Statement
Originally a painter, Veruska Vagen spent years living in the Southwest where she maintained a studio and worked in oil, watercolor and mixed media. The course of Vagen's life changed when her glass enamel work brought her to the renowned Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. Vagen moved to Stanwood in 1993 and served 12 years with the William Morris Studio, during which time she developed a unique mosaic technique called dot de verre.
In the rich tradition of ancient mosaics, Vagen's current work focuses on the portrait in a contemporary fused glass format. Inspired by art history, an intriguing visage or compelling character, she sees the individual countenance as offering a timeless form of communication and relationship. Vagen states: "The emotional vocabulary of faces remains unchanging over time, a shared language that gives a gift of enabling us to recognize ourselves in each other."
Vagen's work is found in many notable private collections in the US and abroad. In 2003, a retrospective exhibition of her portraits, "Fabulous Faces," was held at the Century Square in Seattle, Washington.
Education
Pilchuck Glass School
Northern Arizona University, BFA
University of Colorado

Scholarships/Grants

Full Scholarship – Pilchuck Glass School
Allerton Art Scholarship – University of Illinois

Awards

2002 Special Recognition Award, Spiritual III International Art Exhibition, Period Gallery, Omaha, Nebraska
2001 Jurors’ Award, National Christian Art Exhibition, Best of Show, Second International Christian Art People’s Choice, Special Group & Jurors’ Awards
1999 Nominee, Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award
1992 Jurors’ Award of Merit, Westmoreland Art Nationals, Greensburg, Pennsylvania
1991 First Place, Feet of Glass, National Competition, Baltimore, Maryland
1990 Nominee, Saxe Award, Pilchuck Glass School
1989 Jurors’ Award, The Fine Art of Craft, Tohono Chul
1988 Jurors’ Award, The Humor in Art, Tempe Arts Center
Jurors’ Award, Fusion ’88, National Competition
1987 Critics’ Choice Award, Contemporary Glass Artists
1986 Special Mention Awards, The Best of Glass of 1986
1982 Jurors’ Award, Second Annual Glass Exhibit, Sedona, Arizona

Teaching/Professional Positions

2000-Present U.S. Facilitator for Hiroshi Yamano
1994-2006 Archivist – William Morris Studio
1993-1995 Studio Coordinator – Pilchuck Glass School
1992 Assistant to Artist in Residence Jana Sterbak - Pilchuck Glass School
1990 Teaching Assistant to Dan Dailey – Pilchuck Glass
1989 Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences – Guest Instructor / Artist in Residence
Teaching Assistant to Keke Cribbs – Pilchuck Glass
1987 Teaching Assistant to Susan Shapiro – Pilchuck Glass School
1980-1989 Adjunt Faculty – College of Art & Design Northern Arizona University

Presentations Given

2012 Order from Chaos, Museum of Northwest Art, LaConner WA
2011 Simthsonian Journeys Tour, Schack Arts Center, Everett WA
2009 Professional Artists in Residence, Pilchuck Glass School
2006 Toldeo Museum of Art Docents
Glass Alliance of Northern California
1994-95 V.I.P Weekend, Pilchuck Glass School
1993 Pilchuck Glass School
1992 Pilchuck Glass School
1990 Prescott Art Docents, Prescott, Arizona
1989 Distinguished Speaker Series, Apple Computer, Inc.
Cupertino, California
Pilchuck Glass School
1988 Phoenix Art Museum Docents
1987 Pilchuck Glass School

