THERE BE WHALES IN THE HOT SHOP! >>>

Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 13, something unique will happen in the Museum of Glass Hot Shop. An artist will return for the second of two back-to-back residencies, a rare occurrence to be sure. Said artist is Raven Skyriver, maker of intriguingly real-looking marine creatures large and small. He scored two residencies in a row by winning two separate awards at the Red Hot Party & Auction last September. He won both the People's Choice and Artists' Choice awards, each came with a hot shop residency.

His first residency was from Jan. 30-Feb. 3. On that last day, Skyriver gave a talk to the public about his journey to glassblowing, which started when he was just 16 and growing up in the San Juans. Rather than following the traditional high school track, Skyriver went into a tradesman program and asked a Lopez Island glassblower, Lark Dalton, if he could be his apprentice. Skyriver later worked with William Morris as well. The talk was accompanied by slides of Skyriver's work and travels.

When Skyriver's second coming kicks off Wednesday - and running through Feb. 17 - he will continue in the same vein as the first residency, but has some plans for bigger and better things - namely, bigger sea life.

"I think for Saturday, I'm going to make a giant blue whale," he says. "I have a couple other whales I'm going to do, maybe a walrus, a sea lion or seal, and then a couple other things that I don't know if I'll get to - maybe a narwhal."

His usual pieces range from 30 to 40 inches in length, but the large whale he plans to try on Saturday may be as long as 50 inches. Attendees can expect to see a team of about four glassblowers, all creating different parts - a fin here, a tail there.

Skyriver will be in the hot shop from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during his residency.

MUSEUM OF GLASS, RAVEN SKYRIVER ARIST IN RESIDENCE, 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13-SUNDAY, FEB. 17, $5-$12, 1801 DOCK ST., TACOMA, 866.468.7386