Raya Friday
Outreach & Education Supervisor
Raya Friday is a member of the Lummi nation whose tribal lands are situated on the edge of the Salish Sea near Bellingham, Washington. She was born and raised in Seattle where she was first introduced to glass. She went on to earn a degree in glass sculpture at Alfred University. While still in school Raya started working at the renowned Corning Museum of Glass, first as a technician and later as an instructor in the education department until 2008. After returning to the Pacific Northwest to be close to the land and community she loved, she earned a humanities degree in Indigenous Studies in the Native Pathways Program at Evergreen State College. The intention of Friday’s work is to explore how the unique and haunting vocabulary of glass can amplify and encapsulate both the historical and contemporary issues of her community.
