Artist Interview: Raven Skyriver on "Fluid Life"

SJIMA Trustee and Lead Docent Marney Reynolds sits down with glass artist Raven Skyriver in the Sterner Atrium Gallery to talk about his exhibition "Fluid Life: Glass Sculptures Inspired by the Sea", on view June 11 – September 14, 2026. Raven talks about how the atrium's changing natural light interacts with his glass — the same piece can look different depending on the day and the hour. He traces his path into sculptural glass back to his teenage years, when making fish became a way to practice technique before he had anything specific to say with the material. The conversation goes deep into process: how a sandblasting technique reveals color from inside the glass to create surface patterns on pieces like the shark (a collaboration with Preston Singletary) and the sea turtle; how all of his color comes from glass itself — no paint, ever — built up through color bar, frit, and powder; and how a piece like the humpback whale gets its gradient, water-deep color through layering glass and blowing it out on the pipe. Raven also speaks to the collaborative nature of glassblowing — larger pieces can take five or six people working in coordination — and closes with a reflection on conservation as an extension of caring for the world we're part of, not separate from. On View: June 11 – September 14, 2026 Location: San Juan Islands Museum of Art 540 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, WA Hours: Thursday–Monday, 11 AM–5 PM Admission: $10 general | Members and visitors under 18 free | Pay-what-you-like Mondays Plan your visit: sjima.org #sjima #fridayharbor #sanjuanisland #RavenSkyriver #glassart