Upon entering the Iowa Hall Art Gallery on Oct. 9, guests were immediately drawn to the gorgeous, detailed and carefully crafted pieces that hung like a statement of how wide the spectrum of art and creativity really is. The event was an artist reception for Barbara Shultz-Hetrick, a former Kirkwood Community College art professor, who specializes in glass art.
There were portraits of characters who looked like they could have been pulled out of whimsical fantasy stories, each with their own story and personality. There were framed glass works of landscapes with moons round and white, with LEDs placed inside/behind them.
There were a few smaller statues and a magnificent glass table with a fish amongst seaweed serving as the table stand. The creativity behind the fish brought to mind the NYC studio apartments belonging to maximalist artists who own a random but captivating assortment of furniture.
The variety of Shultz-Hetrick’s art entails a beautiful blend between nature and figures. Within these portraits, there were warriors and goddesses who were unique and perfectly encapsulated a vision of what a goddess representing such aspects of nature would look like. What made this event feel special was there were people of many ages at the reception. Though some Kirkwood students appeared, it felt wholesome that this artwork brought in many others.
Shultz-Hetrick shared what inspires her. “Art and history is a major influence. I love seeing how other cultures show their power and their nature,” she said.
Shultz-Hetrick said she began teaching glass art at Kirkwood many years ago and complimented the college’s current glass art program.
She said her interest in the medium began when she wanted to take on something new and challenging. “Glass is difficult to work with. It breaks easily, and that’s what I love about it,” she said.
Christopher Gray, who teaches glass art at Kirkwood, is a friend and admirer of Shultz-Hetrick. “This kind of thing isn’t something you see anywhere else,” Gray said, “Barbara has pushed and pushed, and has brought this glass to life. Her art is emotive. It begs you to interact and understand it.”
Gray discussed one of Shultz-Hetrick’s significant pieces from 2022 called “Spartan Female,” a warrior who stood with strength and power with striking blood-red crest hair on her helmet. She wears a mask to hide that she is a woman, yet she is breaking the boundaries of society. One can imagine the difficulty of merging features of sci-fi, history and fantasy, but Shultz-Hetrick does just that and does it brilliantly.
Categories: Art & Life
