The Washington, D.C. area is home to a wide variety of glass artists working in an equally wide range of styles and techniques. Spend a fascinating day visiting noted artists in their studios to see them at work and explore their creations.
Craig Kraft has gained national recognition in creating works of art that advance the techniques he has developed working with neon, the figure, and more recently, rolled aluminum. He is one of the handful of light artists in the world who bends his own glass, and participants will observe that process in Kraft’s D.C. studio.
A unique artists' environment, Kensington’s Weisser Glass Studio offers a gallery, classes and workshops, and a retail section for glass makers. Owner and artist Nancy Weisser leads a tour and demonstrate some of the processes she uses in creating her own works.
Get up close for a blowing demonstration by the artists at Art of Fire Contemporary Glass Studio. They produce an astonishing variety of sophisticated blown-glass pieces, many of which are on display in the gallery at their Laytonsville studio. They have demonstrated at the Corning Museum of Glass, and developed an association with Gianni Toso of the famed Murano family of glass maestri.
Eric Markow and Thom Norris offer a preview of Summer Zenith, the final in their series of four life-size woven-glass kimonos representing the seasons. Take advantage of the opportunity to see this striking sculpture before it leaves the area, as well as the many pieces of woven glass displayed throughout Eric and Thom’s home and studio in Bowie.
The tour is led by museum education consultant Shelia Pinsker. Lunch is included at Dave's American Bistro.
8:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. by bus from the Holiday Inn Capitol at 550 C St., S.W. (No fringe pick-up.)
Some studios contain stairs.
You might also enjoy:
Woven Art from the Navajo Loom:
History, Design, and Techniques
Evening Seminar
Tues., Jul. 23 at 6:45 PM
The blankets and rugs of the Navajo represent more than simply utility and beauty: These iconic woven pieces hold the history of a native Southwestern people in their threads. Textile historian Cecilia Anderson explores their aesthetic and their enduring appeal. Buy tickets>>