Raven Skyriver at Seattle Glassblowing Studio. Photo: Megan Swann.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2022

Media Contacts:

Kau’ilani Robinson, Visit Seattle
(206) 251-8920 | [email protected]

Mary Catherine Frantz, Chihuly Garden and Glass 
[email protected]   

MEDIA IMAGES

Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience Begins October 13

2022 Festival Brings Together Stars from Netflix Hit Show, Blown Away; Along with 70 Participating Glass Artists Across Greater Seattle Region Offering Exclusive Tours and Events

SEATTLE

What     Created by Visit Seattle, in partnership with Chihuly Garden and Glass, the 4th annual Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience, is the premiere glass festival spanning four days across dozens of locations across the greater Seattle region. Bigger and better than ever for 2022, Refract will showcase more than 50 organizations and 70 participating artists. During Refract, glass art enthusiasts and newcomers will enjoy artist parties, exclusive open studio tours, special gallery exhibitions, hands-on experiences, and intimate glassblowing demonstrations not offered at any other time.

 

When     The festival will be held Thursday, October 13th through Sunday, October 16th. Four days of exciting events and programming kicks off with Gather, the official opening night party at Chihuly Garden and Glass, taking place on Thursday, October 13th from 6:30pm-9:00pm.

 

Where     Various museums, galleries, studios, and spaces throughout the greater Seattle region will host events, many of which are free and open to the public. Participating organizations include Chihuly Garden and Glass, Pike Place Market Glass Artist Showcase, Glass Art Society, Museum of Glass, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Lino Taglipietra Studio, Traver Gallery, Pilchuck Glass School, Avalon Glassworks, Glass Eye Studio, Seattle Glassblowing Studio, Radiant Neon, Stonington Gallery, Gallery Mack, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Blowing Sands Glass Studio, Friends in Glass, Vetri, and many more.

 

Who     Top Seattle glass artists participate in the annual Refract festival and this year’s line-up includes the latest contestants from the hit Netflix show, Blown Away: Dan Friday, Rob Stern, Minhi England, and John Sharvin. All four artists will be offering live glassblowing demos and glass art exhibitions throughout the event weekend, including demos at The Glass Eye on Friday; and demos at Seattle Glassblowing Studios on Friday and Saturday.

 

Why     With more than 700 glass artists in the region, Seattle is the epicenter of glass art in North America. Refract is the only region-wide glass festival offering accessible art and exclusive experiences to everyone.

 

How     The most convenient and enjoyable way to experience all that Refract has to offer is with a hotel stay at one of Seattle’s luxurious downtown properties. This year, six downtown Seattle hotels are offering exclusive Refract hotel packages. To plan your Refract weekend, the entire event schedule can be accessed at RefractSeattle.org.

 

Visit RefractSeattle.org for the full list or programs and events.

 

Tickets to the official opening night party, Gather at Chihuly Garden and Glass, may be purchased here.

For media who would like to attend Gather or any Refract event, please contact Sienna Spencer-Markles: [email protected].

 

About Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience 
Visit Seattle, Chihuly Garden and Glass and more than 50 Pacific Northwest arts organizations are joining together for this annual festival, taking place October 13-16, 2022. This year’s festival offers a unique mix of open studios, demonstrations, parties, exhibitions and tours. Visit RefractSeattle.org for further details. 

About Visit Seattle:
Visit Seattle has served as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Seattle and King County for more than 50 years. A 501(c)(6) organization, Visit Seattle enhances the economic prosperity of the region through global destination branding along with competitive programs and campaigns in leisure travel marketing, convention sales and overseas tourism development. Visit visitseattle.org. 

About Chihuly Garden and Glass:
Located at Seattle Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass brings together all the elements of artist Dale Chihuly’s work, including Drawings, signature glass series, large architectural installations and personal collections. This long-term Exhibition features indoor galleries, the centerpiece Glasshouse and an ever-changing Garden, along with live glass demonstrations, a Theatre and Collections Café, which features items from Chihuly’s personal collections. Learn more at chihulygardenandglass.com. 

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