Shelley Muzylowski Allen manipulates glass and creates a world to which she invites interpretation. Using the volatile medium, she imbues figures of beasts of burden with cultural significance in the same way cultures of old imbued these images with spiritual significance – physical representations of gods on earth: “avatars”.

Her glass animals are avatars of creativity, descending into a fanciful world of her own design. The arsenal of creatures she parades in front of us range from farcical to poetic, pointing to mythical dreams of heaven (Empyrean Gold/ Cirrus), and posing as earth-bound icons of war and survival (Knights / Jesters). They are representations of a division— then ensuing collision— between heaven and earth, forged in molten glass. They are frozen in time, awaiting the breath of life the beholder brings.

Allen employs color, form, and scale, creating a new iconography in which animals are the supreme rulers of our collective consciousness.


BORN
Manitoba, Canada

EDUCATION
1988 Fine Arts Degree, Major in Painting &Intaglio
Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design Vancouver, BC

ACHIEVEMENTS
2007 Guest Artist - Toyama City Institute of Glass - Toyama, Japan
2006 Guest Artist - International Festival of Glass - Stourbridge, England
2004 Guest Artist - Museum of Glass Tacoma, WA
2003 Tiffany Foundation Nomination - Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, NY
2001-03 Saxe Award Nomination - Pilchuck Glass School
1996 Scholarship - Pilchuck Glass School/BCGAA
1994 Scholarship - Pilchuck Glass School
1982 Provincial Arts Scholarship - Government of British Columbia

RECENT EXHIBITIONS
2008
"Modern Menagerie" - Museum of Northwest Art - La Conner, WA
2007
Studio E Gallery, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
"Stable Variations" Solo Show, William Traver Gallery - Seattle, WA
"Equine" - Lake Oswego Gallery - Portland, OR
"Arts Alive" Invitational - La Conner, WA
SOFA Chicago - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
Palm Beach3 - West Palm Beach, FL
2006
SOFA Chicago - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
Solo Glass Sculpture Exhibition - Kuivato Gallery - Sedona, AZ
Solo Glass Sculpture Exhibition - Thomas Riley Galleries, Cleveland, OH
"Equine" - Lake Oswego Gallery - Portland, OR
Palm Beach3 - West Palm Beach, FL
"Arts Alive" Invitational - La Conner, WA
2005
SOFA Chicago - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
"Glass - Focus on Sculpture" - Goldesberry Gallery, Houston, TX
"Glass Weekend - Wheaton Village, NJ
SOFA NY - Armory, New York, NY
SOFA Palm Beach - West Palm Beach, FL
2004
Palm Beach Contemporary - West Palm Beach, FL
SOFA New York - Armory, New York, NY
Solo Glass Sculpture Exhibition - Thomas R. Riley Galleries , Cleveland, OH
SOFA Chicago - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
2003
Glass Weekend - Wheaton Village, NJ
SOFA Chicago - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
Mansfield Art Center -Mansfield, OH
Group Exhibition -Thomas R. Riley Galleries, Columbus, OH
Looking North from Pilchuck - History of the World Gallery, Camano Isl. WA
Pilchuck Glass Artists - History of the World Gallery, Camano Isl. WA
2002
Featured Artist -Thomas R. Riley Galleries, Kirkland, WA
William Morris Team Exhibition -Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Texas
A Horse is a Horse - Solomon Dubnik Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Pilchuck Glass Artists - History of the World Gallery, Camano Isl. WA
2001
Glass Sculpture Exhibition - Goldesberry Gallery. Houston, TX
Pilchuck Show, History of the World Gallery, Camano Isl. WA

MEDIA
2007
"Heart of Glass" Applause Sec. D, pg. 1-3, Skagit Valley Herald, Oct.25, 2007
2006
"500 Glass Artists" pg. 384 Lark Publishing
"All the Pretty Horses" pg. 45 Sedona Monthly Magazine, November Issue
2005
"Team Effort" pg. 24-27 Artisan Northwest Magazine, Spring Issue
2002
Carol Duvall Show HGTV Aired May 23, 2002
Marriage in Glass Interviewed/filmed working in glass studio

JURIED AUCTIONS
2007 Pilchuck Annual Auction Seattle, WA
2006-07 Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA
2005-07 Pratt Fine Arts Auction Seattle,WA
2004 Pilchuck Annual Auction Seattle, WA
2004-05 PONCHO Gala Seattle, WA
2002 Pilchuck Annual Auction Seattle, WA
2002 Passion Afire Seattle, WA
2001 Pilchuck Annual Auction Seattle, WA
2000 Pilchuck Annual Auction Seattle, WA
1999 Pilchuck Annual Auction Seattle, WA

STUDIO EXPERIENCE
1997-2004 Glass Sculpting Assistant William Morris Inc.
2001-2002 Winter Resident Artist Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood WA

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2007 Instructor - Blown Glass Sculpture -Toyama, Japan
2006 Instructor - Blown Glass Sculpture - IGF - Stourbridge, England
2006 Instructor - Surface + Sculpture - Pittsburgh Glass Center, PA
2005 Instructor - Blown Glass Sculpture - Pratt Fine Arts Center, WA
2004 Instructor - Blown Glass Sculpture - Pratt Fine Arts Center, WA
2003 Teaching Assistant Creative Process w/ William Morris - Pilchuck Glass School WA
2002 Teaching Assistant Hot Glass Sculpture - Pilchuck Glass School WA
2002 Teaching Assistant Hot Glass Sculpture - RedDeer College of Art, Canada
2001 Teaching Assistant Hot Glass Sculpture - Penland School of Crafts NC
2001 Teaching Assistant Hot Glass Sculpture - Eugene Glass School OR
2000-2001 Teaching Assistant Hot Glass Sculpture - RedDeer College of Art, Canada
2000 Teaching Assistant Hot Glass Sculpture - Nuutajaarvi, Finland
2000 Teaching Assistant Hot Glass Sculpture - Pilchuck Glass School WA