Nancy Donnelly in the Washington Post

Glass artist Nancy Donnelly has a solo show of her latest glass artwork on exhibit at VisArt's "Common Ground Gallery" in Rockville, MD. (Through March 24, 2013). Nancy's kiln-shaped glass sculpture and wall reliefs reference natural forms in glass, glass enamel, steel, concrete and transparent color. The Washington Post newspaper has a review of her show in today's (Friday 15 March) paper - what a great review!  Excerpt below is from WaPo art critic Mark Jenkins' article.

From The Washington Post, Friday, March 15, 2013:

"Nancy Donnelly

D.C. artist Nancy Donnelly does landscapes, still lifes and figure studies, all traditional genres. But hers have an added aspect, because they’re translucent. Six years ago, Donnelly began working in glass, which makes even the thinnest of her works sculptural. “Transmission,” her show at VisArts at Rockville’s Common Ground Gallery, encompasses rectangular compositions with just a hint of depth, pieces in which certain elements protrude from the plane and works that are fully three-dimensional.

The last category includes flower arrangements such as “Bouquets,” whose simplified forms suggest pop art’s directness but whose colors subtly shift along the length of the glass fronds. Among the near-flat objects are nature scenes such as “Sea and Sky I” and the more abstract “Tribute to William Morris,” a homage to the Victorian-era designer and theorist that employs a subtle black and green palette. Perhaps the most striking sculptures are those in which well-rounded female nudes, rendered in bluish or greenish glass, emerge from contrastingly hued blocks. They’re metaphors for creation and liberation, making them pertinent not just to one artist who has found her medium.

Transmission

on view through March 24 at Common Ground Gallery, VisArts at Rockville, 155 Gibbs St., Rockville; 301-315-8200; visartsatrockville.org."

Look at the Post online - click HERE.

Nancy Donnelly: Transmission at VisArts Common Ground Gallery

Nancy Donnelly's exhibit of new works opens February 22 at VisArts Common Ground Gallery in Rockville, February 22 to March 24, 2013.

Nancy Donnelly’s kiln-shaped glass sculpture and wall reliefs send out a message of spaciousness and calm. Referencing natural forms in glass, glass enamel, steel, concrete and transparent color, her work operates near a whisper, but sparks memory, emotion and imagination.

Nancy Donnelly - fused glass, enamel

An Opening Reception and Artist Talk will be held on Friday, February 22 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

Nancy Donnelly: Transmission

February 22 to March 24, 2013

Common Ground Gallery

VisArts at Rockville

155 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD  20850 

Breaking Headline News... Washington Glass School in Washington Post

The Friday Washington Post  newspaper had a couple of articles that featured Washington Glass School instructors - Mark Jenkins gives a review of Rockville's VisArts 25th anniversary exhibit "Review, Review" that featured two of Professor Tim Tate's glass artwork sculptures. 

The Dec 21st Washington Post uses Tim Tate's "Lexicon Primer" (inset and detail of glass) as the teaser for the VisArts exhibit review.

The Weekend Section also featured Washington Glass Artists - Sean Hennessey and his lovely wife, Rania Hassan.  

Rania & Sean - together they are one of DC's power arts couples

Sean and Rania were judges of the Washington Posts' Holiday Wrapping paper contest for kids, and the winning design, by Carolin Vorona was featured in the section, along with a pull-out printing of the paper.
From the Post article about the selection of the Carolin's work:"Each of the entries had something I liked,” Hennessey says. “Some had a great use of patterns, others had a sophisticated use of color and many had a fun sense of imagination. The glittery snowmen had a balanced sense of all of the above.”

10 yr old Carolin Vorona's snowman entry. The judges particularly liked the Western snowman, complete with mustache, hat and horseshoe, but the sensitive and insightful use of the glitter medium cinched the win.

 Click Here to jump to the article and photo gallery of the honorable mentions.

Review < > Renew Exhibit Celebrates VisArts' 25th Anniversary

VisArts  - Rockville’s non-profit arts center is hosting a 25^th anniversary celebration to recognize the many artists, teachers, partners and collaborators who have been integral to their success. As part of this celebration, VisArts presents Review < > Renew, co-curated by Judy  Greenberg and Jack Rasmussen. This group exhibition brings together renowned artists who brought critical regional success to the fledgling organization, Rockville Arts Place (RAP). The artists selected for the exhibition all exhibited at RAP while Greenberg was President of the Board and Rasmussen was Executive Director. The works will be shown in two galleries, the Kaplan and the Common Ground Galleries. 

