Steel framework for WGS’ “Harbor of Stories” in the metal shop
This summer, Washington Glass Studio has been quietly building the foundation for Harbor of Stories, a new public artwork for Kempsville, Virginia. The nearly 18-foot steel structure now standing in the metal shop is the armature that will soon hold hundreds of community-made glass elements.
Erwin Timmers and Michael Janis hosting glass making workshop at Kempsville Community Center, summer 2025.
In partnership with the City of Virginia Beach and Historic Kempsville, we worked directly with Kempsville residents through a series of hands-on workshops held at Virginia MOCA and the Kempsville Community Center. Participants translated personal histories, local landmarks, and shared memories into colorful fused glass tiles — each one a small but vital part of the whole.
Excited Kempsville residents proudly display their glass panel art.
The artwork will also feature larger cast glass bas-relief panels created by Washington Glass Studio artists, depicting Kempsville’s native flora and fauna and the layered histories that define the area.
Right now, the steel stands empty — but not for long. The next phase involves cutting, prepping, and installing the glass, transforming this structure into a welcoming beacon at the corner of Witchduck Road and Princess Anne Road.
We’re proud to share that Washington Glass School resident artists John Henderson and Patricia de Poel Wilberg have been selected for the Hill Center Galleries 2026 Regional Juried Exhibition, on view from January 21 through May 2, 2026.
This highly competitive juried exhibition highlights outstanding artists from across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and we’re thrilled to see two WGS artists recognized among this regional group. The exhibition was juried by Claude L. Elliott, independent curator, oral historian, and long-time advocate for artists in the DMV—making the selection especially meaningful.
Patricia de Poel Wilberg; ” For Yayoi Kusama”, fused glass
Patricia de Poel Wilberg will be showing a bold fused-glass portrait inspired by Yayoi Kusama, rendered in vivid color with layered dot elements that echo Kusama’s iconic visual language while firmly grounded in Patricia’s own glass practice.
John Henderson working in the studio.
John Henderson’s selected work continues his exploration of material, process, and form, representing the depth of approaches developed within our resident artist community.
The Opening Reception will take place at Hill Center on Wednesday, January 21, from 6:30–8:30pm, offering the public a chance to meet the artists and juror and experience the exhibition firsthand.All works in the exhibition will be available for purchase and can be viewed both in the Hill Center Galleries and online at HillCenterDC.org. Congratulations to John and Patricia—we’re delighted to see your work reaching a wider audience.
Hill Center Galleries 2026 Regional Juried Show – January 21 through May 2, 2026
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
Curated by Shawn Kowfi Holmes, the exhibit title is “Ancestral Marks”: The Language of Creation”, which carries layered meanings that connects heritage, identity, and artistic expression suggesting symbolic traces left by ancestors – such as scars, tattoos, carvings or artistic motifs. These marks can represent cultural memory, lineage, and inherited identity.
Language of Creation implies these marks communicate something fundamental about existence, origins, or artistic expression as if creativity itself is a universal language passed down across generations.
John Henderson, one of our studio artists, is featuring 3 artworks.
John Henderson, “Homage to the Ancestors” kilnformed glass – 12″x36″
Exhibiting at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center (EBCC) in Baltimore from Jan 3 – March 14, 2026, Gallery hours Thursday & Friday: 1pm to 6pm and Saturday 11am to 3pm.
We recently welcomed Wild Side Media and curators from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (CAH) to Washington Glass School for a filmed studio visit and conversation as part of CAH’s We Art DC program.
The video features interviews with Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, and Michael Janis, offering a brief look inside our Mount Rainier, Maryland facility as we approach our 25th anniversary. The discussion touches on the school’s history, the diverse community of artists who work here, and our ongoing mission to support artists through education, collaboration, and access to professional opportunities.
This visit is part of a larger initiative by CAH to celebrate Washington, DC’s creative community and highlight the resources available to artists across the city. The video serves as a preview for a longer interview that will be shared in the coming months.
We are proud to be part of a regional arts ecosystem that values mentorship, experimentation, and community engagement — and grateful to CAH and Wild Side Media for helping share the incredible story of Washington Glass School.
