Food & Drink
Refract Glass Art Event Returns to Seattle
Seattle is known as the glass capital
By Rob Smith November 8, 2022
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2022 issue of Seattle magazine.
One of the nation’s most anticipated celebrations of glass art will be held in Seattle Oct. 13-16.
Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience, features new exhibitions, parties, studio tours, live demonstrations and the opportunity to meet Seattle-area studio glass artists, from rising talents to master glassmakers.
“This will be an even bigger celebration of the incredible glass art community we have in the Pacific Northwest,” says Michelle Bufano, executive director of Chihuly Garden and Glass. “Our glass community is gearing up.”
The art of glass blowing traces its origins to Venice more than 700 years ago. Seattle is generally regarded as the U.S. hub for studio glass art.
Refract features 70 artists at more than 50 events throughout Seattle and neighboring cities, including Everett, Bainbridge Island, Issaquah and Tacoma. Several new exhibitions, events and parties are all on tap, including “Chihuly” by Dale Chihuly (Traver Gallery) and “What If?” by Ginny Ruffner (Bainbridge Island Museum of Art). Pilchuck Glass School’s 44th annual auction and gala is Oct. 15 at Fremont Studios.
More info is at Refractseattle.org.
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