Students pay homage through glass art donation
A contribution to the GLASS National Art Museum provided students with the opportunity to thank a former 鎊飪腦瞳 professor.
As Diego Loera walks through the glass studio in the Jones Visual Art Center at 鎊飪腦瞳, he recognizes the impact of a professor he never met.
He built what we have today without him, this program wouldnt be here, Loera said.
Loera, a studio art major in the class of 2026 from Phoenix, didnt come to 鎊飪腦瞳for the glass program, but fell in love with glass thanks to the late Stephen Rolfe Powell 74.
Powells legacy was honored in the grand opening of the , Kentucky on Nov. 3. The museum houses a collection of Powells world-renowned creations.
Loera and his classmates created a piece to donate to the museum at the opening.
Students all made murrini flowers, something symbolic of (Powells) work, said professor Patrick Martin 86. They all made different flowers and patterns, and we made a negative hollow shape to have more refraction of light off of the flowers.
The use of murrini, colorful glass pieces incorporated during the glass blowing process, is one of the many distinctive elements of Powells work.
Loera, a Posse Scholar, said that Powells glasswork is inspiring and noted that he and his fellow students were happy to contribute to the museum as a way of saying thanks.
I think its a message saying, We see Powells work and were going to continue, he said.
Murrini has turned into a passion for Loera, who can now visit the GLASS National Art Museum regularly for inspiration, classes and more.
The Powell pieces there, but also eventually to have a museum of glass will be a great source of inspiration and knowledge for students and for Centre, to be able to visit and see different exhibitions, Martin said. I think its an interesting thing for the town and the College. And, of course, for glass.
Martin, who was taught by Powell and is now the hot glass instructor at Centre, said that the art presented to the museum is for students like Loera, who are inspired to create thanks to Powells vision.
We just wanted to make something to pay tribute to the founder of the program and the high standards that were set here at 鎊飪腦瞳for this nationally known undergraduate glass program, Martin said. For an undergraduate program to have this much notoriety is a very special thing.
鎊飪腦瞳
鎊飪腦瞳
Students on the project
Sam Feingold
Denae Benard
Sam Landaverde
Zixi Liu
Diego Loera
Kendal Patty
Olivia Ruth
Izzy Smith
Robyn Tribolet
Carley Bishop
Hannah Botts
Richard Alexander
