Richard and Johanna Marquis

Dick Marquis, is a pioneer of the American Studio Glass movement known for creating whimsical and irreverent glass and mixed media sculptures. In the late 1960’s Dick traveled to Murano, Italy on a Fulbright Scholarship to work at the Venini Factory. It was there where he saw murinni and other long-held Venetian glass blowing techniques being used. Since that time he has used these historical techniques to expand his sculptural vocabulary, building upon classical references to create the humorous, colorful and sophisticated work for which he has become widely recognized for.

He lives on Whidbey Island where he and his wife maintain a beautiful home, garden and studios. There, they create their unique bodies of work, influenced by the solitude of island-life, their collections of unique historical ephemera, their creative community, and the animal companions that live with them.

Born and schooled in Wisconsin, Johanna Nitzke Marquis turned in her barn boots for hiking boots. She headed to Pacific beaches and forest trails to meet her muse. Her propensity towards the political sciences and art making was cultivated at The Evergreen State College. She became the first director of public art in Washington State and later a Seattle gallerist. Her political, personal and professional epiphanies are retold through her constructed paintings. She lives on a dead-end road on an island in the Salish Sea where she remains sustained by her gardens, art studio and Labradors.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou