Get ready for a captivating weekend full of vibrant color as Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience returns October 16–19, 2025. Taking place throughout Seattle and nearby neighborhoods, the festival features new exhibitions, exclusive studio tours, and an exciting lineup of events worth adding to your fall itinerary! Check out some notable highlights below:
- Returning for a third year with an additional new route and 11 new stops, a shuttle service provided by Tours Northwest will transport visitors to and from numerous private artist studios across Seattle, bringing attendees directly to the art and giving them the chance to meet the artists.*
- Events and parties, including Gather: The Official Opening Party (October 16 at Chihuly Garden and Glass)*, Pilchuck Block Party (October 17 in Pilchuck’s Pioneer Square Office Space and street), and the Pilchuck Annual Auction and Gala (October 17 at Fremont Studios)*.
- For the first time ever, Refract Glassblowing Film Festival will welcome visitors to experience films directly from the 2025 Glass Art Society conference at SIFF Cinema Uptown (Opening October 17).*
- Exclusive tours, talks, and access to artist studios, including the rare and coveted opportunity to tour The Boathouse, Dale Chihuly’s private studio and hotshop (October 16)*; Refract Artist Open Studios featuring 20+ typically private locations across Seattle (October 18–19)*; a guided walking tour of the city’s unique relationship with glass with the Seattle Architecture Foundation* (October 17)*; and an artist talk with Kait Rhoads at the Seattle Convention Center, which recently acquired her work for display (October 17)*.
- New exhibitions include During The Exposure: An Exhibition by Winifred Westergard that features ambrotypes, a photographic technique from the mid-19th century; Petrichor in the Land of Falling Water, a solo exhibition by glass and mixed media artist Crista Van Slyck Matteson; and Glass in Everett: A Window Exhibition of Glass Art wherein the Downtown Everett Association (DEA) has transformed over 10 storefront windows into vibrant showcases from renowned glass artists like Nick Clawson, Manolo Aguilera, KCJ Szwedzinski, Colin Satterfield, Julie Conway, and many more.
- Live artist demonstrations, including daily demos at Seattle Glassblowing Studio with artists like Jen Elek, Jeremy Popelka, Dan Alexander, and Richard Royal; Seattle Artists Jason Christian, Dan Friday, and Bri Chesler at Pratt Fine Arts Center; an overview of kiln-formed glass at Pacific NW Glass Guild*; and more.
*Ticketed or RSVP-required event.
To secure your spot and view a full list of programs and events, visit refractseattle.org.
