Marmalade Issue 5, 2017

In 2017 JamFactory celebrates the
15th year of its Pilchuck Glass School
Partner Scholarship. Brokered by
the Glass Department’s past Head
of Studio and Mentor Nick Mount,
and supported by JamFactory and
Arts South Australia, the scholarship
provides the opportunity for a first
year Associate to attend one of the
school’s summer sessions.
This year Billy Crellin, a graduate of the Sydney College of
the Arts, was awarded the opportunity and attended the
school in July.
‘I am proud to be this year’s recipient and grateful to benefit
from the ongoing relationship between the JamFactory and
Pilchuck. The scholarship offers a unique opportunity to learn
from highly accomplished artists and I expect to prosper
from the experience,’ says Crellin.
Pilchuck boasts a reputation as the world’s most
comprehensive centre for glass education. Located 80
kilometres from Seattle in Stanwood, Washington, the school
offers intensive residential instruction taught by worldrenowned
artists, as well as residencies for both emerging
and established practitioners in all media. The program
comprises a series of sessions that run primarily from May
through to September during which five concurrent courses
are taught in a variety of glassworking processes for artists
of all skill levels.
Founded in 1971 by glass artist Daly Chihuly and patrons
Anne Gould Hauberg and John H. Hauberg, the school began
as an experimental summer workshop. Camping on site using
makeshift equipment, the artists and students of the early
years embraced experimentation and exploration. Today
the campus has grown to include facilities for glassblowing,
casting, coldworking, flameworking, fusing, neon, glass
painting, stained glass and printmaking, as well as wood and
metal studios. Yet, the school’s original core values endure: to
inspire creativity, transform individuals and build community.
The school’s unique setting, on a former tree farm in the
foothills of the Cascade Mountains, supports this vision.
Mount, who has been a member of the faculty both as a
teaching assistant and instructor multiple times since 1985
and in 2000 was appointed to the school’s International
Council which he now co-chairs, describes it as a
wonderland. Both staff and students live on campus for the
duration of sessions, working long days, sharing meals in the
communal kitchen/dining facilities and sleeping in log cabins.
‘It’s a super-heated learning environment in which the energy
and expectations are high, and everyone is fully invested in
glass and the experience,’ says Mount.
With a focus on fostering and educating a worldwide
community, Pilchuck maintains partner scholarships with
schools and universities around the world. These relationships
extend Pilchuck’s outreach and ensure they engage an
ever-expanding international community of artists. In turn,
the students awarded these scholarships receive a unique
learning experience and opportunity to connect with glass
artists from around the world while acting as ambassadors
for their home institution.
Over its 15-year history, JamFactory’s scholarship has had
long-term impacts on the Associates who receive them.
Madeline Prowd, the Glass Studio’s Assistant Technician
and recipient of the scholarship in 2010, remembers it as an
incredible experience, which has been a catalyst for ongoing
opportunities upon her return. In 2013 she assisted Ben
Edols, the following year she assisted Brian Corr and received
the School’s Saxe Award to attend a class in 2015, and this
year she has been invited to return as a Craftsperson-in-
Residence. Also known as a Gaffer, Pilchuck invites two
accomplished artists with expertise in hot glassworking
to execute the creative visions of the School’s Artists-In-
Residence and instructors for each session. It is a significant
opportunity and reflects Prowd’s technical skill and expertise.
The scholarship’s value extends beyond the benefits it
offers the Associates. Returning with new knowledge and
international networks, the Associates share their experiences
with the wider glass community. Karen Cunningham, the
current Creative Director of JamFactory’s Glass Studio
and recipient of the scholarship in 2006, describes being
profoundly impacted by her experience attending a class
taught by Seattle-based American glass artist, Boyd Sugiki.
On her return she lobbied to get him and his wife, artist
Lisa Zerkowitz, to Adelaide and in 2011 they taught a
workshop at the JamFactory, sharing teaching notes that
are still referred to today.
Glass working is inherently collaborative and Pilchuck’s ability
to grow from the idealism and imagination with which it
began reflects the passion and good-will of those who work
with the medium. Subsequently, the school’s commitment
to supporting the community and fostering teamwork has
almost certainly contributed to the culture of generosity and
collaboration found within glass studios around the world.
Words by Peta Mount
Peta is a program manager and arts writer based in
Adelaide, South Australia. She currently manages the
studio of contemporary Australian artist Jason Sims and
works in the role of Artist Services Manager at Guildhouse.
Left: Glass Studio. Photographer: Andre Castellucci.
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