Why You Don’t Want to Miss Out on Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience

Artist Nao Yamamoto works in the Seattle Glassblowing Studio hot shop during Refract 2020. Photo: Mike Mitchell

Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience is our annual celebration of glass art, shining a spotlight on the incredible artists and organizations that make the Pacific Northwest the epicenter of glass art in the United States. Join us Thursday-Sunday, October 14-17, for live demonstrations, open studio tours, museum and gallery exhibitions, art auctions and more!

Raven Skyriver at Seattle Glassblowing Studio. Photo: Megan Swann

More than 100 glass art studios call the Pacific Northwest home, from emerging artists to master glassmakers. Here’s your chance to learn about this fascinating art in all its forms: including neon, blown glass, cast glass, fused glass, glass mosaic, and lampworking.

Some of the highlights include the opportunity for a rare, after hours visit to Chihuly Garden and Glass, open artist studios, an exhibition and tube creation demonstration at Western Neon, a hot shop open house and demo at The Glass Eye, an outstanding line up of daily live demos at Seattle Glassblowing Studio, a VIP tour of Maestro Lino Tagliapietra’s showroom, the incredible Pilchuck glass auction, an exhibition talk by leaders of Pilchuck and the Museum of Glass, and more. Many events are free.

Chihuly Garden and Glass Courtesy Chihuly Garden and Glass, © Chihuly Studio

Please note that per public health mandates, masks are required in all indoor spaces, and event producers may have capacity limits and additional safety precautions in place.

Visit the website to plan your activities and consider making a weekend of it with a special Refract package from our hotel partners.

For more inspiration, take a peek at our Glass Art Guide to the Puget Sound region, and the State of Glass series on VISITSEATTLE.tv.

And please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and share your Refract adventures with #refractseattle.

Mist by Crista Matteson, kiln cast glass, clay and oil paint. Courtesy Crista Matteson

About the Author

Tracey Wickersham

Tracey Wickersham is the Senior Director of Cultural Tourism at Visit Seattle. A volunteer dj & host of a long running music program on KBCS 91.3 FM, she spent 6 years on the board of 4Culture, supporting arts, heritage, public art and historic preservation in King County. You'll often find her at the Tractor Tavern enjoying great bands, exploring one of the region's beautiful parks with her spunky blue heeler mix, or in one of Seattle's many live theater venues.

More Posts By Tracey Wickersham