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Pilchuck Pilchuck Glass School was founded in 1971 by artist Dale Chihuly along with patrons Anne Gould Hauberg and John H. Hauberg. Pilchuck’s artistic and educational programs take place on a serene fifty-four-acre wooded campus fifty miles north of Seattle in Stanwood, WA. As a lucky recipient of a John Hauberg Native American Scholarship in 2008, I was able to take part in a class dealing with public art. (And thanks to a reciprocal agreement, I was able to get degree-credit at Cornish too.) Pilchuck Auction As a scholarship recipient, when I received an email from Pilchuck looking for helpers for their annual auction I though it would be a nice gesture to volunteer. And I figured that it would be a good chance to see another side of Pilchuck Glass School as well. I wasn't disappointed. In stark contrast to the outdoorsy campus in Stanwood, the auction is a gala event held annually at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. The evening of the auction I discovered that being an "Art Handler" meant that I was one of the people carrying artworks from the live auction display gallery up onto the stage in the grand ballroom as they were auctioned off. It was really fun and I had a great time, especially once I got the hang of it and wasn't worried about breaking anything. 
Image: from Team Photogenic NW Illuminated: A Pilchuck Portfolio My knowledge of art glass before coming to Pilchuck was minimal; however, I was able to experiment with sandcasting and enamel painting and also take advantage of opportunities to see instructors, visiting artists, and students use various techniques of hot and coldworking. In addition, I was introduced to monoprinting and spent a great deal of time in the printworking studio creating prints inspired by Karuk basketry. For my own future reference I ended up creating a book to document my experiences. (Clicking the badge below will allow you to preview the first 15 pages.) Public Art: Illuminating the Process Summer 2008, Session Two Instructor: Cork Marcheschi "Glass and light will be the primary materials in this course on how to compete in the arena of public art. Students will learn the public art process, from the call for proposals (or RFP), to the logistics of presentatioin, to the technical aspects of fabrication and installation. The course includes a mock competition, where students will present proposals and models in front of independent professionals. Images of past work or a non-existent body of work created with Photoshop will be used. Wood, metal, coldworking, concrete, LED, neon, halogen, and electrochemical luminescence will be considered and used. Students will need drawing materials and/or laptops with graphics software."
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