I Was Dreaming... - Cappy Thompson

Where is it?

Concourse A

The artwork is at the end of Concourse A at Gate A-14.

About the Art

Intense color and narrative charm merge together to form a massive stained-glass composition. Inspired by a series of dreams she once had, Cappy Thompson blended “symbolic allusions to modern, traditional, Native American, European, and astronomical sources” to create this piece. The radiant, jewel-toned hues heighten the tranquil surrealism of the characters, suggesting to the viewer that they are simply stargazing into the skies of the Pacific Northwest.

The grisaille technique of applying the gray tracery line was used by medieval European artists to paint the glass panels in cathedrals.

"My aim in presenting this composition is to invite people from all walks and ages of life into the realm of the imagination." – Cappy Thompson

The Details

Artist

Cappy Thompson

Date

2003

Medium

Stained-glass window (glass enamel, hand-blown glass)

Dimensions

33' high x 91' wide

Did you know?

This integrated glass artwork is the largest single image glass painting in the country and the largest artwork the artist has ever done.

About the Artist

Recognized for her “mytho-poetic narratives on glass," Thompson is widely considered to be the master in her field of American transparent enameling. She is a self-taught gray-tonal artist, using the technique in numerous public commissions.

Short Bio

Cappy Thompson was born in Alexandria, Virginia, but has been a Northwest resident since early childhood. She attended Evergreen State College during its first years to study painting and printmaking.

Cappy Thompson's pieces are in collections at the Corning Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, and Microsoft Corporation. Her large-scale glass installations are in public collections at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Evergreen State College, and Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

Similar Artwork

Work by Cappy Thompson

- Gathering the Light: an installation at the Museum of Glass that was completed in 2003.

- I Imagine Us as a Holy Family Engaging in the Great Work of Increasing the Light: completed in 2006, this piece on view at Thompson's alma mater, Evergreen State College.

At the Airport

If your appetite for glass art has not yet been satisfied, visit another glass piece at Sea-Tac. Dick Weiss, a fellow glass artist, was commissioned to create Cow on Its Side.

Please visit the Connected Stories module to learn more about Cappy's local commissions and another glass piece at Sea-Tac.

I Was Dreaming... - Cappy Thompson

Seattle artist Cappy Thompson paints stories on glass.