Blending tradition with innovation in glass sculptures, artist Dan Friday (Coast Salish) will be unveiling work at Blue Rain Gallery’s flagship location in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Friday—deeply inspired by his Coast Salish heritage, the natural world and the contemporary glass movement—lives and works in Skagit Valley, just north of Seattle, halfway between the Lummi Nation and Samish Nation.
Sxwo’le Anchor, blown glass, 14¾ x 8½ x 4"
The gallery notes that Friday is best known for his furnace sculpting, cane working and blown glass, offering a fresh take on Indigenous artistry. “This exhibition will feature an exquisite collection of furnace-sculpted bears, totems and blown-glass baskets, all reflecting his profound connection to nature, storytelling and cultural identity,” says Merlinda Melendrez, director of sales at the gallery.
Friday adds that the goal of his work is not to directly copy the stories or the works of his ancestors, or even his grandfather’s story poles (totems), but to “add a link to the chain,” he says. “We call this the ancestral wall. To learn you need to study their works, much like as a musician does, but to advance the line you need to explore your own path.”
Owl Totem Grouping, glass
Huckleberry Bear, furnace sculpted glass, 8 x 13 x 3"
Many of the glass techniques Friday uses are rooted in thousands of years of glass making. For the show, the artist unveils new work he calls the Glyph Series, currently in production. “I am using water jet-cut pieces to give it a graphic quality, which is hard to achieve in glass,” he says.
Friday plays with shape and color in his pieces, creating quite a contemporary feel that’s playful and endearing, while also honoring tradition. Collector’s will find a bit of whimsy as well, found in pieces like his Owl Totems. He shares, “The totem or story poles of my Grandpa Joe’s (Joseph Hillaire or Kwul kwul Tw) were different, and very contemporary during that time—he had his own style…The stories and lines in my totems are subtle. I often look to personal experience and expression for the themes. I am grateful for my grandfather and his modern approach. It empowers me as I find my way. Our work is different, but a common message is, ‘we are still here.’”
Stellar Owl Totem, furnace sculpted glass, 23 x 11 x 4½”
As for the subject matter of these particular totems, Friday says, “The owl has many different interpretations. [It is] associated with knowledge, intuition and unseen truths, and is also said to be aware of our fate. What does it mean to me? I am not exactly sure, but what I can say is that we have an undeniable connection. [However], I do not worship the owl. I worship the creator of the owl.”
Another highlight in the show, Sxwo’le Anchor, is quite the symbolic piece for Friday, in all its strikingly colorful glory. “This is not just a glassy homage, but a metaphor of steadfast resilience,” Friday notes. “I have recently had a residency at the Burke Museum in Seattle, Washington, and have been allowed to study in the archeology and ethnology departments. There I have studied many historical personal effects of my family and of Lummi and Coast Salish peoples, including their baskets, carvings and many other incredible things. More recently in my research, I have been studying the fishing artifacts, and among those, the reef net anchor stones. As archeology in modern times has moved under water, it has become apparent that the specifically laid out anchor patterns show just how much reef netting was practiced in the Salish sea. Many of the artifacts of Indigenous people return to the earth through decay. The reef net anchors are beautifully preserved, and all that is left of a thriving industry of the peoples of the San Juan Islands.”
Large Blanket Basket furnace sculpted glass, 13½ x 12½”
XL Feather, furnace sculpted glass, 32 x 7¼ x 2”
Overall, Friday feels that making works in glass is a privilege, since historically speaking, “it has only been available to well-known designers and other people high up in glass factories,” he says. “After the onset of the ‘studio glass art movement,’ the material has become available to independent artists and people of all walks of life. Being able to bring Native American imagery to this permanent medium is deeply satisfying.”
The show at Blue Rain Gallery, running from April 11 through 25, presents around 20 fresh pieces. “Don’t miss the chance to experience the brilliance of one of today’s most exciting Indigenous glass artists,” adds Melendrez. —
Blue Rain Gallery
April 11-25, 2025
544 S. Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 954-9902, www.blueraingallery.com
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