FYI: PeopleTammy Garcia’s One-Woman Show Open at Rockwell Museum of Western Art The Rockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, New York, is pleased to announce a summer 2009 special exhibition of Tammy Garcia’s work. “Visions Beyond Clay: The Artwork of Tammy Garcia” opened May 23, 2009, and runs through October 4, 2009. The one-woman show will feature 20 to 25 of Garcia’s groundbreaking glass sculptures, which blend Native American symbolism and iconography with cutting-edge, contemporary forms and designs. The exhibition will showcase a number of Garcia’s monumental bronze works as well, illustrating the broad range of her talent in a variety of media and her ability to translate the ancient images of her Pueblo Indian heritage and other Native cultures into a contemporary artistic idiom. There are a number of factors that make this show extraordinary. Below are just a few highlights: • Never before has any single exhibition of Garcia’s artwork showcased an impressive 16-piece collection of monumental sculpture. • Especially for this show, Garcia will introduce her newest vision: wall-mounted fused panels incorporating a variety of colors. The panels, ranging from 5' x 5' to 4' x 12' to 2' x 8', are combined in groups of four, eight and nine to form large wall installations that glow with color and cast intricate shadows, adding an intriguing dimensional quality to the work. • The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is nestled in Corning’s historic downtown, named appropriately the “Gaffer District” because of the city’s rich history of glass-making. Corning, NY, is called the “Crystal City” and has a long history of glass and glass-making. Among the sculptures will be Garcia’s acclaimed blown-glass vessels—luminous, color-filled pieces that are at once fragile and powerful. Also on display will be her sandblasted clear-glass panels, another innovation in glass art that marries Native American symbolism with a contemporary aesthetic. “The museum became familiar with Garcia’s work last year when we exhibited a private collection of Pueblo pottery,” says Sheila K. Hoffman, Rockwell’s curator of collections. “One of the crowning jewels of that show was a recent commission by Tammy Garcia, and we were impressed to discover her work in bronze and glass as well. We wanted to highlight her modern take on Western glass in conjunction with the 39th Annual Conference of the Glass Art Society, which takes place June 11-13 in Corning. She’s gone beyond merely translating the elements of Pueblo pottery into new media—she’s creating a whole new means of expression.” “I love working in glass because of the inherent challenges and risks of such a fragile medium,” says Garcia. “The color choices are limitless, and I’m always looking for new ways to express my artistic vision.” For more information on the museum exhibition, visit www.rockwellmuseum.org. About Garcia’s Blue Rain Gallery Blue Rain Gallery is committed to promoting work of the finest contemporary and regional artists. The gallery features an extraordinary collection of pottery, paintings, sculpture and bronze, glass art, kachinas and jewelry. Blue Rain Gallery is located at 130 Lincoln Avenue, Suite D, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. Phone 505-954-9902. For more information, visit the Blue Rain Gallery website at www.blueraingallery.com. About the Rockwell Museum of Western Art In these tough economic times, we recognize that the concept of “community” means so much. In response, we are offering free admission on Sundays. We invite you, our community, to the Museum and to be inspired by our vision, collections and programs. Kids and teens are always free (19 and younger). Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Rockwell Museum of Western Art is located in the center of the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York Sate and in the heart of Corning’s Gaffer District. The Museum is open to the public seven days a week; hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. May 18, 2009, the Museum began summer hours, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. every day through Labor Day. Membership to the Museum includes yearlong free admission. Eissinger to Teach
Three-Week Seminar
in the Holy Land In July Diane Eissinger, an Active Accredited Studio Member, is traveling to Bethlehem in the Holy Land to conduct a three-week seminar in design and traditional leaded stained glass. The sessions will occur at Dar al-Kalima College, part of Diyar, a consortium of Lutheran-based, ecumenically oriented institutions serving the whole Palestinian community. Dar al-Kalima is the first Lutheran college in the Middle East. The mission of the DAK College is “to provide quality education that meets the economic, social, cultural and spiritual needs of Palestine.” Eissinger will conduct hands-on sessions to introduce students to all aspects of the traditional leaded glass window: glass selection and cutting; leading, soldering, cementing; re-bar and installation. She will be using her Reusché gift certificate from the SGAA’s 2007 “Jewels of Light” competition to secure beginning glass painting supplies for the classes, with the generous cooperation of the Reusché company. Aquinas Window of Peace and Hope Memorial
Contains Steel from
Twin Towers Since February 7th, the Aquinas Honor Society students of the Immaculate Conception School of Jamaica Estates, NY, have met every weekend to work on their Window of Peace and Hope project. Following a two-year planning stage, the students have, week by week, witnessed the evolution of their hard work under the guidance of artist Ernesto Mendoza and his family. It was a wonderful learning experience, and all who attended have had their lives changed profoundly. On Sunday, April 26, the Aquinas Stained Glass Window of Peace and Hope was be dedicated and blessed at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Jamaica Estates, NY. The Aquinas Honor Society is composed of academically gifted students in Grades 6-8. They received a grant from the Alive in Hope Foundation to design and create a stained glass window for their school based on an early design that has, over time, gone through a number of revisions. In the left corner of the window, brilliant colors of red, yellow and orange glass with jagged shapes were used to represent chaos, sin, despair and economic woes. A rosary representing the power of prayer draws the viewer into a field of blues and greens with a more composed pattern. The calmer shades of blue are the colors of the Blessed Mother Mary. The green color refers to the season of spring and a rebirth of hope. The image of the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove holds an olive branch in its mouth. Through the assistance of the Fire Department of New York City, three pieces of steel from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were used to form the leaves. Carved in low relief are images of the school logo – ICS, the Passionist shield of the priests of the parish, and the words PEACE and HOPE. The letter H of HOPE was made to resemble the image of the Twin Towers. The words “Sisters of Saint Joseph,” founders of the Immaculate Conception School, were engraved on the window. Also engraved were these names: Emerita “Emy” De La Pena; Firefighters Carl Bedigian, Hector Tamayo, Frederick Varacchi, and Deputy Chief Orio Palmer, Battalion 7. All were taken from us on 9/11 and have a connection to the Immaculate Conception Parish and the Aquinas Honor Society. To honor all who perished and fought to save lives on that fateful day, the students have engraved the phrase ALL ARE REMEMBERED onto the window. | 
