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Founded in
1971 by glass artist Dale Chihuly and patrons Anne Gould Hauberg
and John H. Hauberg, Pilchuck Glass School has been a primary
force in the evolution of glass as a means of artistic expression.
By creating an environment with a singular focus on glass,
access to resources, and an ever-expanding international community
of artists, Pilchuck has become the largest, most comprehensive
educational center in the world for artists working in glass.
Pilchuck’s artistic and educational
programs take place on a serene fifty-four-acre wooded campus
fifty miles north of Seattle. This setting in the foothills
of the Cascade mountains overlooking Puget Sound provides
isolation from the influence of commerce and urban centers
and allows artists to focus on art. The campus features two
hot-glass shops, a studio building, kiln shop, coldworking
studio, flat shop for neon and flameworking, wood and metal
shops, and a glass-plate printmaking studio. These facilities
offer a comprehensive array of workspaces with a broad range
of equipment for glass art production. Other facilities include
a lodge that houses a lecture area, library, kitchen, and
dining room. An administrative building contains office spaces
and a gallery with exhibitions of work by faculty and staff
throughout the sessions so students can better understand
the creativity and talent of their teachers and those who
make the school work. Nestled into the wooded hillsides are
numerous residential buildings for faculty, artists in residence,
students, and staff. There are miles of trails through beautiful
Pacific Northwest forests that provide opportunities for exercise
and peaceful contemplation.
Over the past thirty years, thousands of
artists from across the nation and around the world have come
to Pilchuck to teach, to test new ideas, to learn, and to
expand their artistic and creative horizons in the company
of others who share a passion for art while coming at it with
diverse perspectives and artistic modes. Every year, from
May through August, Pilchuck offers twenty-five intensive
residential sessions. Five classes run concurrently through
each of the five consecutive, two-and-one-half-week sessions.
Classes are limited to ten students and offer a concentrated
inquiry into techniques and aesthetic ideologies. Students
work in hot and cold glass techniques including glassblowing,
casting, fusing, neon, stained glass, painted glass, flameworking,
mixed-media sculpture and engraving.
Courses emphasize experimentation and teamwork
while fostering individual initiative and expression. Instructors
include leading international and American glass artists and
university faculty members. Individual classes vary in topic,
style, and experience. Slide shows, discussions and demonstrations
occur daily and are open to everyone on campus, providing
stimulating opportunities for dialogue and exchange across
disciplines and cultures. Surrounded by a community of great
talent and creativity, both new and experienced artists make
tremendous conceptual and artistic progress in a very short
period of time. These experiences often become the impetus
for new directions of artistic exploration for years to come.
During the summer sessions, five separate
artist residencies bring accomplished visual artists in all
media to contribute to the artistic richness of the Pilchuck
experience. Generally, the artists in residence are known
for their work outside the field of glass art, but some are
international masters of glass.
We invite you to read on and see all
the ways Pilchuck can become part of your creative, artistic,
and educational life--and how you can be a part of Pilchuck.
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