Goblet Week

Goblet Making Demonstrations and Goblet Sale

January 15–19 • 10am–5pm

Goblet making has long been a tradition across many cultures worldwide.

In the Pacific Northwest, artists and makers have been steeped in the Italian approach to glassmaking through the Studio Glass movement, and Venetian-style goblets are a fixture in our local glassmaking scene. These goblets are notable for their thinness and complexity. As our culture becomes increasingly dependent on technology, it also becomes detached from the handmade. Goblet Week began with the mission to highlight the magic of handmade functional glass pieces — specifically, Venetian-style goblets.

Goblet Week will feature four Visiting Artists who are some of the best in the game in this style: Jason Christian, Jen Elek, Jason McDonald, and Michael Schunke.

Each artist will spend their day in the Hot Shop showcasing their unique approach to making goblets (or “cups,” as they are affectionately called by the artists). On Sunday, the Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team will take center stage and conclude the week making their signature goblet designs. Sunday’s programming will also feature a lecture on Venetian goblets by Hot Shop Emcee Walter Lieberman at 1pm. Each day, audiences will learn about the different techniques and processes used by each artist in their goblet designs. See below for more about the artists.

Additionally, Museum of Glass will host an Artist Reception + Wine Tasting and Goblet Sale the evening of Saturday, January 18. More details and tickets below.

We’ll see you at Goblet Week!

Artist Schedule

Wednesday, January 15 - Jen Elek
Thursday, January 16 - Jason McDonald
Friday, January 17 - Michael Schunke
Saturday, January 18 - Jason Christian
Sunday, January 19 - Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team + Venetian Goblet Lecture

Additional Opportunities

Goblet Week Raffle

Every Museum guest during Goblet Week will have the opportunity to purchase Goblet Week Raffle Tickets for $25. The Raffle winner will receive a hand-blown wine bottle signed by every Goblet Week artist and two goblets made by our Hot Shop Team! Tickets may be purchased at the Admissions Desk in-person or by calling 253.284.4719.

Goblet Week Hot Shop Floor Experience

The Museum is offering an exclusive opportunity to watch the artists up-close with a seat on the Hot Shop floor. One seating will be available each day. Contact Lindsay Carlisle at lcarlisle@museumofglass.org for more information.

Artist Reception + Wine Tasting and Goblet Sale

Saturday, January 18 • 5:30–7:30pm

$60 General Admission / $40 for Museum Members
5 wine tastings + light bites

We cordially invite you to join us for an Artist Reception + Wine Tasting and Goblet Sale on Saturday, January 18. Guests will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with each of Goblet Week’s participating artists and enjoy light bites and wine tastings from select wineries. Additionally, one-of-a-kind goblets created by the featured artists will be available for purchase. We encourage attendees to visit the Museum in the late afternoon, prior to the reception, to watch Jason Christian create goblets in the Hot Shop. Event ticket price includes Museum admission.

This event is 21+.

About the Artists

Goblet Week began in 2024, featuring artists such as Dante Marioni, Nancy Callan, and James Mongrain — the first generation of makers influenced by the Venetian-style goblets of Lino Tagliapietra and others who came from Murano, Italy, to the Pacific Northwest. In the years since, the tradition of goblet making has been documented, and the knowledge and techniques have been passed on to younger generations. This pursuit is not always lucrative, but a way of paying homage to the roots of glassmaking and keeping the practice alive for future aspiring artists.

Goblet Week 2025 features Michael Schunke, a maker at the top of his game, regarded for his skill in making cups. Also joining us is Jen Elek, who worked for over a decade on Lino Tagliapietra’s team, learning the traditions of glassmaking from the premier Muranese maestro. Jason Christian and Jason McDonald represent the next generation in the lineage of goblet making. Jason Christian has developed his goblet technique through years working alongside James Mongrain. Jason McDonald pursues technical excellence in his practice, and creates Venetian-style goblets because of the precision they demand.

Read more about each artist below.

Jen Elek

Wednesday, January 15

Jen Elek is a studio artist and educator based in Seattle. Elek investigates interpersonal themes and the notion of community by creating objects and installations of colorful glass and neon employed as a non-verbal form of communication. Elek has been a member of the Northwest artist community since moving from Bethlehem, PA, to Seattle in 1995. Elek has traveled to Canada, Japan, Australia, and throughout the U.S. teaching glassblowing workshops. She has worked for many notable artists including Dale Chihuly, Ginny Ruffner, and Nancy Callan, and was a key member of Lino Tagliapietra’s glassblowing team for 15 years.

Elek’s involvement in Northwest art organizations include: Pilchuck Glass School, Museum of Glass, Hilltop Artists, and guest lecturer at The University of Washington in Seattle. Her work has been exhibited at Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, Pittsburgh Glass Center, and Traver Gallery (Seattle, WA).

