Seattle’s Glass Art Festival Returns with a Hot New Line-Up This October

Visitors can begin planning a weekend full of tours, demonstrations, parties, exhibits and more

SEATTLE – The Pacific Northwest’s only glass art festival returns for a third year, bringing together nearly 60 local artists to celebrate in the country’s recognized hub for glass art. Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience, held October 14-17, 2021, features new exhibitions, parties, studio tours, live demonstrations, and opportunities to connect directly with artists.

Programming reflects the diverse offerings of the region’s glass community with events for curious newcomers to long-time collectors and anyone in between. Visitors can discover new talent, meet the master glassmakers who laid the groundwork for this flourishing glass scene, and celebrate alongside the artists who continue to push the boundaries of the medium. Highlights include:

• Raising a Toast – Celebrate creativity at evening parties throughout the weekend. Gather, hosted by Chihuly Garden and Glass, is the official opening night event. The world-renowned Lino Tagliapietra, Western Neon School of Art, Glass Eye Studio, and Pilchuck Glass School will host additional art parties.
• Connecting with the Community – Join Dan and Raya Friday, a brother-sister team with Lummi tribal heritage, as they hot-sculpt designs submitted by local residents. Take home a special piece from Pike Place Market’s Artist Showcase. Plus, Museum of Glass and Pilchuck Glass School will present a jointly curated exhibition highlighting the experiments and prototypes made by artists during their 18-year joint residency program.
• Meeting the Artists – More than a dozen artists will open the doors to their private studios, offering unparalleled access to their work in blown glass, stained glass, fused glass, and more. Other exclusive opportunities include a private tour of Dante Marioni’s studio hosted by Traver Gallery, and a curator discussion featuring pipemakers and neon artists at Gallery Mack.
• Watching the Magic – Go behind-the-scenes as artists show how to work with molten glass and neon during live demonstrations at Seattle Glassblowing Studio, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Schack Art Center, glassybaby, and more.

More than 50 events will take place over four days throughout Seattle, plus Tacoma up to Everett and Bainbridge Island over to Issaquah. Participating organizations include:

• Art by Fire
• Avalon Glassworks
• Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN)
• Bellevue Arts Museum
• Blowing Sands Glass
• Bri Chesler
• Bridget Culligan
• Cappy Thompson
• Carol Milne
• Chihuly Garden and Glass
• Chihuly Studio
• Crista Matteson
• Dick Weiss
• Gallery Mack
• Glass Art Society, Inc.
• Glass Eye Studio

• Glasshouse Studio
• glassybaby
• Illuminata Art Glass Design
• Lino Tagliapietra Inc.
• Mark Ditzler
• METHOD Gallery
• Milo Snyder
• Misoda Glass
• Museum of Glass
• Pacific Northwest Glass Guild
• Pike Place Market
• Pilchuck Glass School
• Pohlman Knowles Studio
• Pratt Fine Arts Center
• Press Reign
• Preston Singletary Studio

• Radiant Neon
• Richard Royal
• Schack Art Center
• Seattle Architecture Foundation
• Seattle Glassblowing Studio
• Seymour Stained Glass
• Shoreline Public Art Program
• Stonington Gallery
• Tacoma Art Museum
• Traver Gallery
• Vetri
• Visit Seattle
• Western Neon School of Art
• Wileyware

For visitors or those looking to make their experience an entire weekend getaway, the region’s best hotels will be offering exclusive overnight packages. Details on Refract hotel packages will be announced soon.

Additional details on programming and events can be found at RefractSeattle.org. Learn more about the state of glass art in America at LandscapeofGlass.com. Images for media use can be found at https://visitseattle.canto.com/v/mediaimages/album/GCIGR.

About Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience
Visit Seattle, Chihuly Garden and Glass and more than 40 Pacific Northwest arts organizations are joining together for this annual festival, taking place October 14-17, 2021. This year’s festival offers a unique mix of in-person shows, demonstrations, parties, and exhibitions, alongside virtual programming options. Visit RefractSeattle.org for further details. Information on the state of glass art in America can be found at in a study at LandscapeOfGlass.com.

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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