Pilchuck's 2026 Program is not to be missed. Back by popular demand, we have several returning Guest Artists. Boyd Sugiki and Lisa Zerkowitz return to guide participants in honing shapes, heat control and color applications in the hot shop. Raven Skyriver and Kelly O'Dell will be back at it, bringing nature to life in the hot shop through hot sculpting. Eddy Bennett will be returning with his mentor Dave Smith to impart their masterful Victorian reverse signpainting techniques. For the first time, Pilchuck brings Peter V Hermansson and Bjørn Friborg to explore narrative expression through the Swedish Graal technique while Ashley Harris and Matthew Day Perez will take kiln-forming techniques to new heights through unconventional mold-making methods. Our first ever Design Session (Session 6: Form) will pair designers, artists and fabricators to push the boundaries of glass in design.
With all this and so much more, there is something for absolutely anyone ready to either start their glass journey or take it to the next level. Combining a deep focus on glass, access to a variety of resources, a picturesque Pacific Northwest campus and an ever-expanding international community of artists, Pilchuck has become the most comprehensive educational center in the world for glass artists. As always, Pilchuck's 2026 Program pulls together the legendary and emerging leaders in glass. We hope you choose to join us!
Dip your toe into the world of glass art and design with our craft workshops, offered in our Seattle studio space and our Stanwood campus. From stained glass to mosaics, there are many opportunities to learn a new skill or hone your practice.
Pilchuck relies on the support of donors like you to continue our long legacy of transformative art education. When you support Pilchuck, you support the future of glass in art and design.
The Pilchuck community is fantastical, bringing out the best in me and anyone that experiences it. One of the pleasures of attending the school three times so far is witnessing the resident artists utilize the campus resources to realize their own visions. The most important resource being the other people. To me the best part of glassblowing is being part of a team, sharing the load and exhilaration of creation.
Pilchuck has been a second home for me. I started attending Pilchuck Glass School as a staff member as soon as I was legally allowed to. This institution has been fundamental to my glass upbringing in conjunction with other studios in the area, of course. Pilchuck has always been a place where refinement and experimentation happen simultaneously. Although I have never taken a class here, it has been the institution I have learned the most at.
Pilchuck has been a pivotal place in both my career and life every time I've been on campus. It's an energetic hub of information-sharing, bringing together artists from around the world. When I'm at Pilchuck, my understanding of community grows deeper every year.
I was first a student in 1991 and 1992. I then worked staff for many years. In 2000, I was invited to teach a class at Pilchuck, which I repeated 4 more times, the last being 2010. Pilchuck has always had a special place in my heart and has been extremely influential on my development as an artist. Still to this day, I occasionally receive comments from past students telling me how my class changed their life...this is priceless and rewarding for me personally.
Pilchuck is a wonderful place to learn and connect, especially through supporting and observing other instructors, staff, and students. I find working as a print shop coordinator to be a special role that allows me to set the tone and energy for the studio—one that is curious, supportive, safe, and inviting to beginners and advanced, alike. Making art is important, but it is the community and environment built around it that makes art important and sustainable.
I have had the honor of attending Pilchuck in multiple ways, both as a student and as staff. In both capacities the community of Pilchuck made me feel unbelievably supported helping me grow my practice through experimentation and asking questions. The Pilchuck campus is a place to share knowledge, everyone is so excited to help one another and that's what makes it such a magical place!
