Participants may select one workshop per session, during which they will be fully immersed in a vibrant educational environment on the breathtaking Pilchuck campus for the duration of the session. All participants eat, work, and sleep on campus for the entire session. Days include intensive instruction and demos throughout the day and evening, as well as ample opportunities for personal exploration and studio time. Housing is warm and rustic and most accommodations require a brief walk through fields and forest to reach the studios.
Kelley and Anabella bring a combined 40+ years of professional mosaic practice to their instruction in both classical and unorthodox approaches to contemporary mosaic. Focusing on the use of various glass types (smalto/enamel, slag, blown, pulled, etc.), this course is designed for glass and mosaic artists who want to explore innovative approaches grounded in principles of mosaic tradition and developing personal narratives. Students will create small samples to facilitate their understanding of mosaic elements, organizational principles, techniques, and construction, then design and build their own works maximizing the unique properties of glass (transparency, dimensionality, reflectivity, and texture). Collaboration is encouraged.
This workshop for beginners will start with an exploration of glass as a material and how to work with molten glass. Students can expect to learn how to use tools and equipment to create solid shapes, and then move on to working with bubbles. The goal will be to expand your skills and prepare you for the next steps while making personally designed cups, vases, and other achievable forms.
In this course we will use the cup as the focal point for technical exploration. Individual progress will be the main objective. We will start with the simplest, most humble examples and focus on refinement. We will slowly build from there. Technically we will cover everything from posture, to proper bubble set-up, centering, trimming, optics, wraps, simple stems and feet, handles, the list goes on. Special consideration will be paid to mindset, more specifically how a carefully considered mindful approach, in combination with technical skill acquisition can forge a path to creative freedom.
Glass has been used to emulate gemstones for thousands of years. In this class we will experiment with a combination of kilnforming and cold working techniques to create forms inspired by gemology. We will unlock the boundless perimeters of glass to create colorfully patterned jewels that can be used for adornment and sculptural applications. This course will be an in-depth exploration of kiln-forming - in combination with advanced glass carving techniques. Open to all levels.
Expand your understanding of kiln-formed glass using unconventional mold-making methods and various glass formats. In this course, you will complete a series of small exercises, developing small works that nurture big ideas. While reimagining what a mold can be with base materials, Plaster and Silica, students will have the opportunity to utilize the water jet cutter, 3D printers, and CNC capabilities on campus. While technology is not the focus, it will become an accessory/tool. Students will come away with a broadened skill set and a dozen small projects, no matter your skill level.
In this class, we’ll explore the art of flameworking with borosilicate glass, a highly versatile and expressive material. Our focus is on making complex techniques approachable, helping you develop new skills to bring your ideas to reality. We'll cover both traditional and experimental methods of hollow and solid sculpting, including component construction, hollow seals, bit work, and color application. You’ll challenge your limits—and surpass them—by embracing discomfort and discovering new creative processes. Come with an open mind, boundless enthusiasm, a generous spirit, your favorite snacks, and a readiness to throw everything you thought you knew about flameworking out the window.
Lonnie Holley was born on February 10, 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama. From the age of five, Holley worked various jobs: picking up trash at a drive-in movie theatre, washing dishes, and cooking. He lived in a whiskey house, on the state fairgrounds, and in several foster homes. His early life was chaotic and Holley was never afforded the pleasure of a real childhood.
Since 1979, Holley has devoted his life to the practice of improvisational creativity. His art and music, born out of struggle, hardship, but perhaps more importantly, out of furious curiosity and biological necessity, has manifested itself in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and sound. Holley’s sculptures are constructed from found materials in the oldest tradition of African American sculpture. Objects, already imbued with cultural and artistic metaphor, are combined into narrative sculptures that commemorate places, people, and events. His work is now in collections of major museums throughout the country, on permanent display in the United Nations, and been displayed in the White House Rose Garden. In January of 2014, Holley completed a one-month artist-in-residence with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in Captiva Island, Florida, site of the acclaimed artist’s studio.
Every summer since 1971 the glass world has come together for innovative and rigorous workshops with an international cohort of instructors and artists. In 2025 we will host seven sessions.
The summer is filled with an all-star roster including Jen Elek, Annette Blair, Ben Edols, Jessica Loughlin, Sibelly, Danny Coyle, Dante Marioni and more. An advanced topics Spring Session will include an opportunity to be a part of Pilchuck history by rebuilding one of the program furnaces with Fred Metz. Session 3 will see the return of lampworking maestro Lucio Bubacco for a 30-year reunion of his Flame to Furnace collaboration with Brian Kerkvliet and Ed Schmid. Preston Singletary and Martin Janecký will bring their combined approach to Session 4. Silvia Levenson returns during Session 5, Pilchuck’s first bi-lingual (Spanish/English) session.
Join us for another transformative year on the hill.