Washington, D.C. – The Georgetown Business Improvement District (Georgetown BID), in partnership with Artomatic, Inc., the Office of the Secretary for the District of Columbia, and Sunderland City Council, is proud to present an international fine arts glass exhibit, entitled Glass3, hosted by The Shops at Georgetown Park (3222 M Street, NW).

Glass3, which opens to the public on Thursday, February 21, debuts as the first Artomatic international collaboration. Located on the lower level of the mall, the three-story space contributed by The Shops at Georgetown Park will soon present vibrant glasswork, glass blown sculptures, as well as narrative glasswork through etching, writing, and video projection.

Glass3 is the first international glass exhibit for Artomatic. The exhibition will feature international glass artists represented by Cohesion Artists from Sunderland , England , national artists organized by the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo from Toledo , Ohio , and Washington, D.C.-based artists represented by the Washington Glass School . Through invitation only, each arts organization selects the artists presented in the three-week long exhibit.

“Georgetown is the perfect showcase for this event, and we are excited to be a part of this partnership,” says Juanita M. Crabb, executive director of the Georgetown BID. “It reflects the economic impact art has on a business community by creating beautiful spaces that attract people. Georgetown has proven that existing, historically preserved spaces provide vibrant and artistic environments for conducting business.”

"We are pleased to partner with Artomatic and Bowling Green State University to bring glass artists from Northwest Ohio to participate in this collaboration," says Marc Folk, executive director of the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo . "With a rich history in glass manufacturing, the home of the birth of the studio glass movement and the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion, the Glass3 exhibition is an excellent fit for this collaboration. We are looking forward to the relationships and opportunities it will provide to the artists from Northwest Ohio and those from other participating communities."

Artomatic’s previous six events converted under-utilized spaces throughout the Washington, D.C.-region into month-long multimedia arts events that featured visual artists, musicians, and performers, and brought in crowds that ranged from 30,000 to 50,000 visitors.

“Artomatic collaborations like Glass3 support the artist-centered mission of Artomatic,” says Patrick Oberman, Artomatic board member and program manager for Glass3. “Partnering up with the Georgetown BID, the Office of the Secretary for the District of Columbia , and Sunderland City Council allows Artomatic to provide continued visibility and access of area and international artists for the growing Washington audience. Now, the public can experience the work of participating artists in-between the larger, now annual Artomatic event.”

As custodian of the Sister City Program in Washington , the Secretary for the District of Columbia rounds out this active collaboration. Sunderland , England , the British sister city to the District of Columbia , is also home to the National Glass Center of the United Kingdom .

“Glass 3 had its genesis in the Sister City relationship between Washington , D.C. and Sunderland , England ,” says Stephanie D. Scott, the secretary of the District of Columbia . “As steward of those relationships under Mayor Adrian Fenty, I am thrilled that this exhibition so clearly demonstrates the incredible opportunities these relationships provide. The District of Columbia welcomes the chance to connect with artists, businesses, and governments as this international partnership is brought to fruition.”

"We are very excited to be working in partnership with Artomatic, the Washington Glass School , and the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia for Glass3,” says Tom Hurst, chief investment officer of Sunderland City Council. ”This provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase high quality work from Sunderland, Washington , D.C. , and Toledo glass makers. Sunderland artists have taken part in exhibitions in London and Dubai recently but this is particularly exciting as it's the first time we've been part of a group exhibition in the US . It's a real example of the concrete benefits that our Friendship Agreement with Washington , D.C. can generate."

The show will be open through Sunday, March 9, and is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Attendees can avoid traffic to Georgetown by taking the Circulator from Downtown D.C. or the Georgetown Metro Connection from Rosslyn and Dupont Circle Metro Stations.

