Open Studio! December 12th

My Studio, Otis Street Arts Project, along with a slew of others in the Mount Rainier, Gateway Arts District Area will be open on Saturday December 12th from Noon-5:00.

Come out and shop local!

Mount Rainier Winter Open Studios


PARTICIPATING STUDIOS

1. Artbar
3815 34th Street 
Ani Kasten, Sarah Nikitopoulos

2. ReCreative Spaces
3501 Perry Street
Yasmin Bowers, Artis Moon Amarche, Camilla Schaeffer

3. Washington Glass School
3700 Otis Street
Michael Janis, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Audrey Wilson, Veta Carney, John Hendersen, Trish Kent, Debra Ruzinsky, Syl Mathis, Laurie Brown, Diane Cabe, Chip Montague, Jennifer Lindstrom

4. Otis Street Arts Project
3706/ 3708 Otis Street Mount Rainier
Sean Hennessey, David Mordini, Gloria Chapa, Chris Bohner, Art Drauglis, Alma Selimovic, Liz Lescault, Hebron Chism, Matthew Duffy

5. White Point Studio
3708 Wells Avenue
Laurel Lukaszewski, Kate Kretz, Tamara Laird, Jo Ellen Walker, Derek Thomas Hambly, Elizabeth Vorlicek, Nathaniel Duffield

6. Orange Door Studios
3706 Wells Ave
Ellyn Weiss, Ellen Sinel, Dorothy Fall

7. Tanglewood Works, THE STUDIOS
3613 Oak Lane
Sue Older-Mondeel, Christie Otvos

8. studio v::szalus
3613 Oak Lane
Veronica Szalus

9. McClintock Painting Studio
3613 Oak Lane
Peter McClintock

10. Jackson Jarvis Studio
3600 Oak Lane #2
Martha Jackson Jarvis

11. Blue Door Studios
3704 Rear Otis Street
Alonzo Davis, Alec Simpson

12. Valerie Theberge
Shahin Shikhaliyev
3706 Rear Otis Street

13. Joe Hicks Ceramics
3709 37th Street
Joe Hicks

14. Brentwood Arts Exchange
3901 Rhode Island Avenue
*11am - 4pm
Featuring crafts and decorative objects by 19 local artists, plus work by 40 artists in the craft store. Craft beer tastings sponsored by Town Center Market.





Saturday December 12
Noon-5:00

3706/3708 Otis Street
Mount Rainier, MD
Facebook Event Page

Glass Wheel Studio Opens In Norfolk, Va

A new art center is opening in Norfolk, Va.
One of my pieces will be on display.

Journey to the Sun
Glass, Photo, Paint, Found Objects, LED
Sean Hennessey

Check them out
Glass Wheel Studio
128 West Olney Road, Norfolk, VA 23510
Saturday 
November 14th
7:00-10:00
Grand Opening Reception

Personal Patterns at Cafritz Art Foundation Center Opens This Thursday

A Pattern of Uncertainty

Personal Patterns, a show curated by Claudia Rousseau featuring a group of truly fantastic local artists, explores the many ways in which pattern are used by artists to express their concerns, interests and identities.

Where:  King Street Gallery, Cafritz Foundation Arts Center Montgomery College 930 King Street  Takoma Park, MD When:    Opening Reception, Thursday Oct 22, 6-8 pm Artist Talks, Thursday Nov 5, 4-5 pm Show runs until November 25

SOFA Chicago November 5th-9th

I'm going to be exhibiting 4 new works with Habatat Galleries at SOFA Expo in Chicago.

Explaining My Work:: A Pattern of Uncertainty/ A Pattern of Stability.

This is a new post in my series Explaining My Work.

For this post, I'm going to talk about 2 brand new pieces. I've been thinking about the pieces for a long time, but i don't usually write about brand new pieces because living with the work for a time usually brings new thoughts to the conversation.

The pieces are sisters, and both are slated for a show Personal Patterns at the Cafritz Foundation Art Center in Silver Spring Maryland. 

This is the information I sent for the catalogue:

I began the works in Personal Patterns by thinking about choices we have previously made, and choices we are currently contemplating. The two pieces I have created reflect these two different issues and the underlying patterns of those mental places. 

A Pattern of Uncertainty

In the Patterns of Uncertainty, I depict doors as the options presented before us. There is an act of volition in choosing what door to enter. But also shown, is the capricious and outside forces of a child blowing wind affecting the course of a ship at sea. The interplay between our will, and the motions of the universe on our actions. 

A Pattern Of Stability

In the 2nd piece, The Patterns of Stability, I thought about decisions I’ve made in life, decisions that resulted in being held securely, but also being held, locked into place. The locks hold an ambiguous meaning of both security but also inaccessibility. A double looped knot and the emergence of a key in the imagery adds to the sense of the result and resolution of past decisions.

