NWDC CLASSES + WORKSHOPS
Rachel Brumer
Rachel Brumer is a Northwest fiber artist with studios in Seattle and Lopez Island. Originally from Oakland, California, Brumer received her BFA from Mills College. She is known for her rich layering of textures, and ever evolving language of shape. Utilizing Van Dyke printed photography, thread, ink, dye, and wax, Brumer rubs, embroiders, silkscreens, drips, quilts, draws and appliques. Before pursing fine art, Brumer spent many years touring the country as a professional modern dancer, and later worked as an interpreter of American Sign language. No stranger to alternative modes of expression, Brumer is a fierce believer in non-verbal expression and the power of art. Brumer has been a teaching artist at regional organizations including Mission Creek Correctional Facility, Path with Art, and Seattle Public Schools. Her work can be found in both public and private collections and she has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the US, including Swedish and Harborview Hospitals, City of Seattle Courthouse, Tacoma Art Museum, University of Washington Special Collections, and Museum of Art and Design (NY, NY), among many others.
ABOUT THE CLASS
Through unique and low-tech surface design techniques, artists will learn to develop experimental strategies to create elements to collage with on canvas. We will use dye, paint, ink, thread, and pastels and observe how the materials speak to each other when collaging our elements on the painted canvas. We will look at and discuss my work, your work, and the exceptional work of other artists, including those working at the Creative Growth Studio. We will inspire and support each other’s creative impulses and each artist’s individual voice.
We will cut out collage elements, prepare our canvas, apply elements to the canvas, and finish the canvas with acrylic polymer and cold wax.
John De wit
Born in Puerto Armuelles, Panama, has lived in Costa Rica, Cuba, and California. Now resides on Whidbey Island. John has been a glass worker, object maker and Artist for 46 years.
“My work is very process-oriented, so during my demo, I’ll demonstrate how I arrive at the final form(s) that characterize my sculptural work. I’ll use a variety of techniques and explain the glass painting process, along with other media I might incorporate. I will have examples of the phases the process goes through to bring clarity to all the steps I take. Stick around it will be fun.” -J. de Wit
ABOUT THE CLASS
Join us for a delightful 4 hours in the hot shop with master glassblower John de Wit. He will be creating one of his signature works in sculptural blown glass and will be available to answer questions about his experiences and creative perspective to the viewing audience.
MARK DITZLER
Mark Ditzler is a Seattle glass artist specializing in decorative kiln fired and fused glass. With degrees in Industrial Design and Ceramic Art, he has been working in glass for over 20 years. Mark is an instructor at several schools, including the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, Penland School of Craft, Pittsburgh Glass Center, The Glass Furnace in Istanbul, Turkey, Pratt Fine Art Center, the Tacoma Museum of Glass, and the Frye Art Museum. His studio produces commissions for businesses, hospitals, department stores and private individuals nationwide, and his art glass is featured in galleries across the country. Recent commissions include: The Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Planned Parenthood, Goodwill Industries, Audubon Society, Colorado Council on the Arts, Providence Hospital, Evergreen Healthcare, Marshall Field's, Nordstrom, Bon Marche, and international clients.
ABOUT THE CLASS
Learn to combine flame-working with fusing that will bring your work to a new level. This class will focus on making “design elements” in the torch, allowing you to produce fused glass that really stands out. After warming up with demos and practice time in the flame studio, students will “cross over” to the warm shop, designing and firing projects using flame-worked elements. Techniques will be shown to help create imagery that isn’t possible with standard fusing materials. Discussions will cover equipment setup and operation.
Jane PelLicciotto
Jane lives in Portland, Oregon, where she juggles designing and making jewelry with running her graphic design business. An east coast native, she moved to the west coast in 2001 in search of mountains, the sea, great food and an abundance of creativity. Oddly enough, when she's not blending polymer clay, she teaches people to make pasta. Jane creates playful, modern, mixed-material jewelry for people who love good design. She is intrigued by the small and intimate nature of jewelry, and the unspoken connection between maker, wearer and viewer. Any material is fair game, which fosters a “beginner’s mind” attitude—always learning, questioning and playing. Using simple tools and traditional techniques, Jane fabricates each piece one at a time. Her process includes sketching, making paper models, creating computer-drawn templates, or combining scrap pieces that have accumulated in her studio. Mistakes are her favorite teacher. Her work can be found in juried craft shows, galleries and exhibitions around the U.S.