In the Kaplan Gallery, works by Lisa Brotman, Manon Cleary, Sam Gilliam, Tom Green, Margarida Kendall, and Joe Shannon will be on display. Early paintings and more recent works by the artists will be exhibited alongside Paul Feinberg’s photographs of the artists 25 years ago and now. The paintings and photographs are accompanied by interviews with the artists conducted by Feinberg. An earlier version of this exhibition, inspired by the early RAP/VisArts shows, was recently exhibited at the American University Museum, Washington, DC. 

The Common Ground Gallery will feature outstanding artists important to the history of VisArts working in glass and clay, including Margaret Boozer, Robert Devers, Tim Tate, and Mindy Weisel. 

October 28 - December 29, 2012 

25th Anniversary Celebration (tickets required)

Saturday, October 27 from 7:30 – 10:30 pm

(VIP Reception at 5:30 with Curators' Tour)

(Free) Opening Reception Friday, November 9^th from 7-9 pm

VisArts At Rockville / Kaplan & Common Ground Galleries

155 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD  20850

Debra Ruzinsky Solo Show at VisArts Gallery

Debra Ruzinsky at her show opening at the Brattleboro Museum.
Images of Deb's work are also featured in the book " New Technologies in Glass", by Dr. Vanessa Cutler. 

Debra Ruzinsky - one of the DC area Master Casters, has a solo show at Rockville's VisArts Center set to open September 14, and run thru October 20th, 2012.  Deb's artwork that was featured in the Long View Gallery 2011 exhibit of artists of the Washington Glass School had the critic for the Washington Post question his previously held beliefs on what contemporary art should look like, as he stood in front of her work  "Staring at it [Debra Ruzinsky's cast glass], I feel like a monkey in front of a ball of shiny, shiny tin foil."  By Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, Thursday, May 26, 2011

"Sight", 2012, kiln cast glass

8” x 8” x 8"

Debra works in kiln-cast glass and mixed-media, producing objects that mix distopian and utopian visions, investigating belief and meaning. Her new series that takes an oblique look at objects imbued with personal meanings. Referencing memorabilia, collectibles, and luxury goods for display, these objects form a fragmented portraiture, with discrete elements creating implications of a whole. 

"Detached" , 2012, kiln-cast glass and mixed media

7”h x 24”w x 1-3/4”d

Portions 
Solo show, opens September 14 
at VisArts - Common Ground Gallery.http://www.visartsatrockville.org/exhibi 
VisArts
155 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD  20850

Artist Studio Space available in Rockville's VisArts Center

VisArts at Rockville announces the availability of two studios for Resident Artists, beginning January, 2010. Currently, VisArts houses twelve artists working with a variety of media. To continue this commitment to professional artists, VisArts is searching for exceptional artists that are interested in pursuing their creative process, while interacting with the public. The range of media will include, but not be limited to: acrylic and watercolor painting, wood, ceramics, photography, sculpture, jewelry, glass, mixed media, fiber, and media arts.

Each studio is 188 square feet or more. Studio rents are $15.00 per square foot on an annual basis. Additional charges include: utilities, janitorial and common area maintenance; insurance and marketing fees. All terms of the lease will be given at the time of acceptance. VisArts reserves the right to change prices and any other conditions by sending written notice prior to the period in which the changes would go into effect. The artist-in-residence studios are intended both for making art and the sale of works by the resident artists. VisArts takes no commission from the artists’ work sold in the studios.

VisArts offers all juried artists paid teaching opportunities at VisArts with community partnerships, its highly successful summer arts camp program, its mentorship program for High School students, and exhibition-related programming.

A panel of jurors will evaluate applications and work samples. VisArts’ juried artists’ status and all its benefits are valid for a term of three years from the date of jury selection.

Facts about VisArts:

VisArts at Rockville is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization located in Rockville, MD, with a mission to develop a passion for the visual arts, foster creative activity, and expand artistic knowledge through exemplary education, exhibition, and community outreach programs serving children and adults.

VisArts is a 28,000 square foot building, adjoining the Rockville Town Square, containing:*A retail shop on the ground floor;*3 exhibition galleries;*Children’s discovery center;*Artists-in-Residence studios;*2500 square-foot event/conference room;*Classroom studios offering workshops in: glass, wood, printmaking, drawing and painting, photography and the digital arts.

Location *New Town Center, Rockville Maryland www.rockvillemd.gov for the webcam

*City-suburban location on the Metro Red line, accessible by bus and car as well.

*Surrounded by a regional public library, restaurants and retail shops.

For more information:

Stacy Sklaver, President, Art Matters

301-424-5565

ssklaver@artmatters.us