Artist of the Month
May 2024
Dan Friday
Dan Friday, a Seattle-based glass artist and proud Lummi Nation member, masterfully melds his heritage with contemporary artistry. With each piece, he depicts symbols and motifs that resonate with profound cultural significance, infusing his work with vibrance and meaning. Friday is represented by Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Click on each photo to the right for a full picture.
Orange Story Basket, 2024; 11.25 x 9.25 inches; blown glass
Raven Totem, 2024; 14 x 6 x 4 inches; furnace-sculpted glass
Blanket Panels, 2022; blue panel 22.25 x 13.25 inches, yellow panel 22 x 12.25 inches; furnace-sculpted glass
Lightening Bear, 2023; 6.5 x 13 x 2 inches; blown glass
Fern Basket, 2024; 12 x 12 inches; blown glass
XL Feature, 2024; 32 x 7.25 x 2 inches; furnace-sculpted glass
Bear Pendants, 2024; 2.5 x 2 x .5 inches; cast glass with hand woven waxed synthetic cordage
Dan Friday
Artist Statement:
Creativity was fostered in me by my family from an early age. Living without TV and knowing our rich cultural heritage of the Lummi Nation meant that making things with our hands was a regular activity.
I typically work with simple themes and forms, and often employ subtle silhouettes when making my totems. It is a pleasure seeing inanimate objects taking on a life of their own. The more narrative work is usually a personal expression or a means of processing a life event, often with an underlying statement.
When I saw glass blowing for the first time, it felt as though I grew an inch! That is to say, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I had finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. This was no small feat for someone who, as a youth, was rebellious and misguided. Glass altered my life. In spite of my colorful past, and by the grace of a loving community, I found my passion in glass.
Living as an artist may not be directly saving the world, but perhaps we are saving ourselves and hopefully, in the process, making the world a better place.
About Dan Friday
Seattle-based glass artist Dan Friday is a member of the Lummi Nation. Transitioning from a career in mechanics to the captivating world of glass art, Dan Friday's artistic journey began at the renowned Pilchuck Glass School. Alongside luminaries like Dale Chihuly, Paul Marioni, and Preston Singletary, he honed his craft, marrying blown glass and sculpting techniques with innovative approaches.
His artwork is showcased in galleries across the United States, each piece tangible to the enduring spirit of his heritage. In Seattle's historic Fremont district, Friday's independent glass studio stands as a testament to his artistic vision, inviting all to witness the beauty of Lummi tradition reimagined for the modern world.
Click here for an artist's resume.
Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, for providing the Artist of the Month.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.
The Alliance informs collectors, critics and curators by encouraging and supporting museum exhibitions, university glass departments and specialized teaching programs, regional collector groups, visits to private collections, and public seminars.
