(REFRACT) The Pacific Northwest: A Glass Mecca.

I am so thrilled you want to know more about art especially glass art. I’m Jodie and based in Seattle, WA, otherwise known as the “American Venice.” I joined the glass community in February of 2000. I remember it well because it was a sweetheart of a day. It was on Feb 14 and it’s a bit of a 💕 story.

This was a year before Dan Friday and Preston Singletary poured the glass on the famous totem at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA. This is before the Museum of Glass opened its doors in Tacoma, WA. That day February 14, 2000, is 30+ years after art historians credited the significance of glass by coining the term Studio Glass Movement. It's an honor to be a veteran inside this wildly creative community of artists who are defining art history.

Our goblet show at Glasshouse Studio, Seattle's oldest glassblowing studio, was the best! It was also a major catalyst of growth. I was curating, art advising, and interpreting what the artists were making to our guests including collectors and designers. It is truly an immersive experience for visitors to be in the moment and watch artists working hard inside their hotshop. Because I love revealing everything the artists are juggling, I created my own materials to make a bigger impact. These artists have to endure intense risk. Surrounded by extreme temperatures using fire. Sculpting with their hands, some with their own breath and I can’t forget to mention the color science involved. They blend all of this perfectly before they can show you their creative side!

Later as the Museum of Glass was selecting their dream team to open with - I was handpicked to be the lead hot shop interpreter - before this was even a paying gig. I did it for free! That’s love. My twenty-something-year-old self narrated and produced sold-out events with the foremost artists working in glass. Sometimes, I really miss that microphone, but......

.....I don't need to miss that gig anymore because now I share this captivating medium with you inside this class.

It’s true I negotiate my time with glass and other aspects of the art world but when I got the call from Chihuly Studio, I knew I had manifested a dream come true. I'm celebrating over a decade now contributing to the team with an ongoing role. I spent years curating, working on the R&D team, art advising, and strategizing on legacy projects. You can find me on many of Chihuly's videos right alongside Dale assisting an artist known for revolutionizing the studio glass movement and one of the most innovative artists working today.

As glass gained recognition and popularity the number of glassmakers grew in the Pacific Northwest. So much so, we now have a dedicated time celebrating glass and all its creative modes during the month of October. Refract | The Seattle Glass Experience sought my leadership to support their programming efforts for this amazing platform spanning 4 days with concurrent events. In our inaugural year, we had over 70 events with epic exhibitions, museums, fine art galleries, glass demonstrations inside hotshops, Pilchuck Glass School, Pratt Fine Arts, and open artist studios with the world's leading glassmakers. Visit Seattle and join us!

I had a “thing” for art from an early age and leaned into art academically as well. I continued my studies in Museology at the University of Washington after my BA in graphic arts from Central Washington University. I held a focus on the Female Agency in the Arts with Christie’s education department. My tutelage with Aspen Institute’s Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative continues so I can further assist artists in securing their legacy.

Sharing reverence for the handmade is important to me and so is staying hands-on with many mediums. My research and creative time with the Guerilla Girls on tour workshop will forever be a highlight! My study with neon at Western Neon School of Art was simply exhilarating. If you need help writing your story, I recommend How Your Story Sets You Free. I recently did this workshop with artist Swoon and authors Heather Box and Julian Mocine-McQueen. It was tough but transformative.

From behind the scenes assisting the artist, to fine art advising to arts education - these perspectives have given me a great collection of "oh-my-gosh" stories, and a wealth of knowledge to learn from an expert.