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• The medium of glass is transmutable

About this talk

The medium of glass is transmutable. This fluid medium can, in turns, be somber, calming, exciting, cheerful, serene, or dangerous. Glass can be completely opaque, brilliantly translucent, or absolutely transparent. It can exist in any combination of colors, two or three dimensions, and an almost endless variety of forms. Sculptural glass installations constantly change with changing light and can cast prisms of color, shadows filled with colored shapes, and reflections which enliven the space. I propose site-specific glass sculpture, either suspended, wall hung, floor supported, or floor to ceiling as part of the Five Seasons Hotel remodel or another suitable indoor public gathering space. The design process would need to take in account the conditions (size, lighting, airflow, and traffic patterns) found in that particular space.

Community Impact: Cedar Rapids is of sufficient size and stature to warrant more glass art than it currently has. Installations, like those I am proposing, can help define a community's identity, heighten people's awareness, transform a space or, over time, even transform a city's image. By introducing people to works of art that can somehow touch them, the quality of life within the city is enhanced. Although I was raised in Iowa, I have lived in the east and the west of the United States. Research has taken me to Greece, China, France, England, Turkey and the Caribbean. As a local artist with a global view, a large glass art installation will bring pride to the community and encourage Cedar Rapids to both seek out and value the artists in the region. Lastly, I am teaching hot glass classes as part of the three-dimensional art program at Kirkwood Community College, classes which the Cedar Rapids community can easily access.

Bio

Conifer Smith has been working as an artist, using clay and glass as mediums of expression, for over twenty-five years. She began her initial ceramics study as a potter’s apprentice. Her glass studies began at Penland School of Art in North Carolina and continued in Ames, Iowa, at Iowa State University in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. Professor Smith holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa. August 2001 Conifer was invited to join the faculty of Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There, she heads the Three Dimensional Art program and has developed curriculum in sculpture, jewelry, glass and ceramics. Designing and building equipment for a hot glass shop as well as building a Japanese style wood fired kiln, are two big accomplishments for her and Kirkwood. Currently, she teaches glass and ceramics courses. Conifer's work in clay and glass has been included in many shows and exhibitions, both nationally and internationally. Her artwork is part of numerous private and corporate collections. Sculptural glass installations in public and private settings are her most recent work.

• © 2011 The Gazette / KCRG