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P ilc h u c k (th e n am e, fro m th e area, is
C h in o o k fo r “ red w a te r ”) w a s at th e fo r e -
fro n t o f a m o v em en t th at had b een ste ad ily
gain in g m om en tu m in th e U n ite d S ta tes
sin ce th e 1960s. In te re st in glass su rged in
th e ’70s, w ith th e G lass A r t S o c ie ty fo rm in g
in 1971 and
Glass A r t M agazine
in 1973. A n
o v e rw h e lm in g n u m b er o f te ch n iq u e s w e re
in v e n te d - o r re-in v en ted - d u rin g th is fe r -
tile tim e. In 1971, P ilc h u c k stu d en ts w o rk e d
o n ly w ith h o t glass, and th e p ro d u ctio n o f
v e sse ls p red o m in ated . T o d a y th e sch o o l
b o asts m ore than 25 w o rk s h o p s in h o t,
w a rm , and co ld glass te ch n iq u e s, fro m k iln
castin g , fu sin g , and slu m p in g to en am elin g,
n e o n , and stain e d glass.
T h e reso u rce fu ln e ss and o p en n ess that
ch a ra cte rize d th e e a rly d ays at P ilc h u c k
co n tin u e to d riv e in n o v atio n in th e field.
“ P ilc h u c k is u n iq u e ,” says D e b o ra
M o o re , w h o has b oth stu d ied and
tau gh t th e re . “ A n y o n e on cam pus
is able to w a lk in to a n y o f th e o th -
er stu d ios and w a tc h [and] e v e n
p a rticip ate in o th e r classes g o in g
o n .” S tu d en ts learn trad itio n al
g la ssw o rk in g te ch n iq u e s b u t are
en co u ra g e d to use th em in n e w , n ontrad i-
tio n al w a y s , M o o re says.
A t P ilc h u c k , te ach ers are stu d en ts and
v ic e ve rsa , in a p ra ctice o f co n tin u a l, re c ip -
rocal learn in g. A r tis t and P ilc h u c k tru ste e
D a n te M a rio n i tells th e s to ry o f glass m ae-
stro L in o T a g lia p ie tra - o fte n called th e
w o r ld ’s g re a te st liv in g g la ssb lo w e r - and
a te ch n iq u e h e a d o p te d and d u b b ed “ the
P ilc h u c k ’ 9 6 ,” a fte r w a tc h in g a n o th er
V e n e tia n m aster, C h e c c o O n g a ro , in actio n
at th e sch o o l in that y ea r.
F o r ty y e a rs a fte r th e fo u n d in g o f
P ilc h u c k , artists are p ro d u c in g a strik in g
ran ge o f w o r k , as e v id e n c e d b y th e m ixed-
m ed ia cu ltu ral co m m en taries o f b ro th ers
E in ar a n d ja m e x de la T o r re and th e q u iet
c u rv e s o f M a tth e w S z o s z ’s in flated w in d o w
glass. R ich a rd M a rq u is, w h o ’ s b e e n a p re s-
en ce at th e sch o o l, o f f and o n , sin ce th e
b e g in n in g , lik e s to jo k e : “ M y b o d y o f w o r k
is so va rie d th at I can easily p u t to g e th e r a
o n e-p e rso n g ro u p s h o w .”
C h ih u ly had a sin gu lar visio n . B u t
th e resu lt o f th at, fo u r d ecad es late r, is
rem ark ab ly d ive rse .
Suzanne B ea l is a w riter in Seattle.
Left:
Empire Yellow Macchia
with V ivid R ed Lip Wrap
1
999
hand-blown glass
22 x 36 x 35 in.
Right:
Tabac Baskets with
Drawing Shards and
Oxblood Body Wraps
2008
hand-blown glass
16 x 19 x 17 in.
038 american craft fcb/m arii
Photos (4): Scott M. Leen;
P e rsia n s
courtesy of Marlborough Gallery
