Founder's Totem Pole
Founder's Totem Pole
In 2001 Pilchuck Glass School celebrated their 30th anniversary. A commemorative totem pole was created and installed on the grounds to honor their three founders: John H. Hauberg, Anne Gould Hauberg, and Dale Chihuly.
This totem pole is created in carved wood, glass and neon elements by several master wood carvers, including David Svenson, and glass artist Preston Singletary.
According to the Pilchuck Glass School, "The pole consists of three human forms: a chief’s figure representing the late John Hauberg, who underwrote Pilchuck’s early years and donated the fifty-four acres where the campus stands; a raven figure (who in Tlingit mythology brought light into the world) representing Dale Chihuly; and a woman in a Native ceremonial robe wearing a conical hat which symbolizes wisdom and identifies Anne Gould Hauberg, whose belief in artists and creativity drew the other founders together."
Preston Singletary's Connection to Dale Chihuly
My connections to Dale Chihuly start back in the late 80’s while working on the team of Benjamin Moore. Benny had opened his own studio around 1986 and I was one of his core team back then. I’d come over from the Glass Eye Studios and had started attending Pilchuck Glass School in the summers in various capacities.
At some point we had started working for Dale in Benny’s studio intermittently producing Dale’s work, as Benny had been one of Dale’s Gaffers for the Seaform series prior to this time so we were making these types of forms as well as Soft Cylinders and Maccia’s with the help of Richard Royal. Lino Tagliapietra was coming around and working in Benny’s studio and so we formed a close relationship with Lino as well.
When Dale opened the Boathouse studio Lino would come to collaborate with Dale and so Benny and our whole team would go to work at the Boathouse along with Dale’s regular team and we would be around 12 or more glass blowers working on these very elaborate pieces. At the time Benny was a bit of an “interpreter” for Lino helping the communication of techniques to the glass team. It was a very dynamic time and it felt like we were in a unique position to learn Italian techniques from Lino.
Working with Dale was always an event. He treated us so well, and kept a very festive spirit around these sessions. I always say that Dale who is still a driving force in the glass world has done so much in helping glass makers learn through working with him and gaining experience. I was able to continue working with Benny and occasionally with Dale through the late 90’s before shifting away to develop my own work.
The time working around Dale gave me a sense of acting on ideas in a very immediate way and finding ways to brainstorm and implement ideas sooner rather than later. I always joke about how Dale operated like a Hollywood director, sometimes he’d be in a great mood and buy the team lunch. How many people like sushi! And then he’d send someone out to pick it up. Each session I was involved with would be like an event that we all felt proud to be a part of.
