News
I will be the keynote speaker at the rescheduled 2021
American Glass Guild Conference to be held online in June. Originally
scheduled for 2020, the pandemic caused the rescheduling to this year.
Website link: 2021 Conference | AGG (americanglassguild.org)
Watch
the artist talk on Habatat Galleries YouTube page:
Artist Tony Porto and I have collaborated on a new series
of glass/mixed media sculpture Habatat Galleries’ "Not Grandmas’
Glass" (NGG) exhibit/competition. NGG is new and groundbreaking
competition, to be held over 12 months, and featuring 12 artists that
are pushing the medium beyond the norm. The premise of the exhibit is
to showcase works that are outside "traditional" studio art
glass, where the artists were challenged to make works that would be
in a contemporary museum. From Habatat's website: "Creating work
that is probably not in Grandma’s art collection…..yet. These
artists are extremely innovative and I propose that they will all be
important in the future of the glass medium."
In our series we pay homage to the underdogs of pop culture
- the cartoons, action figures, and toys of childhood. Figures as diverse
as Batman, Darth Vader, My Little Pony, Wonder Woman, Hulk Hogan are
explored. In the works, we walk a really fun line between taking this
stuff seriously and also being able to laugh at it all.
Tony and I have a long history of artistic collaboration
- our first work together was acquired for the permanent collection
by the Art Institute of Chicago.
For a full review of these sculpture – clink on this
link to jump direct to www.Janis-Porto.com
Detroit’s Habatat Galleries is featuring my work
in a solo exhibit “where I am & you may be” on Artsy.net.
The gallery also features the collaborative work I made with artist/studio
partner Tim Tate in a special exhibit “Living Within The Story”.
The James Renwick Alliance (JRA) in Washington, DC honored
my work in Washington, DC’s Artomatic with their “Award of
Excellence”. Previously, the JRA named me as the Distinguished
Artist in 2014. As part of honor, I lectured on my work, techniques
and career at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM).
I was awarded Washington, DC’s 31st Mayor’s
Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts. The DC Commission for the Arts
& Humanities (CAH) has supported my work over the years, and I am
eternally grateful. The CAH has seven of my works in their permanent
collection of art.
American Craft Magazine featured my work in the April/May
2013 issue of the magazine. Titled “Becoming Michael Janis” ,
the article gives an extensive profile of my background and influences.
American Craft Magazine also featured the work of my studio,
Washington Glass School and Studio in the June/July 2013 issue of the
magazine. Titled “Capitol Improvements”, the magazine reviews
the process in our creation of the new cast glass doors for the US Library
of Congress Adams Building.
The U.S. Department of State awarded me a Fulbright Scholarship.
In 2012, 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.