Olga Volchkova
Encyclopedia
Olga Volchkova is a Russia
n-born artist currently resident in Eugene, Oregon
.
Volchkova was born in Tver
, Russia
, in 1970. There she took degrees in chemistry, music, art, art restoration
, and icon painting. She worked as a restorer and curator in the Tver Art Museum, and as part of a licensed journeyman iconostasis
team.
In 1998, she moved to the United States, where she worked as a restorer in Manhattan
. That same year, she moved to downtown Palo Alto, California
, where she found herself in the heart of the first Dotcom boom
. She became artistic director for Workspot
, a now defunct start-up and contracting house near University Avenue in Palo Alto. There she pioneered the commercial use of scanned watercolors in webpage design, a laborious approach that won her no imitators, but many admirers—Workspot took the 2000 Linux Journal award for best Internet product.
In 2000 she moved to Eugene, Oregon. She studied ceramics and figure sculpture at the University of Oregon
, and her work became a small sensation in Eugene's wood-fired ceramics movement. In 2002 she began to study at the world-renowned Pilchuck Glass School
, where she discovered cast glass. One of her first pieces was selected as the only cast glass work for Pilchuck's live auction, Passion Afire, of emerging glass artists, held at the Experience Music Project
in Seattle. Within a year, Pilchuck also selected her work for their annual live auction, in the company of some of the world's most famous glass artists.
In 2003, she co-founded a non-profit dance institute, The Tango Center, and became its art director. She manages the hall's interior design and construction, but also sings Russian Tangos with the house band, and performs Argentine Tango, the dance, with various partners in front of live audiences. She continues to pursue cast glass, painting, photography, and social dance.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-born artist currently resident in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
Volchkova was born in Tver
Tver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, in 1970. There she took degrees in chemistry, music, art, art restoration
Art restoration
Art restoration is related to art conservation. Restoration is a process that attempts to return the work of art to some previous state that the restorer imagines was the "original". This was commonly done in the past...
, and icon painting. She worked as a restorer and curator in the Tver Art Museum, and as part of a licensed journeyman iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
team.
In 1998, she moved to the United States, where she worked as a restorer in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. That same year, she moved to downtown Palo Alto, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where she found herself in the heart of the first Dotcom boom
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
. She became artistic director for Workspot
Workspot
Workspot was the first GNU/Linux desktop Web Service, i.e. it provided Open Source personal computing without computer ownership. Launched in 1999, it was the first application service to make use of Virtual Network Computing. Workspot also hosted a free Linux Desktop demo using VNC: 'one-click to...
, a now defunct start-up and contracting house near University Avenue in Palo Alto. There she pioneered the commercial use of scanned watercolors in webpage design, a laborious approach that won her no imitators, but many admirers—Workspot took the 2000 Linux Journal award for best Internet product.
In 2000 she moved to Eugene, Oregon. She studied ceramics and figure sculpture at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, and her work became a small sensation in Eugene's wood-fired ceramics movement. In 2002 she began to study at the world-renowned Pilchuck Glass School
Pilchuck Glass School
Founded in 1971 by Dale Chihuly, Anne Gould Hauberg and John H. Hauberg , Pilchuck Glass School is an international center for glass art education. The name "Pilchuck" comes from the local Native American language and translates to "red river"...
, where she discovered cast glass. One of her first pieces was selected as the only cast glass work for Pilchuck's live auction, Passion Afire, of emerging glass artists, held at the Experience Music Project
Experience Music Project
The EMP Museum is a museum dedicated to the history and exploration of both popular music and science fiction located in Seattle, Washington...
in Seattle. Within a year, Pilchuck also selected her work for their annual live auction, in the company of some of the world's most famous glass artists.
In 2003, she co-founded a non-profit dance institute, The Tango Center, and became its art director. She manages the hall's interior design and construction, but also sings Russian Tangos with the house band, and performs Argentine Tango, the dance, with various partners in front of live audiences. She continues to pursue cast glass, painting, photography, and social dance.