Selected Exhibitions

2012 Somewhere in Time, Solo Exhibit, Museum of Northwest Art Benaroya Gallery, LaConner WA
2010 Eyes for Glass: The Price Collection, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA
2008 Glorious Glass: Translucent and Opaque, The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL
2006 It’s All About Beads, Pismo Fine Art, Denver, Colorado
2004-05 Multiplicity: Glass in All Its Glory, Sea-Tac International
2004 The Havery Collection: International Glass, Mobile Museum of of Art, Mobile, Alabama
2003 Fabulous Faces, Solo Retrospective Exhibition, Century Square, Seattle, Washington
2 + 2 = Art: The Art of Mathematics, Arts Council of Snohomish County, Everett, WA
Glorious Glass: Color & Form, Sea-Tac International
2002 Pilchuck Glass School at 30, Sea-Tac International
Venice International Art Biennial, Venice, Italy
2001 Jubilee Christian Art Show, Art & Cultural Center, Fallbrook, California
National Christian Art Exhibition, San Juan College, Farmington, New Mexico (award)
Creativity & Collaboration Pilchuck Exhibition, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington
Glass at the Millennium, Sea-Tac International Airport, Seattle, Washington
Faces, Verizon Exhibit, Bellevue, Washington
1999 2nd Macedonian Visual Poetry Festival, Gallery Marko Cepenkov, Prilep, Macedonia
The End is Near, Charles A. Wustum Museum of Art, Racine, Wisconsin
Clearly Magic, Port Angeles Museum of Art, Port Angeles, Washington
Pilchuck Exhibition, Sea-Tac International Airport, Seattle, Washington
History of the World Gallery, Camano Island, Washington
1998 Lost & Found, Port Angeles Museum of Art, Port Angeles, Washington
Pilchuck Exhibition, Sea-Tac International Airport, Seattle, Washington
1997 Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington
Passion Afire, City Center, Seattle, Washington
International Exempla Exhibition, Munich, Germany
1996 Permanent Collection – Glass Sphere Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Arts Council of Snohomish County, Everett, Washington
1994 Pilchuck Exhibition, Sea-Tac International Airport, Seattle, Washington
Pilchuck Exhibition, History of the World Gallery, Camano Island, Washington
1995 A Powerful Presence, Pilchuck Exhibition, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington
Sedona Art Center, Sedona, Arizona
Shemer Art Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Pilchuck Exhibition, Sea-Tac International Airport, Seattle, Washington
1994 Northern Arizona University Art Museum, Flagstaff, Arizona
1993 Pilchuck Glass School Staff Exhibit, Stanwood, Washington
1992 Northern Arizona University Art Museum, Flagstaff, Arizona
Galerie International, Dallas, Texas
Biennial Crafts 1992, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Crafts National 26, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland Art Nationals, Greensburg, Pennsylvania (Award)
Pilchuck Glass School Staff Exhibition, Cliff Michel Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1991 Artzone Exhibition, Western States Competition, Denver, Colorado
Wood, Fiber, Clay, Glass & Metal, Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, Arizona
Feet of Glass, National Glass Competition, Baltimore, Maryland
1990 Exquisite Goblets, Tempe Arts Center, Tempe, Arizona
Materials Hard & Soft, Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, Texas
Southwest Glass Invitational, Philabaum Glass Studio, Tucson, Arizona
Environmental Glass Associates Invitational Exhibition, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1989 Feet of Glass, National Glass Competition, Baltimore, Maryland
Southwest Glass Invitational, Philabaum Glass Studio, Tucson, Arizona (award)
The Fine Artof Craft, Tohono Chul Exhibition Hall, Tucson, Arizona (award)
Elaine Horwitch Group Show, Casa Grande Museum and Cultural Center, Casa Grande, Arizona
1988 Alumni Exhibition 88, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
Humor in Art, Tempe Arts Center, Tempe, Arizona (award)
The International Exhibition of Glass 88, Kanazawa, Japan
Fusion 88, National Glass Competition (award)
Faculty Exhibit, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
1987 S.G.A.A., International Competition and Exhibition Corning Museum of Glass, New York
Contemporary Glass Artists Southwestern, Galeria Mesa, Mesa, Arizona (award)
Contemporary Southwest Glass Artists, Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, Arizona
1986 The Best of Glass of 1986, National Competition (award)
Northern Arizona University Faculty Exhibit, Flagstaff, Arizona
1985 Three-Person Show, Verde Valley School, Sedona, Arizona
Arizona Invitational, Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, Arizona
1984 Politics of Art, Seminar Exhibit, Northern Arizona
Image, Light and Structure, National Glass Invitational, Oakland County Cultural Center, Pontiac, Michigan
Mars Hills Visual Arts Consortium Group Exhibit, Verde Valley Art Association, Jerome, Arizona
Northern Arizona University Faculty Exhibit, Flagstaff, Arizona
1985 Three-Person Show, Verde Valley School, Sedona, Arizona
Arizona Invitational, Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, Arizona
Image, light and Structure, National Glass Invitational, Oakland County Cultural Center, Pontiac, Michigan
Mars Hill Visual Arts Consortium Group Exhibit, Verde Valley Art Association, Jerome, Arizona
1983 Profile 83, Arizona Glass Association Exhibit, Phoenix, Arizona
1982 Galerie New Glass Exhibit, Sedona, Arizona (award)
Second Annual Glass Exhibit, Sedona, Arizona (award)
Profile 82, Arizona Glass Association Exhibit, United Bank, Phoenix, Arizona
Three-Person Show, Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, Arizona
1981 Grand Opening Exhibit, Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, Arizona
Northern Arizona University Faculty Exhibit, Flagstaff, Arizona
1980 Northern Arizona Invitational, Verde Valley Arts
Flagstaff Festival of the Arts Invitational, Flagstaff, Arizona

Professional Illustration

Medical Illustrator to Dr. Danial G. Nehls, Neurosurgeon, Walter Reed Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland
Exploring Oak Creek Canton and the Sedona Area by Stewart Aitchison, Utah Geographic Press (publisher)

Permanent Collection

Museum of Northwest Art, LaConner, WA
Sphere and Bead Museum, Tokyo, Japan