Jenny Newtson

jnewtson@lclark.edu

www.firebrandbeads.com

Artist's Bio

Jenny Newtson began making glass beads in late 1991, after attending her first glass workshop at the Pratt Center for Fine Arts in Seattle, Washington. It was a natural progression for someone whoís love of beads goes back as far as she can remember. ìEven my first blocks had holes in them,î says Jenny. Eventually tiring of the selection at bead stores, Jenny wanted to make her own. There was no glass program at the University of Oregon ñ so she took the jewelry and metals class instead, learning valuable skills in fabrication and design. But the magic of glass remained just out of reach. Finally, a friend told her about the Pratt Center, and it was love at first ìlightî. For years, Jenny was the only beadmaker she knew in Eugene, Oregon. Within a few years, Eugeneís borosilicate scene went crazy, but no one else was torching soft glass. When the infamous Jim Smircich moved to Eugene, she finally had someone local to chat with. Jim became a buddy, and helped her really focus on perfecting the base bead before decorating it.

As American beadmaking exploded in the late 1990ís, Jenny was content to watch from the sidelines. ìIím really no good at self-promotion,î she says. ìI can be competitive in other parts of my life, but with glass, I prefer camaraderie. That's why I like the ISGB. I like to teach beginners to look for their own voice and expression while learning the properties of the medium.î Along the way, Jenny found her own voice in public radio. For fifteen years, she was the local presence for NPRís Morning Edition at KLCC in Eugene, heard in Western and Central Oregon. Now, sheís back in school studying Ethnomusicology. But sheíll never give up being a FIREBRAND.