August 8 – 10, 2025

In the Hot Shop, Glass Fest Visiting Artist Joseph Seymour, Jr. joins in collaboration with IN THE SPIRIT Arts Market & Northwest Native Festival, held at Washington State History Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, and Museum of Glass.

“Joe Seymour, Jr. is from the Squaxin Island tribe on his father’s side and from the Pueblo of Acoma on his mother’s side. He grew up in the village of McCartys on the Acoma reservation. In 1996, Joe moved to Olympia, Washington to learn about his Coast Salish culture.

In 2006, he made the decision quit his job as a commercial diver to become a professional artist. He works as a multidisciplinary artist. Primarily he has been studying and making Coast Salish art. But now he is focusing on his Acoma heritage. “Even though I’ve lived in Washington for so long, I never forgot my Acoma culture. I always made home for our sacred days of prayer and dancing.” Now I get to focus on making art from my Acoma culture. His mother designed pottery, his grandmother designed pottery, and Joe is learning from the legacy that they left behind.

Joe received his BA from the Evergreen State College in 2018. In 2023, he was in the inaugural graduating class of the Institute of American Indian Arts, MFA Studio Arts program.

(Photo courtesy of the artist)