ABOUT THE CLASS
In this workshop, we’ll explore black-and-white image transfers, texturing, and markmaking in both uncured and cured clay, adding pigments and more. (Cane making and faux surfaces won’t be covered.) Participants will start on day 1 making a simple brooch to get familiar with the material and process. For the rest of the workshop, you can build on that idea, make additional wearable pieces, or explore small sculpture.
Throughout the workshop, we’ll cover proper conditioning of clay, mixing colors, curing (baking) clay, sanding/finishing, attaching parts, and adding jewelry findings. There will also be a focus on design decisions that turn your ideas into reality.
George Rodriguez
Born and raised in the border city of El Paso, TX, George Rodriguez creates highly ornamented, ceramic sculptures, often underlined by a connection to the sociopolitical issues the artist explores. Rodriguez holds a BFA from the University of Texas El Paso and an MFA from the University of Washington, Seattle. His sculptures are part of the collections of the National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL; Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. and the National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden amongst others. George was featured on PBS Craft in America "Storytellers" episode and has created a large public sculpture for the new Kansas City Airport which opened March 2023. George is represented by Foster White Gallery in Seattle.
ABOUT THE CLASS
What are the narratives we create that can continue to evolve over time? In this hand-building class, we will explore personal storytelling in sculpture. Each piece will be as unique as the maker. Working from photographs or drawings, we’ll use basic slab and modeling techniques to render a sculpture considering composition, surface, and meaning. We will also make one-part plaster press molds to ornament our creations.
Lisa Telford
Lisa is a Git’ans Git’anee Haida weaver, born in Ketchikan, Alaska in 1957. She comes from a long line of weavers including her grandmother, mother, aunt, cousins and her daughter. She learned traditional techniques of Haida basketry from Delores Churchill, and Haida cedar garments from Holly Churchill. Since 1992 it has been important for her to pass on tradition and maintain a high standard of perfection.
She harvests and prepares her own material, using red & yellow cedar bark in her work. Harvesting cedar bark takes her hundreds of miles from home and many hours of preparation time. Materials are prepared differently depending on the final product. The bark is traditionally stored for one year and then further processing is required before weaving may start.
Lisa’s award-winning work is done in both contemporary and traditional methods of weaving including twined and plaited. Her work encompasses baskets, traditional hats, and cedar bark clothing.
Sticking strictly to the tradition of form follows function until 2004 when she jumped off the cliff into contemporary cedar clothing, cedar shoes, cowboy boots and neckties.
You can find her work in the collections of the Burke Museum, Smithsonian Museum of National American Indian, the Heard Museum, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Schingoethe Center of Aurora University, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Arizona State University Art Museum, Autry National Center of the American West, Portland Art Museum, and the Oregon Historical Society
“Haida Basketry was essential for survival years ago. I continue the tradition, celebrating the beauty of nature.”
ABOUT THE CLASS
Using red and yellow cedar bark you will create a women's work basket used for gathering berries. You will learn a three-strand turn, the in-between stitch, and depending on your skill the two-strand for a three-strand braided ending. You will start the basket with the Haida cross, you will learn to add and divide at the same time using Z twining. The size of the basket at the bottom will be 3 inches at the top should be approximately 4 inches and the height will be 4 1/2 inches high.
Featuring members of the Northwest Designer Craftartists
June 20 - August 24
This exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate excellence in craft and design, and to compare and contrast current and continuing trends in craftmaking. It promises to be a seminal exhibition marking today’s trends and tomorrow’s imaginings, bringing world-class craft artists to Washington. This is an opportunity for the public to learn and be inspired by the rich community of craft artists in the Northwest and across the country. FIND OUT MORE >