In September 2026, the Washington Glass School marks 25 years of teaching, making, breaking, rebuilding, and believing in glass.
WGS was founded in 2001, by artists Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers, and held its very first class on September 13, 2001 — just two days after the attack on the United States. At a moment when much felt uncertain, a group of artists and students chose to gather, work with fire, and make something with their hands.
Washington Glass School 1336 Half Street, SE, Washington, DC in 2003
That instinct to keep going forward has defined the studio ever since.
First class listing brochure
What began as the glass program at the Millennium Arts Center at 65 I Street SW (now the Rubell Museum) moved in 2003 to the Washington Sculpture Center. In that same summer, an intrepid, lapsed architect named Michael Janis walked in and took his first class. By 2005, he was named co-director alongside Tim& Erwin — just as the studio was given its marching orders to vacate Capitol Hill due to eminent domain and the arrival of the Washington Nationals.
In 2006, WGS relocated to Mount Rainier, Maryland, where it has now spent 20 years building a community that extends far beyond the hot shop walls.
Along the way:
Nearly 6,000 students have passed through the studio
WGS has organized landmark exhibitions such as Glass 3 (2006) and International Glass & Clay (2013)
Both Janis and Tate have become Fulbright Fellows
The studio has weathered Artomatic dramas, funding cycles, kiln rebuilds, and more than a few cracked molds
And WGS has created major public works, including the monumental glass doors for the Library of Congress Adams Building, along with numerous civic and community-based projects throughout the region
In September 2026, the anniversary year will culminate in a major exhibition and celebration at the Brentwood Arts Center — a space that, in a twist of history, was once slated to become WGS’s new home back in 2006 before Hurricane Katrina-related construction delays reshaped those plans.
Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing stories from the archives, voices from the studio, images of works-in-progress, and reflections from the many artists who have made WGS what it is.
This isn’t just a look back. It’s a living history — and an invitation to be part of what comes next.
Three mild-mannered artists. One studio. Twenty-five years of heat, pressure, and improbable strength.
2026 arrives with momentum, memory, and a few surprises we’re not quite ready to name. Let’s just say: it’s a year shaped by long friendships, shared risks, and the kind of collective energy that doesn’t happen overnight.
We’ll be revealing things as the year unfolds— not all at once, not too fast. That’s part of the fun.
Happy New Year from all of us at Washington Glass School. Keep your eyes open.
A brief look back at a year shaped by community, care, and creativity at Washington Glass School. This video reflects the artists, collaborations, and shared work that carried us through 2025. Even in these uncertain times, we take care of each other here, using glass as a language of connection.
The new year opens with hope and possibilities, as 2026 brings Washington Glass School’s 25th anniversary and a special season of classes, exhibitions, and collaborations planned.
As the year draws to a close, we want to pause and say thank you to our extraordinary community — our artists, students, instructors, collectors, collaborators, and friends. Your curiosity, generosity, and creative energy continue to make Washington Glass School a place of discovery, connection, and shared brightness.
This year was filled with melty moments, quiet breakthroughs, bold experiments, and the simple joy of working side by side in the studio. We’re deeply grateful for all of it.
Looking ahead, 2026 marks a major milestone: 25 years of Washington Glass School. What began as a small but determined idea has grown into a vibrant center for glass, craft, and community — and we’re just getting started. Next year will bring special exhibitions, events, and projects that honor our past while looking forward to what’s still possible.
Until then, we wish you a season filled with warmth, inspiration and lots of glass — and a new year full of creative promise.
The Washington Glass School Bored of Directors today unanimously approved a surprise name enhancement, resulting in the newly designated TRUMP Washington Glass School.
According to sources close to the kiln, the name change was unexpected by all parties, including the individual whose name now appears in gleaming gold.
“This was brought up by one of the very distinguished board members,” the School noted. “There are a lot of board members. They voted on it. Unanimously. Many people are saying it’s very reflective.”
The honoree was reportedly surprised and honored by the decision.
Classes, public art projects, and molten activities will continue as usual—now with extra brilliance, tremendous shine, and absolutely no subtlety whatsoever.
