10/18, Friday. I went to "
Cappy Thompson in conversation with Margery Aronson" at Convention Center, ARCH building, the event space between the administrative office and room 205. I emailed the event organizer weeks ahead.
It was really just a talk by
Cappy Thompson on her experience in the early days of Seattle glass art scene, the founding time of Pilchuck school, and her works.
I did enjoyed her talk.
Followed by a brief talk by Margery Aronson. She is a curator of various exhibitions, and was involved in glass art scene in PNW for over 40 years.
Then, Margery gave us a tour of the glass arts in exhibit on the 2nd floor right outside of the event space.
She could remember who made each piece. One of these (the black vase) is by Cappy Thompson.
SAM open house 6-9pm.
Even though guests had gathered in front of SAM's door, they didn't open the door until 6:05pm. That's very disappointing.
The advertised "delicious cocktail and snacks" are pretty pricy.
The "relaxing music" is very loud, so loud that our tour guide made repeated futile attempts to escape from the sounds.
I really enjoyed this tour of
Calder in motion exhibition by
Jose Carlos Diaz, the deputy director for arts at the museum.
The new exhibition of
Joyce Scott's beads work is colorful, but looked all ugly, if not scary, to me.
I did join the tour which softened my dislike.
This is a large exhibition with many articles.
There're 3 tables set up in the main lobby if you want to thread some beads yourself.
Only when I got home Friday night, did I realize that there is also a bus tour of the studios this weekend.
Too late to buy tickets. Yes, it's now $20+fee, instead of free
last year's.
10/19, Saturday.
I went to Space Needle to wait for the tour bus, hoping for last minute cancellation.
With a paid ticket, everyone showed up.
The organizer also brought 3 unpaying "friends".
Surprisingly, there is a last seat. The driver called his boss, opened a ticket online, which I purchased there and then.
Total 25 passengers, including the 2 tour guides.
Saturday's tour is north of downtown, all new to me. Tomorrow's is south of downtown (which I went last year, so many repeated studios).
First is
Morgan Madison's studio, which he built behind his house.
A very nice building. He cuts sheet glasses, and arrange them in a rectangle flat, augmented by powders, and then fire in the kiln.
Geometric, precise patterns. He talked about the processes, very nice.
Next,
Carol Milne studio.
She makes knit glasses. She talked about her process: "knit" wax curls, plaster, and then pour melt glass.
Interesting.
3rd,
Bazaz Studios.
She paints, silkscreens, acid etching on to flat glass, then fired in kiln.
We were given some extra time to go to Top Pot Donut across the street for a bite and use the restroom.
4th,
Karen Seymour's home.
First we went down her studio in the basement to see her fancy kiln with precise temperature control, which she talked about the
annealing, and the natural thickness of glass is 6mm (not sure why).
Back up in her house (note of the good view of Lake Union from her window), she has many items for sale, as well as other artists who brought their products to sell.
Last on today's tour is
Milo Snyder.
He uses 3D printer to make his design, then plaster, then fire in the kiln.
He makes lamp covers, pendant lights.
A woodwork artisan was selling his bowls of different tree species in the yard.
Overall, I enjoyed the artists talking about their craft, and seeing their working space.
However, this year's tour guides are more of chaperoons.
They are enthusiastic, but didn't tell us anything regarding to glass during the tour.
One of them worked at Chihuly's Museum of Glass for number of years.
Oh, yes, when the bus drove by Chihuly's staging workshop, they did talk about it.
I very much prefer last year's tour guides.
Another difference is that quite a few passengers are out-of-town tourists. I guess Refract this year did much better advertisement.
10/20 Sunday. Went to the
closing party.
Not much of a party. Cedric Mitchell and his friends were making a large vase. More people to watch them. But no lecture or explaination.
Some crackers, chips, cheese, grape.
I like these glass pumpkins.
11/14, Thursday, 6pm, Benaroya Hall, recital hall.
Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington's fall forum.
I love this forum last year (about the Summit building of Seattle Convention Center).
This time, it's a deep dive of the design and construction of the Overlook Walk at the waterfront.
One positive comment from all is the collaboration, and discussion throughout (especially before) the project.
One negative comment is too many contractors and sub-contractors, so difficult/slow to coordinate.
