
Sean Hennessey
Elizabeth Mears

Teddie Hathaway

Robert Kincheloe

Jeff Zimmer
Allegra Marquart

If Its Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium

Michael Janis' glass artwork is on exhibit at Belgium's Glazen Huis as part of an international show titled "The Glass Canvas", curated by J. Maes. The gallery exhibition is seen as a meeting between old and new in a glass context of religion, architecture, art and entertainment. The show contrasts historical glass artwork with contemporary glass work, from 14th and 16th century stained glass, 19th century glass photo negatives to work from current art glass leaders.
"This exhibition is an investigation into the use of glass as a canvas. It is a series of confrontations of the glass canvas in its physical appearance (smooth-rough light-dark transparent screen-reflection miniature-monumental), but also in the psychological experience (accessible-unreachable reveal-blur protect-invite). Going from the canvas as a mediator between inside and outside, to the glass surface as an image former or transformer, as a classical canvas or carrier of a concept that appears as a rigid skin or as a flexible weaving. The glass canvas presents itself as a breakable membrane that gives access to the unreachable reality, which it reflects or deforms, fragments or defragments.The glass canvas is a virgin surface that is covered with paints and emulsions or damaged by chemical or mechanical attacks, but in its clear state can be used as a high gloss protector."
Artists exhibited : J.Schaechter [US], A.Salvador [IT], W.Berckmans [BE], M.Dukers [IT], F.Jespers [BE], F.Federer [GB], L.Semecka [CZ], S.Peretti [DE/US],M.Janis [US], R.Hawes [CA], N.Sandberg [US], T.Lahaie [US], J.Röder [DE], D.Sandersley [GB], K.Vanderstukken [BE/CA], I.Rosschaert [BE], M.Martens [BE], G.Pierson [BE], J.Caen [BE], E.Leibovitz [BE], W.Delvoye [BE].
'The Glass Canvas - Glass as a canvas, as carrier through history'
April 10 - September 25, 2011
Het Glazen Huis
Flemish Center for Contemporary Glass Art
Dorp 14b, B-3920 Lommel, Belgium
http://www.hetglazenhuis.be/

Click here to jump to Glass Quarterly's comments on "The Glass Canvas"

A Bit of A Tease

Next month, the LongView Gallery will present : "Artists of the Washington Glass School - The First Ten Years". In bringing The First Ten Years to Washington, DC, LongView Gallery asks artists and audience alike to cast aside traditional notions of glass art and participate in a new form of dialogue; one that looks to the future and not the past. This exhibition is still in the process of being curated by the gallery, but one of the works submitted is so amazing, below is a sneak peak of the show.

Elizabeth Ryland Mears and William "Tex" Forrest have created a collaborative sculpture piece. The illuminated work is over 6' tall, made of flameworked glass, steel wire & fabric.

Liz Mears & Tex Forrest' design sketch

Full-size sample

Liz & Tex at the glass school for a photo shoot of the finished sculpture

Elizabeth Mears shows the tactile detail of the glass...."embellishments"

The finished work - photography by Anything Photographic.
Detail of the lampworked glass

The First Ten Years is intended to celebrate – and instigate– the new directions contemporary glass is exploring through various artistic metaphors. Featured artists include: Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers, Elizabeth Mears, Syl Mathis, Lea Topping, Robert Kincheloe and others.

Washington Glass School: The First 10 Years

LongView Gallery

1234 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC
May 19 - June 19,2011

Artist Reception, May 19th, 6:30-8:30 PM

Rainy Saturday at the Glass School

Its a dreary downtown day; the sky's a charcoal gray, but here at the Washington Glass School, we don't need the sun to shine! Below is a quick photo tour around the place on this wet spring Saturday :
Lino-cut Printmaking with Cast Glass panels class powers on:

Instructor Kirk Waldroff checks on a student as he grinds & coldworks his cast glass panel.

