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Learning Lessons In History Glass

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By LENORA LAKE

llake@tampatrib.com

Published: November 5, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE - Artist Beth Kauffman sees history in glass.

She has collected pieces of clear and colored glass on walks in her Bloomingdale neighborhood and at the Tampa Union Station to create panels she calls the "legend series."

"These are an exploration of our history from reclaimed glass," said Kauffman, 48, recently.

One panel, from a trail called Nature's Way near her home, includes bits of auto glass, beer bottles and sunglasses. The one from the railroad station has pieces weathered by exposure to natural elements and heat from the trains.

"There's real history there. Otherwise it would just be in a pile somewhere," Kauffman said.

The panels, priced at $700 and $800, will be exhibited in Kauffman's booth as part of the Temple Terrace Community Arts Festival on Saturday and Sunday. She is among more than 110 exhibitors in the 35-year-old festival nestled among trees along the Hillsborough River at Riverhills Park.
Kauffman has other items, including stained-glass garden slugs, pieces of jewelry and night lights in the $30-to-$40 range.

The Temple Terrace Arts Council asked her to create a signature piece featuring an orange because Temple Terrace once was known for temple oranges. Kauffman's orange is a pendant that will be available at the show.

Her favorite pieces evoke a feel of the tropics and include palm trees, dragon flies, pineapples and colorful fish.

Originally from New York, Kauffman has lived in Bloomingdale for 10 years.

"Stained-glass was a hobby until I had my kids," Kauffman said. "I got a commission to do a lamp and then decided I could earn a few dollars."

She said growing up she liked art, as did her father, a banker. He "pushed me to go into business. Now I am doing the art thing, but the business background helps to keep me diversified."
Kauffman became interested in stained-glass in 1987 while living in Pittsburgh: "A lot of the older structures had stained glass. I was just wowed by that and decided to take a stained-glass class. I took if from there."

She now teaches classes and said she gives back to the community by helping keep the art of stained glass alive.

This is the second time Kauffman has participated in the Temple Terrace festival.

"It's an environment I really like. It's amazing nature, right on the Hillsborough River," she said. "They really embrace the arts, and the people who go there know it is really fine art there."

Mary Jane Neale, president of the Temple Terrace Arts Council, the festival's sponsors, said the show includes fine art in a variety of media, woodworking, jewelry and pottery.

It also will showcase art by children in Temple Terrace schools, with those pieces hanging from clotheslines along the Hillsborough River.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Temple Terrace Community Arts Festival with arts and crafts exhibitors, food booths, children's activities

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: Riverhills Park in Temple Terrace
COST: Free

INFORMATION: (813) 988-ARTS or see www.temple terraceartscouncil.org

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851.

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