Profile: Julie Conway

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About Julie Conway : 
Julie Conway, founder of Illuminata Art Glass Design in Seattle, WA, USA is a glass artist/
lighting designer who reveals her perspective by the refraction and reflection of light through glass. Her 20+ years studio practice features bespoke lighting and site-specific installations, for public space, hospitality, and residential homes. Her signature glassworks are collected and in the US and abroad, and have received several international design awards. 

 A melding of functional design, and art, makes each hand-blown glass fixture the focal point of architectural space.

Julie operates a vibrant studio, in Seattle WA, where she conducts talented teams of glassmakers, fabricators, contractors and electricians to create her custom illuminated glass commissions.

LUMi Collection is Julie's new ready-made series of glass lighting and decor offered from her studio. Many of LUMi products are made with recycled glass in a zero-carbon footprint glass furnace fueled with waste-vegetable oil to produce a truly green glass design product. 

Julie is the founder of a non-profit organization (BioGlass.org) that is dedicated to the research, development and use of alternative fuel sources for glassmaking.
STATEMENT OF ART:
My artistic intent is to reveal the phenomenon of light refracting and reflecting through glass. Emphasizing the contrast chiaroscuro effect of dramatic light and shadow projections creates intentional transformation of space and environment. My studio team includes accomplished glassblowers, metal fabricators, CAD engineer, electrical contractors, machinists, and installers. My newest collection combines eco-efficient products and recycled glass techniques environmentally aligning with light and function.

I seek to use light to transcend our human experience. Function, feature, and focus are my forte. Capturing the human fascination of light is the intention of my projects. Light is refracted, reflected, diffused and magnified with glass and enhances the experience within a designed space. Combined with my blown glass elements, industrial materials such as perforated metal, or 24K gold-plated steel, or other materials expand the light and shadow patterns across walls and surrounding areas. I find inspiration from phenomena in nature such as supernova, dappled sunlight in trees, elements in architecture or any number of things. 

Customization of each project is part of my process that allows me to explore an artistic journey that tells the story of my client and their particular location. Throughout history glass and light & design have inspired humans in the earliest tombs of Egypt, to medieval churches, to the latest fashion empires of Louis Vuitton and Chanel.. The mission statement of my studio: Bring LIGHT and beauty to the world.

ORGANIZATION:
Illuminata Art Glass Design

NON-DESIGN OCCUPATION:
Glass blower Industrial production, manufacture, metal

EDUCATION:
1989-1993 BA Art History & French Double Major Colorado State University, Colorado, USA

1990-1991 University of Avignon, France Art Focus/ Study Abroad

1999-2015 Continued Artistic Study/ Teaching Assistantships and Apprenticeships in Glassmaking around the world.

2011-2014 Pilchuck Glass School - Washington USA
2011-2020 Pratt Fine Arts - Washington USA
2005 Cam Ocagi Glass Furnace Istanbul, TURKEY
2003-2011 Abate Zanetti Scuola del Vetro, Murano, Venice ITALY

EXPERIENCE:
1997- 2022 Current OWNER, ARTIST & DESIGNER of ILLUMINATA ART GLASS DESIGN, LLC Seattle, WA USA
Glasswork commissioned & exhibited in showrooms, galleries, permanent installations, US & International Clients
Hot glass making, lighting design & original art concepts, includes directing teams of glassmakers & hired
contractors to aid in creating custom art glass lighting and site-specific installations
Self-started business of custom blown glass art lighting, architectural accents, and sculpture
Original designs, engineered to collaborate with architects, electrical teams and designers to install art.

2019- current FOUNDER of LUMi Collection ready made production line of glass lighting and decor items Seattle, WA USA

2007- current FOUNDER of BioGlass.org, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the research, education and
development of eco-efficient glass studio and glass making practices. Keynote speaking, and promoting green practices

2012 - 2017 Pratt Fine Art - Faculty, glass teacher flameworking borosilicate classes, Seattle, WA USA

2003- 2011 Abate Zanetti Scuola del Vetro Class organizer, teacher assistant and Italian translator for various glassmaking maestri, classes, on the island of Murano, in Venezia, ITALIA

2007, 2008 Public Glass Glass Blowing an Flameworking Teacher in San Francisco, CA USA

2005 Cam Ocagi (the Glass Furnace) Istanbul, Turkey Teacher Assistant T/A for Petr Novotny

PRIVATE EXHIBITIONS:
2020 "School" SOUND CREDIT UNION Public commission, glass installations for 4 branches Washington State, WA


2019 "Giro" SEATAC AIRPORT, USA Installation for the Seattle Made Shop in Terminal C 


2019 "Bubble" DIN TAI FUNG commission permanent installation, Bellevue, WA USA 


2018 LUXLUMEN art glass lighting exhibition for Venice Biennale , Island of Murano, Venezia ITALIA

2018 "FracTur(ed)" GLASSTASTIC GLASS BIENNIAL exhibition (award winner)
 Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA USA