Elek is represented by Traver Gallery. She maintains a studio in south Seattle with husband Jeremy Bert.

jenelek.com
@jelekff

Jason McDonald

Thursday, January 16

Jason McDonald is a glass artist with a particular passion for Venetian furnace techniques. He uses these techniques to speak about barriers BIPOC people face in accessing creative spaces,  as well as the wild joy of chasing technical pursuits. He began his glass career at the age of 14 at the Hilltop Artists program in Tacoma Washington. He is a Windgate Fellowship recipient, was a contestant on Blown Away Season 2, and has been awarded residencies at Pittsburgh Glass Center and Pilchuck Glass School. He has taught at Penland School of Craft, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pilchuck Glass School, Pratt Fine Arts, The Studio at Corning Museum of Glass, Urban Glass, and elsewhere. He received his BFA with honors at California College of Art and was awarded the Presidential Fellowship at Tyler School of Art and Architecture where he earned his MFA. 

jasonmcdonaldglass.com
@jasonmcdonald42

Michael Schunke

Friday, January 17

Michael J. Schunke is a contemporary American glass artist and designer. He dedicates his work to the pursuit of form and the practice of making. With a strong sense of design focused on the relationship between line and volume, Schunke creates expressive silhouettes and containers of personal meaning. Since his introduction to glassmaking as a student at the Tyler School of Art (Philadelphia, PA), and the Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI), Schunke has dedicated his practice to the pursuit of form and refining his method of making.

Schunke is an avid educator of the medium and teaches glassmaking around the globe. He is a former professor of glass at the Toyama Institute of Glass Art (Toyama, Japan), and he has taught at the Pilchuck Glass School (Stanwood, WA), Haystack School of Crafts (Deer Isle, ME), Penland School of Crafts (Penland, NC), UrbanGlass (Brooklyn, NY), The Pittsburgh Glass Center (Pittsburgh, PA), Cam Ocagi (Instanbul, Turkey), Wheaton Arts (Millville, NJ), and Eugene Glass School (Eugene, OR).

Schunke is an award-winning artist, designer, and maker who has been recognized as a Fellow at the Creative Glass Center of America (Millville, NJ) and as an Artist in Residence at Museum of Glass and the Toledo Museum of Art (Toledo, OH). He has been hosted as a Visiting Artist at numerous museums and universities, most recently at the Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY), Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA), and The Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Boston, MA). 

Schunke's glass objects and sculptures are housed in museum collections  including the Ebeltoft Museum of Glass (Ebeltoft, Denmark),The Museum of American Glass (Millville, NJ), Toledo Museum of Art (Toledo, OH), Milwaukee Art Museum (Milwaukee, WI), Museum of Glass (Tacoma, WA), and Toyama Museum of Glass (Toyama, Japan). 

In addition to pursuing his personal studio practice, Schunke co-operates Vetro Vero, a glassblowing and design studio, with his wife, co-designer and fellow artist Josie Gluck. They live in Chester County, PA.

michaelschunke.com
@thegobletninja

Jason Christian

Saturday, January 18

Jason Christian is a glass artist living in the Seattle area. He was born in 1976 to a metal fabricator and a cardiac nurse. He became involved in glass art at the age of 21, starting as a factory charger and slowly developing his glass knowledge through experience. He has worked with a variety of well-known artists in the Seattle community, including Martin Blank, Preston Singletary, James Mongraine, and Nancy Callan. For almost a decade, he has been an integral member of Dale Chihuly’s Boathouse team, collaborating and working with international artists, including Pino Singnoretti. His individual work explores the art of reticello, classical Venetian techniques, and modern simplicity. Recently, he has been developing art inspired by the works of Fabergé, combining the delicate complexity of reticello with the intricate detailing for which Fabergé’s eggs are known.

Artist Statement: Glass, with its dual nature of fragility and strength, serves as my medium for exploring the balance between form, light, and emotion. Drawing on traditional glassblowing techniques and contemporary design, I craft pieces that merge precision with fluidity. My work often reflects the interplay of opposites: the tension between control and spontaneity, the permanence of art and the impermanence of light. Each piece is an invitation to pause, observe, and connect with the quiet beauty that glass uniquely captures. Through my process, I am to push the boundaries of what glass can communicate, transforming raw material into sculpture of reflection, storytelling, and wonder.

jasonchristianglassdesigns.com
@jasonchrisglass

Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team

Sunday, January 19

Featuring artists Benjamin Cobb, Nick Davis, Kristin Elliot, Gabe Feenan, and Sarah Gilbert, the Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team is one of the best glassblowing groups in the world. Each with their own unique skills, this collaborative team can be seen in action every day the Museum is open. The Hot Shop Team is instrumental to Visiting Artists, offering support as gaffers and helping to bring each artist’s vision to life. The Hot Shop Team also creates work on commission and for the Museum Store. For over 20 years, the Hot Shop Team has been designing and making unique goblets for the Museum’s annual Red Hot Auction & Gala.

Outside of MOG, each member of the Hot Shop Team is active in their own artistry and glassmaking practice. Learn more about each artist below:

Benjamin Cobb: benjamincobbglass.com
Nick Davis: nrdglass.com
Kristin Elliot: gritcitycoldworks.com
Gabe Feenan: gabefeenanglass.com
Sarah Gilbert: sarahgilbertglass.net

Thank you to our Goblet Week Artist Reception Wine Partners