New Pilchuck artistic director Tina Aufiero in a 2007 photo.
The search for a permanent artistic director for the Pilchuck Glass School ended Saturday, August 3rd, when a decision was made to hire the person already in the position — interim artistic director Tina Aufiero (BFA: RISD; MFA: Parsons), an accomplished multi-media artitst with many years of teaching experience. According to Diane Wright, marketing and communications manager for the Stanwood, Washington, institution, the decision was reached after the completion of an international search, and takes effect immediately. When the search was launched earlier this year, Pilchuck executive director Jim Baker told the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet that the artistic director position was envisioned as a key leadership post that would be responsible for the implementation of the programmatic vision, manage the campus, and serve as a public face of the institution. Aufiero had been acting artistic director at Pilchuck since Ruth King stepped down from the position in February 2013 to focus on her artwork after nine years in the position.
Insights into how Aufiero’s position will be defined going forward can be gleaned by the job posting that read: “The Artistic Director will have a strong partnership with and report to the Executive Director and work collaboratively with the board, program advisers, and senior staff in defining and helping to implement the school’s strategic goals.”
Aufiero will be well-suited to the task, bringing many years of experience in a variety of environments. She has exhibited and lectured internationally. Her works in a variety of media are included in the Pilchuck Print Collection; the John Michael Kohler Arts Center; The Heinneman Collection at The Corning Museum of Glass; the Musee des Art Decoratifs, in Lausanne, Switzerland; and Venini SpA, Italy. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Research Grant and Pollack-Krasner Foundation Award. Aufiero has taught at Parsons, New School for Design; University of Washington; Iceland Academy of Art; Rhode Island School of Design; Tyler School of Art; Cooper Union Outreach Program, and UrbanGlass. UrbanGlass-NYC and Pilchuck Glass School, WA. She holds a BFA, Sculpture/Glass- RISD, MFA in Design & Technology, Parsons, with Master Studies at NYU – Feminist Theory/ Performance.