Both pieces are presented with a background of a pattern. For me, this is the patterns that we fall into, keeping the rhythm and reoccurring themes of our lives, but also sometimes, a predictability we try to overcome. I use the patterns from old tin ceilings to create a feeling of the age of these patterns, that they are remnants of decisions made even before we are born. The represent to me the influences on our lives, and sometimes things we are simply drawn toward. 

My work is window glass that I form into molds in a kiln. Once fired, I add drawings and photos, and paint various layers of glass. Finally the pieces are backlit, allowing the viewer to see all the subtle layers of imagery, textures, and bubbles in the glass. 

Detail of a new piece.

The patterns of choice

This is a detail of a piece that will be in an upcoming exhibition at the Cafritz Foundation Art Center.

A video on the history of the Barter Theatre

After I graduated college (with a degree in Art and minor in Philosophy) I really had little idea of what I would do. But I could build things, I had a lot of energy, I was in great shape, and i thought it would be cool to learn how to build sets.  I managed to get a job as a carpenter at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. I loved working there. Tons of amazing people, fun projects to work on, great parties. At one point I switched from being a carpenter to being a Scenic Artist.  I learned so many skills there and had a blast ( despite working about 100 hours a week and not making any money!) Eventually I left Abingdon for a job at at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC.

I still have such a fondness for the Barter and the handful of years I worked there.
I hope you enjoy this history of a unique theatre, and one that is close to my heart.
It's where i learned about GHOST LIGHTS.

detail

this is a detail of a piece i'm working on for an upcoming show.

Grace.

A few weeks ago, when I was at Wheaton Arts for GlassWeekend, I met an artist whose work I had admired. Simply beautiful well conceived and created glass sculpture. Then while there, I learned that she had other facets of her work that I had know about but had no idea who had created them. one project in particular is one of my favorite art/glass/culinary projects I know about.

I gushed a little bit about that to her. Now, this artist is much more well known than I am, much more connected, much further along in her career, and (seemingly ) life in general. I'm just a bumbling hack complimenting a far better artist. I've complimented many artists, as I really want to express my gratitude for people putting wonder and beauty into the world.( especially as i can't compliment them by purchasing it)  i've gotten mixed reactions to this, especially from popular artists. sometimes, i've even been brushed aside. 

With such humility and appreciation, she paused and responded, "Thank you for noticing what I do".

the response has kinda haunted me. not in a bad way, in fact in a most touching way.
People that accept the smallest of gifts with grace make me admire them even more than their gratitude over big things.


anyway, go buy her work and support her. i wish i could.

Hennessey and Chakravarty at William & Joseph Gallery

I'm very excited to be exhibiting in a 2 person show with a friend and very talented artist, Jason Chakravarty.

Kiss My Glass 

 Jason Chakravarty & Sean Hennessey

The  William& Joseph Gallery presents “Kiss My GLASS” a group exhibition featuring the glass artwork of Sean  Hennessey and Jason Chakravarty July 1-31, 2015.

             “Kiss My Glass” aims to showcase the unique glass works being created by these imaginative, up and coming artists. Far away from the traditional blown glass vases, these two artists have created a body of work that makes us laugh, makes us think and asks us to see glass in a new light - as a vehicle for narrative story telling in a three dimensional format.  

Chakravarty is a mixed media, object maker living in Arizona. The majority of his work is cast glass and often incorporates neon for illumination. Glass can be anything; thick, thin, shiny, dull, rough, smooth, transparent, or opaque. It is the only material that can capture light. While material and notably glass are important, his emphasis is within the narrative. His most recent works are semi-auto biographical and reflect on human relationships, communication, and social networking.  He holds an MFA in Sculpture from Cal State University and a BFA from Arizona State University; he has also studied at Pilchuk Glass School, Pittsburgh Glass Center and and an Artist in Residency at Toledo Museum of Art and Alfred University.

Says Hennessey of his art, “The heart of my work is an examination and a suggestion of our identity in a world that places us in a struggle for harmony between our spirituality and our corporeality. My works contain messages of obstacles and of hope, of seeking and of enlightenment. I aim to create works that inspire and remind us of wonders and mysteries we have lost.  I primarily create wall relief sculptures that are representation and narrative. There is a feel of the past, but with materials and techniques of today.”

Hennessey’s pieces are a mixed and multimedia combination of Glass, Concrete, Photography, Drawing, Light, Video, Paint, Found Objects, Wood and Steel.

