16 December 2005
Talented cast glass student Ms Ruth McCallum-Howell will spend two months in Seattle in 2006, learning from world-renowned artists - including Dale Chihuly - at the Pilchuck Glass School after being awarded a sought-after scholarship.
Ms McCallum-Howell will spend August and September at the prestigious art school which was established in the early '70s at the height of the US hot glass movement.
The Pilchuck school is recognised as one of the largest and most comprehensive educational centres in the world for artists working in glass.
Ms McCallum-Howell said she was excited - professionally and personally - about the trip, funded through Monash's Pilchuck Partnerships Scholarship. The award includes $2,000 from the university to help fund airfares, with the glass school contributing money in-kind for master classes and accommodation.
Ms McCallum-Howell said the trip would allow her to concentrate on the creative process, provide some financial freedom, and would contribute to her development as an artist.
Next year Ms McCallum-Howell will also embark on her Masters at Monash, where she will further enhance her work in cast glass.
Cast glasswork is similar to bronze casting, where artists work on a positive form before making a mould. The artist then takes the material out of the mould and fills it with molten glass.
During her undergraduate studies Ms McCallum-Howell attracted the interest of Melbourne's Kirra Gallery, which has stores in Federation Square and South Bank. Her pieces are on show and sell for between $400 and $6,000.
This placement of her work has thrust Ms McCallum-Howell into the commercial realm of high-end art.
"The gallery is really taking a chance on me commercially," she said. "But it has just been fantastic for me professionally. The glass industry in Australia is small and specialised, so to have your work shown in a commercial space is quite an honour." | 
