Glassmaking Experiences For All Ages!
“Marcia Wiley’s glass studio is a magical and welcoming place! My son has enjoyed many years of school-break and summer camp creativity working with glass. I’ve loved sharing this special experience with family visiting Seattle in scheduled private workshops. And we recently enjoyed a celebratory and inspirational 50th birthday party evening at Marcia’s studio. I just love Marcia, she’s warm, welcoming and supportive of all levels of creative experience!”
– Renee D.
“Marcia is terrific with children. She has an incredible imagination and a wonderfully bright outlook on the world. Kids love the workshops and the gifts they create are far from kid crafty . . . they are beautiful to keep or to give away.”
– Jeannette C.
About Marcia Wiley
I Am An Artist
My mission is to transform the mundane and bring more play and beauty into the world. I am known for my dichroic glass jewelry, my brilliant and sturdy drinking glasses (Wileyware), and my somewhat mischieveous community performance art projects. My glass work has been featured on the INSP show “Handcrafted America” (Season 1, episode 2).
I believe that everyday objects–the things we wear, use, and surround ourselves with–can and should bring beauty, color, and delight into our lives. ESPECIALLY for those of us who live in the occasionally grayer-than-gray northwest! My classes and workshops are an opportunity to make a variety of unique objects for you and your home. I get particular joy from nurturing the creativity of people who don’t typically think of themselves as creative.
I Am A Teacher
I am a former middle/high school teacher (earth/life science, geography) turned artist who loves sharing my enthusiasms with children and adults. For years, I ran statewide environmental-education projects for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and trained/facilitated teacher teams in curriculum design and assessment before reconnecting with my childhood curiosity about glass.
I have a BS in geology-biology from Brown University and a MS in natural resources policy and behavior/water education from the University of Michigan. I have studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, Pilchuck Glass School, and Pratt Fine Arts Center. As a teacher, I am known for my glass classes and children’s camps. I am the mother of a (mostly) delightful teenage boy.
In the random facts department, I was married on top of Mt Rainier, have done two major solo hikes (98 and 130 miles), been to India 11 times and have hiked over 500 miles in the Indian Himalaya. I’m a rock hound, birder, world traveler, loyal friend, and scuba diver.
My Studio: Where We Work Together!
My studio, aka “Wileyware World Headquarters”, is a converted garage behind my Ballard home. It’s a rec room of sorts that is a teaching, display, and work space. It features three kilns (Ken, Barbie Q, Skipper), has a guest loft, and functions as an occasional Thai restaurant. You’ll see . . .