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But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Howard wanted to do something to help families grieving the loss of loved ones.
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Howard’s work typically involves making a lot of traditional glass pieces, such as vases and floats. She is also co-owner and manager of the Lincoln City Glass Center. Sears Glass Art Studio, a studio that emerged from the idea to make glassblowing available to the average person. Howard now lives in Lincoln City and manages the Jennifer L. They offered her a job managing their studio, so she moved to Portland, Oregon, and ended up in the glass scene in Lincoln City, a city located about 2 hours southwest from Portland. In 2000, Howard met some people who were opening a studio in Vancouver, Washington. But the summer she enrolled in her first glass-blowing class, immediately “I knew it was for me,” she says in a Country Traveler Online article.
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Howard returned to SAIC after accepting a Presidential merit scholarship, and her studies focused on painting, drawing, fiber arts, and bronze casting. In 1990, she enrolled and spent a year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) before transferring to the University of Wisconsin at Madison to pursue a BA in psychology, which she earned in 1994. Howard grew up around art, making projects in her father’s industrial design workshop on weekends. From Chicago to Oregon: Howard’s journey to becoming a glass artistĪ resident of Oregon for almost 20 years, Howard is originally from the Midwest-she was born and raised an hour west of Chicago. That is why the work by Kelly Howard, a glass artist located in Lincoln City, Oregon, may offer some comfort to you. But finding ways to properly honor loss during these times is difficult, as traditional events such as funerals often are not possible. This situation is one many of us face this year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip much of the world, and intense wildfire and hurricane seasons cause massive loss of life and property.Įveryone grieves differently. Losing someone you love is hard, especially when you do not have time to say goodbye. She started making such ash-containing pieces during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people grieve the loss of loved ones. Oregon-based glass artist Kelly Howard holds an Ash Memorial glass piece that contains the ashes of her mother.
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