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.
WORKSHOP BEGINS MAY 4
This workshop offers an opportunity to learn electric furnace design through hands-on practice, converting Pilchuck’s existing day-tank into an electrically-fired furnace. Glass melting theory, furnace construction, heating and refractory systems, material sourcing, and control panel systems will be covered. This workshop is intended for technician level students who have a basic understanding of electrical systems. Be a part of Pilchuck history.
The course will cover a range of topics, including mold recipes, wax-working techniques, rubber mold making, body casting, kiln requirements, and firing schedules. The focus of this class is to develop the right process for a specific idea. Students will acquire skill, inspiration, and the ability to develop and pursue their own ideas with this newly acquired, advanced knowledge base.
This workshop is for intermediate and advanced students. Students will work in bas-relief (low-relief) technique. An overview of various animal anatomies will be covered to help create realistic "surf" (sea-life) and "turf" (land animal) beads. We will break down animal shapes step by step, and apply them to base beads. Students will practice using specialty tools to create realistic textures in glass.
This class will challenge students to re-examine the potential of kiln-formed glass. Utilizing creative exercises, drawing, and model-making with a wide range of kiln techniques, students will combine processes, and prepare tests that may be starting points for new work or deepen current thoughts. Engaging in an experimental approach, we will expand on ideas rather than generate complete objects.
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!