About the Georgetown Business Improvement District
The Georgetown Business Improvement District (Georgetown BID), founded in 1999 by Mayor Anthony Williams, is a nonprofit organization located in the heart of Georgetown , Washington , D.C., and has more than 1,000 members. In public-private partnership with the District of Columbia , the Georgetown BID provides management and supplement services for its surrounding commercial district to promote and contribute to a more attractive business environment and increase investment. For more information on the Georgetown BID, its partnerships, and other exciting events, please visit www.georgetowndc.com.

About Artomatic
Artomatic draws together visual artists, musicians, and performers and brings their work to the community without charge through an annual arts event and other collaborative efforts. Originally conceived as a network to build cohesion among artists and connect art with the public after ongoing development diffused the arts community, Artomatic provides a forum for Washington, D.C.-area artists to convene, perform, and exhibit, while strengthening the visibility, cohesion, and marketplace of the Washington arts community. For more information on Artomatic, please visit www.artomatic.org.

About the Office of the Secretary for the District of Columbia

The Sister City effort is managed by the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia . The Office of the Secretary serves as the sole custodian of the District of Columbia seal and authenticates its proper use on official documents, and manages, preserves, and provides public and archival records. For more information on the Office of the Secretary, please visit www.os.dc.gov.

About The Shops at Georgetown Park
The Shops at Georgetown Park is an international collection of more than 80 shops, boutiques, and cafes in a unique architectural setting featuring a blend of Victorian- and Federal-period architecture. The Shops at Georgetown Park captures the retail sophistication of Georgetown in 325,000 square-feet of retail space making it the largest urban shopping center in the District of Columbia . For more information on The Shops at Georgetown Park , please visit www.shopsatgeorgetownpark.com.

About Sunderland , England
Located in northeast England on the Wear River , Sunderland is the British sister city to Washington , D.C. With a population of approximately 285,000 people, and once the largest ship-building town in the world, Sunderland is connected to George Washington’s family dating back to the 12^th Century. In recent years, the city's economy has grown to include automotive and hi-tech manufacturing, and financial and customer services with more than 6,000 jobs created by American business. The Friendship Agreement with Washington , D.C. , signed in June 2006, represents an excellent opportunity to develop business, education, and cultural links for the benefit of the people of both cities. For more information on Sunderland , please visit www.visitsunderland.com.

About the Cohesion Artists
Originating in north England and sponsored by the City of Sunderland , Cohesion is the network for glassmakers. The aim of Cohesion is to assist and support glass businesses and practitioners to develop their skills, create new opportunities, and promote the quality and diversity of their work to wider markets. Sunderland is home to the National Glass Center for the United Kingdom . Glass has been made in Sunderland for around 1,300 years. For additional information regarding Cohesion Artists please visit www.cohesionglassnetwork.org.uk.

About the Washington Glass School
Located in Mt. Ranier , Md. , the Washington Glass School was established in 2001 as a unique educational program. The goal of the school is to create and advance glass as a viable sculptural medium and to introduce artists in other media to the qualities, depth, and processes of glass to enhance their work. The school’s hallmark is to use glass as an expressive component and mastering technique. These glass artworks take the next inevitable step; they ask a question, tell a story, and invite the viewer to be part of the dialog. For more information about the Washington Glass School , please visit www.washingtonglassschool.com.

About Hot Glass - Toledo/Northwest Ohio/Arts Commission of Greater Toledo
Northwest Ohio is the birthplace of the studio glass movement. Toledo , Ohio boasts historical leadership in the United States glass production industry, including industry leaders Libbey Glass, Libbey-Owens-Ford, Owens-Illinois, and Owens-Corning. The Glass Pavilion of the Toledo Museum of Art houses one of the two top glass art collections in the United States . The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, The Toledo Museum of Art, and the School of Art at Bowling Green State University foster and promote educational and exhibition opportunities for glass artists in the region. For more information on these organizations, please visit www.acgt.org, www.bgsu.edu, or www.toledomuseum.org.

© 2008 Artomatic, Inc. All trademarks and service marks are property of their respective owners. Artomatic is an event of Artomatic, Inc. Funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.