Michael Janis

Artist Bio

 

News

Maurine Littleton Gallery will present my work in two art fairs this Fall Season. At S.O.F.A. Chicago, November 1 – 4, 2012, Maurine Littleton Gallery returns to Navy Pier as part of the critically acclaimed international contemporary arts fair. Also, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement, Maurine Littleton will have a special show in the center of the Washington (DC) Craft Show that will illustrate the history of glass art. The show will feature work from Harvey K. Littleton, the founder of the American glass movement, and next generation artists; Dale Chihuly, Fritz Dreisbach, Michael Janis, Allegra Marquart, Joel Myers, Ginny Ruffner, Therman Statom, Tim Tate and more, at the Washington Craft Show, November 16 – 18, 2012

 

The U.S. Department of State awarded me a Fulbright Scholarship. This past March, I was Fulbright Specialist at the University of Sunderland and National Glass Centre in the UK. The people, facilities and workshops there were incredible and will have a tremendous impact on my work. I’d like to thank the US / UK Fulbright Commission, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) The University of Sunderland, the City of Sunderland and Creative Cohesion for all their generosity and assistance in the assignment.
Glass Art Magazine has an article online about my Fulbright assignment.

 

Glass Art Magazine has my artwork profile as the cover story of the May /June issue of the magazine. The article provides a great insight into the techniques I use and my influences. Also in this issue – a great profile of one of my Co-Directors of the Washington Glass School, eco-artist Erwin Timmers.

 

The James Renwick Alliance (JRA) has selected my work exhibited at Washington, DC’s Artomatic Art Fair to receive their “Award of Excellence” for glass craft. The JRA is a not-for-profit organization which supports Contemporary American Craft and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.

 

My glass and steel sculpture for the Hotel Palomar received "Best Artwork Award 2007" from Boutique Design Magazine, nd in January, the national newspaper The Onion singled out that sculpture as one of the reasons that Washington, DC is becoming a cool arts center. The Washington Glass Studio was also featured in the article on public artworks.

 

A documentary film on my work and technique was created by the Verizon FiOs creative film production team.
View online www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBTNm5jF3LE

 

The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities recently acquired one of my castings for permanent exhibit in The John A. Wilson Building City Hall Art Collection. The new and much heralded collection is open to the public.

City Hall Art Collection
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Wilson_Building

 

Recently I was included recently included in a new book, 50 Distinguished Contemporary Artists in Glass, edited by Lisa Hoftijzer (ISBN 0947798609 IL Publishers Ltd, London).
Distinguished appraisers in glass chose 50 artists who, in their opinion, represented "the best work of their generation".