Washington ArtWorks

This classes are great! Fun, laid back and still informative. I love what I’ve created thus far. Lynn, and all the other instructors are fabulous.

What an interesting and unique experience! «Paint Nites» with wine and easels are a dime a dozen. It’s not often that you get to cut and fuse glass (
). If you’re a total noob like me, you might have envisioned using blowtorches (as with glassblowing). That’s not what this is. Instead, you’ll use special materials [small sheets of glass, frit (glass powder), and stringer (string-​like glass] and tools [oiled glass cutters to make an initial «cut,» and breaking pliers to actually cut the glass] to design whatever you want on a 6″ X 6″ clear plate of glass. Whenever, you’re done with your design, the instructor will use some kind of liquid to temporarily tack/​glue everything together so they can walk it to and place it in the «oven» (kiln). And about a week later, you’ll get an email to come and pick up your fused glass!
As for the actual class, I felt that Melisa did a fantastic job. She’s very knowledgeable, helpful, and fun! It was really cool to experiment with all of the materials and tools. Some of us went with abstract designs and some us went for something concrete. I started abstract, but didn’t like where it was going; so I switched to a beach design while my girlfriend went with grapes. If we must say so ourselves, they turned out pretty sweet!
PS. The only drawback was that the class was supposedly crowded. Melisa noted that there must have been a snafu with their scheduling system, and that though there were 23 of us, the class was supposed to be limited to 16. She must have been a little stressed and kept mentioning/​joking about it, but it would probably have been better to just acknowledge internally rather than constantly out loud to us. Since we were all first timers, we wouldn’t have known the difference! But honestly, that’s such a small thing; and overall, she adapted very well to this curveball and made sure that everyone got the attention they needed.

I took the Portable Flash Course at the Washington School of Photography with instructor Andarge Asfaw. He was knowledgable and informative on the subject. The class was very hands on which allowed the students to get a better understanding of the class. Anderage was able to answer and explain all questions that were presented to him during class sessions and even allowed time after class for any additional questions that students may have. I would greatly recommend this class for anyone who wants to learn more about Portable Flash, whether in the studio, home or outside. Thanks Andarge for the knowledge.
Terry Anderson

My friend and I took a 3 hour glass fusion bowl making class at Washington ArtWorks through a Groupon deal this April and loved it. The instructors were knowledgeable and helpful every step of the way. They had a good sense of humor too! We liked it so much that we are planning to take the 4 piece glass fusion class soon.

Washington ArtWorks is the biggest, fastest growing visual arts center in Montgomery County. They have more resident artists than anyone else and they keep growing! Join them for art classes, photography classes (through Washington School of Photography), monthly gallery openings, and special events! A truly great place for artists — it’s where the artists REALLY are!
I’ve taken lots of classes here — photography, glass art, and clay. I’ve also rented office space from them. The people at WAW are incredibly nice and extremely welcoming. Nice folks and a wonderful space for artists.

Washington ArtWorks is an absolutely wonderful place to both create and enjoy art. As a resident artist there, I am a member of a supportive and encouraging community made up of more than 50 artists who work in a variety of media – from painting to sculpture to jewelry and more. Shows change monthly in the galleries, and there are many events and classes to choose from. The staff are caring and helpful. Please visit me in Studio A-​3.