Peggy Griffey - Fine Art Glass
Peggy Griffey - Modern Glass Artist
Peggy Griffey’s fine art glass is created in her studio in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, with views of Taos Mountain and the Sangre de Cristo Range to the north and east, and the Mesa to the west. Starting with the raw glass, she composes the pieces and fires them in one of several large kilns.
Peggy first became immersed in artistic creation on the Southern Oregon Coast, where she lived from 1970 to 1978, and wove tapestries utilizing French Aubusson, Navaho, and Middle Eastern techniques. By 1980, she had earned an MFA in Design from Stanford University (CA), where her work was championed by the late Albert Elsen, professor of art at Stanford University and an international authority on the history of modern sculpture. On one occasion, he described her tapestries as among the best artwork in any media he had seen at Stanford. That summer, her installation at the Stanford Gallery was studied by representatives from the French Aubusson workshops interested in her ground-breaking shading work. Compositionally, over time, her tapestries reflected two distinct styles: pre-1978, more geometric and post-1978, more fluid and organic.
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In 1983, another path beckoned and Peggy attended the University of Texas School of Law, from which she earned her JD in 1985. She subsequently practiced law on behalf of the Texas Attorney General's Office from 1985-1998 and the United States Department of Justice from 1998-2012. But the creative spark was never far from the surface.
In 2008, her artistic focus shifted to fused glass and in 2012, she quit the practice of law and moved to Taos to focus exclusively on glass. Northern New Mexico had been ‘speaking’ to her for years; and in the region’s light, mountains, and creative energy she found inspiration for this next phase.
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In some respects, the attraction of glass is similar to that which drew Peggy to tapestry: brilliant colors and the interaction of the medium, technique and imagery inherent in each. “The depth of color saturation, patterns and shadings with the yarns added dimension to a tapestry. Similarly, I find that the vibrancy of glass, particularly as light plays on it and through it, as well as the interplay of transparency and opacity, really enhances the visual expression.” Peggy’s inventory of Bullseye glass, which she uses exclusively due to their stability and compatibility in the firing process, is a rich stew of color that sparks her inspiration and creative direction. “The interplay of pattern, color and form transposed in new and exciting ways are what bring me into the studio every day. It is exhilarating to unload the kiln after a complex firing and see what I have made.”
Education
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1974 BS History, Oregon State University
1980 MFA, Art, Stanford University
1985 JD, University of Texas School of Law
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Glass
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Group Shows
Taos Fall Arts 2017, Honorable Mention
Taos Fall Arts, Taos Select, 2016
Taos Fall Arts, Taos Select, 2015
Taos Art Glass Invitational, David Anthony Fine Arts (DAFA), 26 international artists, October 11-November 9, 2014
Taos Fall Arts, Taos Select, 2014, Judges Choice Award
Taos Open, 2013
Taos Studio Tours 2013-2017
Peoples Bank, Taos, May-June 2013.
Gallery Representation
Untitled Fine Art, Taos, NM
Hand Artes Gallery, Truchas, NM
Tapestry
One Person Shows
Stanford Gallery, Stanford, California, 1980.
Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon. 1977.
Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, Oregon. 1976.
Collections
California Computer Systems, Sunnyvale, California.
Catalyst Investment Company, San Francisco, California.
Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, Oregon.
Iron Mountain Investment Company, Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, New York. Realities Ltd., Beaverton, Oregon.
(Private collections are not included.)
Group Shows
Fiber/Fiber-like, United Bank auditorium, Austin, Texas. 1985.
Exhibit of Fiber Art, Hill Country Weavers, Austin, Texas. 1984.
Diverging, Women of Fiber, St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas. 1983.
Artist Craftsman '82, Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, Cedar City, Utah. Award. 1982.
Innovations in Fibre II, First of Denver Bank, Denver, Colorado. Award. 1982.
Creative Fibres, Austin Art in the 80's, Texas Union, The University of Texas at Austin. 1982.
Thread and Fiber -A Common Ground, Alexandria Museum, Alexandria, Louisiana. 1981.
Dougherty Art Center Gallery, faculty show, Austin, Texas. 1981.
Interweave '79, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, 1979.
37th Annual Cedar City National Art Exhibition, Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, Cedar City, Utah. 1978.
All Oregon Artists and Craftsman Show, Oregon State Fair, Salem, Oregon. Highest award. 1977
Celebration Northwest and Pacific Coast Crafts, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon. 1977.
Redwood Art Association 18th Annual Juried Exhibit, Eureka, California. 1976.
Tenth November Annual, Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, Oregon. Highest award. 1975.
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Contact Me
123-456-7890