Born in Chicago, IL
Lives and works in Washington, DC
As the child of a Chinese/Filipino immigrant and grandson
of Greek and German immigrants, the family histories and struggle to
assimilate has been a perpetual source for Michael Janis’ narrative
work that deals with understanding identity. Trained as an architect,
his glass artworks often showcase his very disciplined approach to the
medium.
After a 20 year career as an architect in the United States
and Australia, Janis returned to the US with a focus on working with
glass. In 2005, Janis became the Co-Director of the Washington Glass
School in Washington, DC. Janis has received numerous awards for his
artwork including the Florida Art Glass Alliance’s Emerging Artist
Award 2009, the Bay Area Glass Institute’s 2010 Saxe Fellowship
and he was named a “Rising Star” at Wheaton Arts 2011. His
glass artwork was featured in Corning Museum’s ‘New Glass
Review’ #30 & #31. The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities
awarded Michael the 31st Mayor's Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts.
The Fuller Craft Museum in Massachusetts mounted a solo
show of Janis’ glass panels and sculpture in 2011, where the museum
has his work in their permanent collection. His artwork is also in the
permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, Florida’s
Imagine Museum, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and the Fuller Craft Museum.
Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2012, Janis went to
England's University of Sunderland and taught at the UK's National Glass
Centre where he became an Artist-in-Residence at the Institute for International
Research in Glass (IIRG).
American Craft Magazine featured an extensive profile
on Janis’ work in the April/May 2013 issue. In the following issue
(June/July), the magazine interviewed him on the process’ his studio
undertook to create the cast glass panels for the U.S. Library of Congress’
new entry doors.
The James Renwick Alliance named him Distinguished Glass
Artist for 2014, and he presented a talk about his work at the Smithsonian
American Art Museum in May 2014. Click on the link to see the Smithsonian
video: americanart.si.edu
Miami, Florida’s Lowe Art Museum name Janis “Distinguished
Artist” for 2024, and he will be presenting his work and conducting
workshops at the University of Miami this year.