Portland based artists Jeremy Lepisto and Mel George (husband and wife) will close the Summer Series for us this week.

The majority of artists in the Summer Series have an affiliation with Pilchuck Glass School, the Museum’s partner for this program. Jeremy and Mel co-taught CONSTRUCTING CONCEPTS at Pilchuck this summer for students of fusing, slumping and casting.

In the Museum Hot Shop, they will combine their kilncasting skills with the teams blowing skills to create new work….taking Jeremy’s water tower drawings from flat panels into the round and blowing a number of what Mel calls “domestic vessels” (tea cups, sugar bowls, and more).  While still hot Mel adds  another dimension to the vessels by  “drawing” on the surface with her own crafted metal tools. 

Mel George received her BFA with honors, majoring in glass, from the Canberra School of Art in 1998 and shortly thereafter was awarded a grant from the Australian/American Assn. to work at Bullseye Glass factory in Portland.  In 2001, Mel and Jeremy co-founded Studio Ramp LLC, a Portland based fabrication studio that helps artists and architects translate their designs into glass. 

Jeremy is a graduate of Alfred University.  He also held a position at Bullseye Glass Company in both production and in the visiting artist program.  Jeremy is currently on the board of directors for the Glass Art Society and is a key organizer for the 2008 GAS conference in Portland.