Michael Nourot was born in
January 1949 in Riverside, California. He was raised in the
San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from California
College of Arts and Crafts in 1972. There he studied with
Ruth Tamura and Marvin Lipofsky. Venice, Italy was his
destination immediately after graduation. On the island of
Murano, he worked with many of the glassmasters at Venini.
He was apprenticed to glassmasters Checo Ongaro who later
became the first Italian to come to America to teach. In
Italy, Michael Nourot had the rare opportunity to absorb
the old world methods for working glass as the famed
Venetians still practice.
During the summer, fall and winter of ‘71-’72
Michael Nourot was one of the first 16 students at
Philchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. As part of
the group working with Dale Chihuly, Philchuck’s
founder, Mr. Nourot designed and helped to build the first
overhead structure and furnaces there.
The glass works he founded upon his return from Italy in
April 1973, was located in San Francisco’s popular
Ghairardelli Square. The simple “cullet”
furnaces at Light Opera could melt purples, colbalts, and
the first cased enamel patterns around which the
studio’s early work revolved. Late in 1974 the studio
relocated to Benicia, where the glass formulas gathered in
Venice could be melted from raw materials, providing a
higher quality material.
Michael Nourot formed a partnership with Ann Corcoran (whom
he married in November 1974) resulting in the exploration
of new artistic directions they developed together.
Michael Nourot and Ann Corcoran have three children and
reside in Northern California close to the studio. Some of
Michael’s pastime interests include fly-fishing,
gardening, Koi Ponds and stargazing. And of course, glass.