Carving into the lino blocks

Inking the glass panels

Pulling a Print - Nancy Donnelly takes us through the process.

The glass block and the print side by side.

While in the Flameworking studio, test glass color samples being made:

Rob Kincheloe works color combos for a fused glass camouflage pattern background. Here Rob talks of the color options with Kirk Waldroff.

A modern PETA-friendly animal mounting.

In the back studio - artists working on artwork / sculpture components:

Matt Duffy works on his steel and glass sculpture components.

Michael Janis works on a sgraffitto panel to be shown at Glass Weekend in New Jersey.

Glass Sparks: Robert Wyckliffe Kincheloe

Glass artist Robert Wyckliffe Kincheloe is focused on blending a variety of techniques to create sculptural works in glass. Rob has studied all forms of glass including scientific flameworking, sculptural flameworking, fusing, kiln-casting, glass blowing, hot casting, cold-working, and the blending of techniques for sculptural assembly. His focus is flameworked and cold-worked borosilicate glass and he has been pioneering the use of kiln-casting borosilicate glass for use in flameworking.

Robert Kincheloe demo at Penland School of Crafts 2011

Robert has studied and taught glass techniques at many centers, including Virginia Tech Scientific Glass Lab, Penland School of Crafts, the Carslisle School of Glass, Pilchuck Glass School, and The Bullseye Research Lab. For several years, Rob has been part of the technical staff involved with the International Society of Glass Beadmakers annual Gathering. He was selected as a Glass Craft Emerging Artist for spring 2010 in The Flow Magazine. Robert was also been published in the spring 2011 edition of The Flow magazine for his techniques on incorporation of kiln-casting of Borosilicate components in Flameworked Sculptures. He has another tutorial on cold-working techniques coming out in the summer 2011 edition of The Flow Magazine.He has been the Studio Coordinator and a Resident Artist at the Washington Glass School for the last year.

Robert heads up the flameworking program at the Washington Glass School, where he is adding new levels of glass instruction and working at crossing over techniques to those already offered at WGS.

Robert Kincheloe Tree of Life, 2010

Robert Kincheloe Holding onto Possibilities, 2010

“Holding onto Possibilities” was made for the The Flow Magazine's Spring 2011 Tutorial: Flameworking with Kiln-cast Borosilicate Glass.

Robert Kincheloe Shine On Your Love Light, 2011
Kiln-cast glass, Steel, and LED lighting.

Robert actively teaches and promotes the progress of glass arts as a creative medium. This summer Rob will be teaching and presenting at the 2011 ISGB Gathering in Louisville, KY. He will be assisting Elizabeth Ryland Mears at the Pittsburgh Glass Center for her summer flameworking intensive. Robert will also be presenting cold-working techniques for flameworking at the Art Glass Invitational in Hilliards, PA.

Click HERE to jump to Robert Kincheloe’s website.

Robert will be one of the featured artists at Longview Gallery 's exhibition in honor of Washington Glass School's 10 year anniversary: Washington Glass School: The First 10 Years

LongView Gallery

1234 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC
May 19 - June 19, Opening Reception, May 19th, 6:30-8:30 PM

For other glass artist profiles:

Diane Cabe

Sean Hennessey

Teddie Hathaway

Elizabeth Mears

Jeff Zimmer

Allegra Marquart

Jackie Greeves

Printmaking with Glass

Making prints from Glass?! Instructor Kirk Waldroff has been teaching a class in making wood or lino block prints, translating that into glass, and pulling prints from the glass panels. This original process is created by expand on and combining traditional printmaking with modern glass sculpting techniques.

The glass positives inside the kiln - to be cleaned and inked.

Fresh from the kiln, the glass is carefully prepared as a relief matrix.

Kirk oversees the student Nancy Donnelly inking the block.

Some of the first prints pulled.

Instructor Kirk Waldroff expresses his happiness with the day's results.

The class wraps up next week, with the students working on a more complex prints.

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