jill Tanenbaum

About the Artist

I started working with fused glass in 2002. I was a resident artist at the Art Glass Center (AGC) at Glen Echo, Maryland from 2010-2011. In 2011, I built a fused glass studio in my home where I teach classes, design and produce my glasswork, and have a home gallery. I was a member of the The Waverly Street Gallery, a co-op gallery located in Bethesda, Md. from 2015-2018. The gallery features local contemporary artists working in a wide range of media. Recently, I won a merit award from the Art Room Gallery, an online international based contemporary art platform and the ultimate meeting place for the sharing of art, founded by award winning artist, art teacher and curator Darko Stanic. Some of the places my work has been exhibited include; Circle Gallery in Annapolis, Gallery Plan b, The Glenview Mansion, the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, Strathmore Mansion, the Ratner Museum, NIH, IONA Gallery in DC, and the Old Naval Hospital on Capital Hill, DC. Two of my pieces are included in the permanent collection of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. I won several juror’s award for my glass work from the Maryland Federation of Art’s Circle Gallery in 2017 and first place for a sculpture in 2018. In April 2019, I was in in a two-woman show, Urban Living, at the Montpelier Art Center, Laurel, Md. In 2019-2020, I was juried into several MFA shows, including two of my collage pieces. I have a BA in Art Studio from the State University of Oneonta, NY and an MA in Publications Design from the University of Baltimore. I owned and ran an advertising and graphic design company for 30 years. I live in Bethesda, Maryland.

Artist's Statement

I create art because I love it. I have always been a creator of art. It’s part of my DNA. I love color and am drawn to bold bright colors. Although I have worked with a variety of mediums, I found myself drawn to glass because of the gorgeous array of colors, the reflective nature of the material, and the range of techniques I can use in my work. I enjoy doing 3D work and being able to create layers of textures and depth with glass that I cannot create with other mediums. More recently, I have been working in paper collage as well. The process I use is similar to glass, but primarily in one dimension. Often, I design my own glass panels and paper sheets to incorporate into my work. I use many materials and techniques in both my glass and collage work including powders, paint, photos, book pages, newspapers, screen-printing, transfers, and gelli printing. Much of my inspiration comes from my love of travel, architecture, people and nature. I always seek out craft and art shows, local markets, and museums wherever I go. Music and dance are also inspirations to me. Especially jazz music. There is always music playing when I am working in my studio. It inspires me. My artwork is optimistic. My art is meant to make people feel good.