2017 GLASSFEST, CORNING Glass Museum, New York, Solo Exhibition & Featured Glass Artist 
 Corning, NY USA

2017 "Water Drop" GOOGLE Custom permanent installation

2016 "Galaxia" CRAFT IN AMERICA, Los Angeles, CA USA

2016 "DESIGNED IN GLASS" Exhibition Ken Saunders Gallery, Chicago, IL USA

2016 "Memento" LIVING COMPUTERS MUSEUM Paul Allen Collection, Seattle, WA USA feature glass installation


2015 "Pioggia" IDS VANCOUVER Design Trade Fair Vancouver, BC Canada Feature Invited Artist Exhibit, and Presenter

2015 "Nuvole" FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Seattle WA Large scale custom glass lighting installation for hotel restaurant


2015 OVATION 309 Extra large glass chandelier permanently installed at Luxury Lofts Madison, WI USA

2014 "Luminosa" MARRIOTT Hotel Waterfront Seattle, WA USA Custom Glass lighting installation for Ballroom, Exec Boardroom

2014 "Poppy" HILTON Hotel Costa Mesa, CA USA Blown Glass Lobby Art Sculpture

2013 PARK AVE, NY USA Private Commission, Prominent collection

2013 FISHER ISLAND, FL USA Florida Exclusive Custom Glass Penthouse Installation

2012 FOUNDATION NIGHT CLUB Seattle, WA USA Complex custom lighting installations

2012 MAGNOLIA HOTEL Houston Houston, TX Hotel Lobby site-specific art glass lighting installation
2011 PROXIBID Corporate Headquarters Omaha, NE. Custom Large-scale lighting installation corporate space

2010 GARLAND LAW Corporate Office Omaha, NE “Lampada Equilibria” Custom Lighting Installation 
2009 JLOFTS Luxury Loft Omaha, NE Permanent installation of 7 lighted glass chandeliers for 18 ft. tall foyer

2010 GLASS BIENNIAL 600 @ Amarillo Museum of Art Amarillo, TX USA

2008 FLUX: Reflections in Contemporary Glass New Mexico Museum of Art : Santa Fe, NM USA Site-specific installation of 10 glass chandeliers at Museum entrance

2008 SCHIMELPFINIG Public Library , Plano TX USA Custom Sculptural Glass Installation for Foyer

2005 WALT DISNEY EPCOT CENTER Orlando FL USA Installation of glass architectural elements

MIXED EXHIBITIONS:
2018 LUXLUMEN art glass lighting exhibition for Venice Biennale , Island of Murano, Venezia Italia Extensive list of glass & light artists including Ai Wei Wei at Berengo Gallery

2018 GLASSTASTIC Bellevue Arts Museum GLASS BIENNIAL — exhibition “FracTur(ed)” (award winner) 49 Glass artists in the Pacific Northwest USA

2010 GLASS BIENNIAL 600 @ Amarillo Museum of Art Amarillo, TX USA

2008 FLUX: Reflections in Contemporary Glass New Mexico Museum of Art : Santa Fe, NM USA Site-specific
installation of 10 glass chandeliers at Museum entrance

EVENTS:
PUBLIC SPEAKING/ PRESENTATIONS:

2020 TALKING OUT YOUR GLASS, Podcast Interview of Glass Studio Practice with Shawn Waggoner

2019 BUSINESS IMPACT NW “Glassmaker Julie Conway’s New LUMI Collection & Her Contribution to Seattle’s Creative Economy” October 2019
MAGAZINE: presentation of Glass In Design Denver, CO Tansey Contemporary Gallery 


2017 CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS / CORNING GAFFER DISTRICT Featured artist demo for GlassFest 2017
including presentation at Corning Museum

2016 MOTIF HOTEL Artist in Residence Program, principal design on all graphics, website public presentations/ hosting press parties

2016 NYC X DESIGN: presentation at the Cooper Union, Speaker on “Power of Collaboration” New York, NY

2016 CRAFT IN AMERICA CENTER: Presentation for Exhibit "Lighting as Illuminated Sculpture"

2016 DESIGNED IN GLASS: Exhibition Catalogue, Ken Saunders Gallery Presentation

2015 GLASS ART SOCIETY : Presentation for Green Panel San Jose, CA

2015 IDS WEST VANCOUVER : Featured Guest Artist, Presentation of 3000 years of Glass in Design Vancouver, BC

2014 GLASS ART SOCIETY : Chicago, IL Host & moderator Green Panel Roundtable presentation glass techniques

2013 NORTHWEST DESIGNER CRAFTSMEN member of the Pacific Northwest 60-year old craft artisans organization

2012 SEATTLE ART MUSEUM with Pecha Kucha presentation and co-organizer “Subcultures in Glass Mastery”

2011 MAKING FUTURES : Published paper on Eco-effiecent glass making techniques for presentation at Plymouth
College of Art, UK
2010 OMAHA MAGAZINE: Feature Arts article “Through a Glass Brightly” July/August 2010
2008 UNITED NATIONS WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY Sole organizer of 7 city-wide arts events & arts programs
AUSGLASS Featured Speaker Canberra Australia Presentation for arts initiatives to incorporate sustainable fuel
sources in glass making techniques.
2008 FLUX: Reflections in Contemporary Glass, New Mexico Museum of Art Show Catalogue
2007 GLASS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE: Summer 2007 Article featuring artists dedicated to making a difference with
eco-efficient glass making techniques.

