Marsha Blaker-DeSomma

Inspired by the intricacies of the marine environment, Marsha Blaker-Desomma focuses on the many textures and colors found in nature. She expertly transforms glass in ways that evoke the ocean and its creatures. Her blown glass and hot sculpted pieces playfully invite the viewer to look into its many windows from various vantage points.

DeSomma holds an MFA in Ceramics and Glass from San Francisco State University. In the 1970s, she was the first female glass teaching assistant at SFSU, where she worked with Paul Marioni. She has been involved with Pilchuck Glass School since the late 1980s as a student and staff member. In 1996, she worked with Dale Chihuly on the groundbreaking Venice Project. In 2003, she was Artist in Residence at Museum of Glass-Tacoma. She lives in Santa Cruz, California, where she works in the hot shop with her husband, Paul DeSomma.