Hennessey holds a BA in Sculpture and a Minor in Philosophy from Berea College and also studied at the Institute for International Studies in Florence, Italy.  He has also exhibited at SOFA Chicago, John Hopkins University and was a featured artist at the National Institute of Health Gallery, as well as many select group exhibitions

William and Joseph Gallery

727 Canyon Road 

Santa Fe, NM 87501

505.982.9404

or email: mary@thewilliamandjosephgallery.com

                 scwjgallery@yahoo.com

Glass Weekend 2015

I'm heading off to Millville, NJ this week to go to Glass Weekend at the Wheaton Arts Center. It's an art fair but just for galleries that sell glass. Habatat Gallery will be representing my work.

I'll be showing some pieces that haven't yet been seen outside my studio. 

Equity

Protection

Releasing34

The Baggage is the Reason for the Vessel

Gateway Open Studio Tours and Otis Street Arts Project Grand Opening.

The Gateway Arts District organizes tours of all the Artist studios in Mount Rainier, Brentwood and Hyattsville, Maryland every spring. It's a great time to see tons of amazing art, meet up with friends, and enjoy the area's artists in their natural habitat. This Saturday, May 9th is the day.

For the past 9 years, I have been participating in the open studios with my former digs at the Washington Glass School. It's my first Spring Open Studios at my new space, The Otis Street Arts Project. As such, we'll be staying open a little later than the other studios for our Grand Opening Party. 
After the open studio tours, we'll dim the lights, relax, and listen to DJ NEW spinning some tracks. Help us bring good luck and energy to our endeavor. If you're an artist, we still have space available to rent. If you are a curator, we'd love to talk to you about putting on shows with us. If you've got ideas, share them with us.




The first thing you want to do:
Visit the Gateway Arts District page and get a map
There will also be maps available at participating studios.

Then come out and enjoy the DC area's largest concentration of artists.

Visit the Brentwood Arts Center, the EZ Storage studios, Alan Binstok's Studio, and ArtBar.
Get a coffee at Vigilante or the Waterhole. Grab a vegan snack at Sweet and Natural, or have lunch at Franklins or Busboys and Poets.

But be sure to come visit us in the Artists by the Tracks section, where you will find:

The Otis Street Arts Project
The Washington Glass School
White Point Studio
Orange Door Studios
Blue Door Studios
Blue Fire Studio
Tanglewood Arts

So much to see!

Here's who you will find at Otis Street Arts Project

Sean Hennessey
David Mordini
Gloria Chapa
Hebron Chism 
Matthew Duffy
Alma Selimovic
Scott G. Brooks
Anne Smith

PLUS, we are excited to announce Special Guest Exhibiting Artists Cory Oberndorfer and Jeff Huntington.




See the article in the Washington City Paper
and East City Arts

May 9th
Studio Tours: Noon-5:00
Grand Opening Party 5:00-9:00

Otis Street Arts Project
3706 Otis Street
Mount Rainier, MD 201712
otisstreetartsproject@gmail



Please SHARE our event and invite your friends!

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Getting to OSAP

1. Drive. We have parking. We're 2 blocks from the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue NE and Eastern Avenue.

2. UberX and Lyft. get the app, add your credit card. It's probably the easiest way.

3. Car2go - Its possible to Car2go within a few blocks. We're a short walk from the DC line

4. Metrobus. Use the Wmata Trip Planner. Enter Mount Rainier Library as your destination. We're a 7 minute walk from there.

New Mexico : Part 2

Maybe you read my post on my visit to New Mexico, and my post about Arizona.

Well, after the amazing Antelope Canyon, I headed through the 4 corners area and back in New Mexico.

One of the places that really struck with me was Ship Rock.

It hit me as a very unusual spot.

http://geoscience.wisc.edu/~maher/air/air03.htm

I mean, just look at the bing.com birdseye view image. the place is very strange. and amazing.

It's also part of the Navajo creation story. so, you know, Humans came from that area.

Anyway, i'm obsessed with it.

After Ship Rock, my path was the snowy mountain route to Taos through the Carson National Forest.

Driving into Taos, I was struck by some rather strange looking houses. So fun looking that I tried to drive down one of the streets, but it was marked "Private". now if it was an abandoned site or something i would have wandered in. but i don't want to be gawking around peoples homes unwelcomed, so i drive on. BUT! i saw that they had a visitors center! It turns out it was the Earthship Community. too rad! They are off the grid sustainable houses. interesting technology, interesting materials. the whole thing was wonderful to me. i loved them!

Then motored into Taos.

A beautiful funky little town. an even funkier smaller version of Santa Fe.

It's a beautiful town. 

I serendipitously got a preview of the Taos Film Festival projected on the side of a building. 

 I met a few people that worked at Los Alamos. pretty cool.

Then I hit some more of New Mexico's wonderful wineries.

and finished my NM adventure with a stay at an organic lavender farm/ inn. 

Oh, and i hadn't mentioned this, but when you sign up for Budget car rental frequent renter service, they might just give you a free upgrade

next up: a trip to San Francisco!