AWARDS:
2020 LIT Awards, Winner, Serafina Lamp, Product Design

2020 Gray Magazine Awards Editor's Choice, Product Design Serafina Lamp, Product Design. Seattle, WA USA

2018 LIT Awards for the following:
Winner: Artisan Glass Blown Lighting, Designer of the Year: FracTur(ed),
2018
Honorable Mention: GABBIETTA chandelier
Honorable Mention: NAVICELLA pendant light
Honorable Mention: RAVEN project

2004 Juror's Choice Award GLASTRONOMY Napa, CA USA

PRESS APPEARANCES:
2022 ShoutOut Miami "Meet Julie Conway Glass Artist | Lighting Designer" https://shoutoutmiami.com/meet-julie-conway-glass-
artist-lighting-designer/

November 2019 Seattle Times Article
https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/a
rtist-glassmaker-lighting-designer-julie-conway-cr
afts-award-winning-works-of-architectural-illumina
tion/
 by Sandy Deneau Dunham

October 2019 LIGHTSHOW WEST: Feature article: “Glass as a Material is Light” Los Angeles, CA USA by Lois Hutchinson

2017 City Arts Magazine "Heart of Glass"
https://www.cityartsmagazine.com/heart-of-glass/ Washington, USA by Rachel Gallaher

March 2017 American Way Magazine American Airlines "Glass art has no reservations" by Jess Swanson

September 2017 Glass Quarterly Magazine Julie Conway wins visiting-artist competition at hotel Seattle by Andrew Page lhttps://urbanglass.org/glass/detail/julie-conway

February 2017 GRAY MAGAZINE: On View Feature "MEMENTO" chandelier Luxury Issue

Additional references:
https://illuminataglass.com/press/

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS:
N/A

ACCOLADES:
2023 A' DESIGN AWARD Art Installation

2020 LIT AWARD Product Design

2018 LIT AWARD, Winner Light Art Installation,
LIT AWARD Honorable Mention Pendant Light
LIT AWARD Honorable Mention Chandelier

2017 MOTIF HOTEL Visiting Artist in Residence
 Seattle, WA USA

2017 Featured Artist at Corning GlassFest, Corning Museum of Glass Corning, NY USA



2015 IDS WEST Vancouver, BC Invited Guest Artist for VIP Exhibit International Design Trade Fair Vancouver, BC, CANADA


2010 UN WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY recognition for green lifestyle and hydrogen powered car. United Nations

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
French: fluent native, studied in University of Avignon, France. Lived in France for several years.
Italian: semi-fluent/ near native. Work with Venetian Glass Masters in Murano, Venezia, Italy 20 years,
Spanish: Fluent/ near native. working with my team in Oaxaca, Mexico to produce my recycled glass products for LUMi Collection. I have worked with Turkish and Czech (both pre-intermediate) glass masters and learned the languages to work with them as well. I LOVE languages and travel and adventures to learn and work with designers and makers all over the world!

COMPUTER LITERACY:
Photoshop: Advanced
Numbers/ Excel: Fundamental

COURSES, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS::
Many years of teaching glass & glassmaking.

SYMPOSIUMS AND ACADEMIC CONFERENCES::
Corning Glass Fest
Glass Art Society
AusGlass
IDS Vancouver
Portland Design Week

MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS:
2019 Women in Lighting
2019 WILD Lighting
2016 Seattle Made
2001 Glass Art Society
2011 Pratt Fine Arts
2012 NWDC Northwest Designer Craftsman

COLLECTIONS:
Permanent installations and collections listed above in exhibitions section

JURY MEMBERSHIPS:
2023 Kioskedia

2020 Glass Art Society

2004- Jury's Choice Award for GLASTRONOMY in Napa Valley, CA. Jury included Coppola Wines, Nicholas Cage, and 3 star chefs and vineyard owners.

HOBBIES:
Blowing Glass, Travel, Adventure, Skiing, Hiking, Paddle Board, Tango Dancing

CLIENTELE:
Projects are listed above.

Google, Kirkland, WA
Walt Disney Epcot Center, Orlando FL
SeaTac International Airport, SeaTac WA
Four Seasons Hotel, Seattle, WA
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver BC Canada
Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Seattle, WA
Hilton, Orange County, CA
Ovation 309, Madison, Wi
Living Computers Museum, Seattle, WA
Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM
Din Tai Fung, Bellevue, WA
Sound Credit Union, Redmond & Puyallup WA
Schimelfinig Library, Plano, TX



WEB SITE:
illuminataglass.com

PORTFOLIO URL:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0374/6575/1596/f
iles/media_deck_conway.ju21.pdf?v=1656289560

REGISTRATION DATE:
2022-06-26 23:07:12

COUNTRY/REGION:
United States of America

ACCOUNT TYPE:
Professional

Awards received by Julie Conway


Fractured Multidimensional Glass Installation

A' Design Award Winner for Fine Arts and Art Installation Design Category in 2022
Julie Conway for Illuminata Art Glass Design



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