Early in May, I took a senior citizens tour to Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. Coincidentally, I had just finished reading Pilchuck: a Glass School by Tina Oldknow. The book is the history of the founding and development of the school conceived by Dale Chihuly. On the day of the visit the sky was cloudy with soft rainfall—a day typical of the current spring.

We arrived at Pilchuck Glass School –after driving through the woods with directional signs that clearly indicate that the place is closed except by invitation—and were ushered into the Lodge for a few opening remarks. The Lodge walls were covered with drawings similar to the style of ones we see made by Dale Chihuly. It turns out that these were the drawings for centerpieces, which will be auctioned off at Pilchuck’s Annual Auction in October. The centerpiece designs were conceived by three artists from Calgary, Canada using earth tones.

Later, our tour saw the centerpieces executed in Pilchuck’s Hot Shop with great enthusiasm and celebration. (Lots of beer was available for thirsty glass blowers). The Hot Shop by observation was one big party with loud music, dancing and glass blowing ballet.

Touring the campus, I recognized many of the buildings I had just read about and it was fun to imagine the beginnings as an outdoor hippie summer camp.

The highlight of the day was touring the cold working shop. At the time, only two people were working in the shop, one man and one woman. The woman indicated that she was cleaning up. The man was grinding the bottom of one of the centerpieces and was quite talkative, telling our group a lot about the cold working process.

I asked him about his art and asked him his name. He replied “Ed Schmid” to which I immediately exclaimed, “You wrote the book we use at MOG!” I told him how informative and helpful his books were to the docents.

The Pilchuck campus is a walk through glass history. So many artists that I encounter at MOG have been students, teachers or associates of Dale Chihuly at Pilchuck. It is good to have a picture in my mind of the actual place that has so many artists. And as I give my tours and speak of Lino Tagliapietra and how his visit to Pilchuck in 1979 changed the American Studio Glass Movement, I can appreciate his contribution even more.