Klein Parrish Residency History

The Klein Parrish Residency Program began in 2009 as an experiment. While at a Pilchuck Glass School board meeting an open session was announced. It was explained that the school was in need of a class or program to take a space that had been set aside. Steve Klein took this information and presented an idea. He would enlist the help and support of his friend Richard Parrish and they would get 10 artists working in kilnformed glass together to come to Pilchuck at that time. In discussing the idea with Richard, it became apparent that after several years of teaching various classes all over the US and internationally, both artists wanted to do something completely different. The idea was to promote a residency where invited artists would come to Pilchuck and investigate new ideas, experiment with new techniques, and do the things they did not take the time to do in their own studios and busy schedules. Pilchuck would be the perfect venue for this type of program. Plenty of kilns, plenty of work space, surrounded by nature, comfortable living spaces, three good meals prepared daily added up to the ability to immerse into one’s work without any distractions. The only thing missing was glass. Steve and Richard approached Bullseye Glass Co. whom they both had relationships with and presented their idea. Bullseye became a very supportive partner for the first residency and has maintained that commitment through the years wherever the residency took place.

The residency program is not a traditional workshop or class. It is an opportunity for immersion into one's own work. The focus of the residency is idea driven work, not technique driven work. In this sense, no particular technique is taught. Conversely, all members of the group are quite knowledgeable and support each other's quest for new ways of thinking and making. All participants actively contribute to the group while working on self directed projects. Each resident is asked to set aside the idea of finished work. The goal was to explore, experiment, discover, take chances, break rules. The group would meet at 9am every morning around a large table and discuss each person’s journey, questions, successes and failures. This habit became known as the Round Table. By many accounts it was perhaps the most valuable part of the session.

After a few years it became evident that more than glass, the residencies were becoming more about art, ideas, personal ways of discovering and working. So, we decided to begin inviting artists that worked in other mediums. While the majority of artists’ practices involved glass, we were joined by a museum curator, photographers, painters and textile artists. The discussions, generous sharing of ideas and the desire to grow was shared by everyone in the residencies.

In the 17 years of facilitating the residencies, we’ve hosted 16 at Pilchuck, 2 at Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe NM, 3 in the far north of Scotland and one inside the Arctic Circle (In February!). We have had 120 artists join us. We had an exhibit at the Museum of Northwest Art and another at the Pilchuck facility in Pioneer Square. With this exhibit, we “Celebrate” the wonderful and amazing accomplishments of the artists over the past 17 years. We “Celebrate” the friendships we have all enjoyed and continue to enjoy. We “Celebrate” the bravery and dedication of all the artists in taking part in this experiment.

We wish to thank Pilchuck Glass School for taking a chance on our idea. We are sincerely grateful to Bullseye Glass Company for their very generous and continued support. We want to thank Schack Art Center for allowing us to “Celebrate.”

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR