Join Graciela Granek from The Washington Glass School for a hands-on mosaic workshop inspired by our new exhibition, Visible Vault: Open Collections Storage. This workshop will introduce participants  to the creative world of mosaics.! The workshop will begin in Visible Vault with an introduction to the Museum’s collection of diverse mosaics. Highlights include architectural toys  and terra cotta building fragments from the Helen Hayes Theater and Audobon Ballroom.  After the introduction, participants  will learn the fundamentals of mosaic making, including, cutting, assembling, and designing, and  create their own 4” x 4” or 5” x 5” plate to take home.  This workshop is designed for all skill levels and is recommended for ages 12+ (minors must be accompanied by an adult).  

Program Schedule:   

Intro in Visible Vault: Open Collections Storage at 10:15 am   
Mosaic Workshop 10:30 am to 12:15 pm   

The Washington Glass School  

The Washington Glass School is a unique educational program in the Nation’s Capital area, operating as the sculptural glass education, artistic and community center and resource for the mid-Atlantic region, serving students, artists and the general public. It encourages research and exploration of new techniques in all aspects of glass (kilncast, fused, cold worked) as well as other media such as steel, ceramics, lighting and concrete. Our goal is to introduce artists in other media to the depth, processes and joys of glass to enhance their work. The Washington Glass School offers something for everyone with classes for both beginning and seasoned artists.  

About Your Instructor 

Graciela Granek has always been captivated by the enduring allure of mosaics worldwide, their beauty and craftsmanship and their ability to tell cultural and personal narratives beyond the passing of time. As an educator and counselor, she realized that appreciating the beauty in fragments and broken pieces, and creatively piecing them together, had a profound healing effect on the soul. Graciela employs various mediums in her work, but the allure of glass is particularly mesmerizing. The colors combinations evoke different emotions, and the light reflected and transmitted through the glass creates a deeper emotional connection. Graciela uses glass pieces to narrate stories, sometimes through mosaics and other times fusing the glass to create unique combinations. As an educator, she enjoys sharing her expertise with others, empowering them to engage in glasswork and express themselves creatively. Graciela is a resident artist and teacher at Washington Glass School. She also teaches workshops in other locations in the DMV area. Her mosaics and kiln-formed glass art have been exhibited in juried competitions within the region and internationally.