ECVA - Quarantine Artwork

Resilient

Mosaic: Charcoal from the Colorado fires, millefiori and smalti (glass) worked into mortar on wood
10.5" x 22" x 2"

Artist Statement: The past year certainly tested our resilience in many ways… Our neighbors experienced loss of their homes due to raging fires, and sadly – lost loved ones too. We learned what measures were required to keep us safe from COVID-19 – but still, the loss of life was too great. And in very recent days, the tragic death toll from violent shootings. We see renewal in the wilderness, new growth after fire. My prayer is always for humanity to share in that same healing, being reconciled to one another, with love and compassion.

This mosaic was donated to The Ashes to Art Project. where artists used charcoal from the Colorado Wildfires of 2020 to create artwork to benefit the Poudre Canyon and Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Protection Districts.

Bio: Kathy Thaden came to mosaics following 25 years as TV art director and designer, winning numerous honors, including seven Emmy Awards. A full-time studio artist working in Colorado, Kathy is a professional member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists, Christians in the Visual Arts, Episcopal Church & Visual Arts, and founding member and Past-President of Colorado Mosaic Artists. Kathy teaches mosaic workshops and retreats across the Southwest.

"Working with stone and glass is transforming. It is important to me in our 'throw-away' culture to reinvent discarded items or scrap glass into sacred art formed in prayer - finding beauty in the brokenness - and letting nothing be wasted. My art is informed by my Christian faith, as well as a divine call to stewardship of all we have received. How do I use my voice to discuss issues of justice and the environment? What can I contribute to the narrative of healing and restoration? I try to be always open to God’s possibilities."