About Illuminata

t   r   a   n   s   f   o   r   m   a   t   i   o   n  . . . of space and environment.

Glass artist, Julie Conway is the artist, owner, & designer of Illuminata, a glass design studio creating custom, functional, and sculptural glass art works.   Julie’s passion for glass infuses all her projects.  Combining her traditional knowledge from her studies with European masters, and her contemporary artistic vision, Julie creates dynamic custom glass with the design for function.

How can Studio Illuminata help you to create unique art glass for your collection?

Julie continually expands her studies and works internationally with glass masters from Murano, in Venice, Italy, the Czech Republic, France and the US, granting her the opportunity to be a teacher assistant in international glass schools in Venice, and Istanbul. Her trips abroad teach her much about the deep-rooted history of the medium of glass and allow her to bridge this tradition with contemporary design. With the combination of many styles of glass making, Julie custom designs glass chandeliers, light fixtures, functional works, and unique sculpture. She collaborates on an ongoing basis with architects and designers to create extraordinary lighted glassworks and site-specific installations.

Works from Studio Illuminata are featured in design showrooms, art galleries, award-winning homes, hotels, museums, and private collections. Julie’s unique style has attracted several awards for design, lighting, and artistic accomplishment.

Julie exhibits works, creates installations, and custom commissions, and lectures worldwide. She is also a vital member of her local artist community, currently based in Omaha, Nebraska.

Studio Illuminata currently shows work in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Santa Fe, Seattle, and Atlanta.     *photography by the artist, Jon Hustead, James Hart & Phillip Scott Drickey

Recent Installations

  • “Native Seeds,” 48 suspended pieces for the entry foyer of the Schimelpfinig Library in Plano,  Texas.
  • “Pioggia: (RAIN) Foyer chandeliers for jLofts – a custom luxury condo building in Omaha, NE.
  • Bar lighting for Macaroni Grill in Kona, HI. Foyer and Café Lighting for Spa Resort in Prescott, Arizona.
  • Dining Room and Bathroom Chandeliers for private homes across the United States and abroad.

Studio Illuminata

Studio Illuminata is dedicated to the development of renewable and bio-sustainable fuel sources to produce glass and devotes a portion of its profits towards this new energy initiative, thereby helping to protect the environment and the future existence of glass arts. Julie now utilizes low-energy LED components in many of her lighting installations.

Bioglass

Julie has launched BioGlass, a non-profit, addressing the needs for education and development of eco-efficient glass studios world-wide. With the threat of high cost in a fuel- consumptive industry, Julie and her colleagues are dedicated to the advancement of using sustainable fuel sources and recuperation techniques in the glass arts studios. Please visit www.bioglass.org for more information and to join the discussion.