Sbalorditivo Torchiere

Glass artist, Julie Conway is the owner and designer of illuminata, a glass design studio creating functional and sculptural glass art works. Since 1997, Julie’s passion for glass led her to explore the boundless forms of the medium utilizing her skills in the creation of hot, blown glass, lampworked glass forms, and cast glass sculpture. Combining her studies of traditional glassmaking with European masters with her contemporary artistic vision, Julie’s creates dynamic, collectible glassworks with a flair for modern design and function.

Julie continually expands her studies and work internationally with glass masters from Murano, in Venice, Italy, the Czech Republic, France and the US, allowing her the opportunity to become a teacher assistant in international glass schools in Venice and Istanbul. Her trips abroad teach her much about the deep-rooted history of the medium of glass and allow her to bridge this tradition with contemporary design.

With the combination of many styles of glass making, Julie custom designs glass chandeliers, light fixtures, architectural accents, jewelry and unique sculpture. Her work is featured in design showrooms, art galleries, award-winning homes, public spaces, museums, and private collections.

Glassworks by Julie are sold in galleries and showrooms in New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, GA, Dallas,TX, Louisville, KY, Santa Fe, NM; Seattle, WA, Kansas City, MO, and Rhode Island. Julie creates installations and custom commissions, and lectures worldwide.

Julie collaborates on an ongoing basis with architects and designers to create extraordinary custom lighted glassworks.  She now features green, sustainable, low-energy LED components in many of her lighting installations.   Julie’s unique style has attracted several awards for design, lighting, and artistic accomplishment.

Julie is involved with her vibrant arts community in Seattle, as well as a member of the international society of glassmakers. Glass education is a vital part of the continuum of glassmaking that has existed for 4000 years. Julie is now offering courses in lampworking glass at Pratt Fine Arts in Seattle for Spring & Summer 2012. She also is an organizer for international glass classes in Murano, Venice.

Studio illuminata is dedicated to the development of renewable and bio-sustainable fuel sources to produce glass and devotes a portion of its profits towards this new energy initiative, thereby helping to protect the environment and the future existence of glass arts.

Julie has launched BioGlass TM, a small non-profit, addressing the needs for education and development of eco-efficient glass studios. Please visit www.bioglass.org for more information and to join the discussion.