Today we’d like to introduce you to Bruce Wood.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Bruce. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in the small town of Groveland, Massachusetts. In 1968 I ventured to Arizona to attend Arizona Western College. After graduating with an Associate Degree in Liberal studies I continued his education at Northern Arizona University. There I continued experimentation in several art disciplines. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Extended Ceramic study.
I transitioned directly into Graduate School, and worked as the University Art Gallery assistant and graduate assistant where I taught classes and did extensive research in gas and wood fired kiln building. In 1976 I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Master’s degree in Art Education.
I had a brief tenure at Arizona Western College, teaching classes in ceramics and painting before moving back to Massachusetts to pursue other teaching opportunities. Through a government program, Pentucket Regional School district West Newbury, MA was looking to hire professional artists to inject new energy and ideas into the art program. I was hired as a lead artist to teach Ceramics, Photography and Mural painting. That job transitioned into a teaching position which included classes in High School and Jr. High art for a few years.
While teaching photography, I was commissioned to produce large photographs of historic Groveland, MA using original glass negatives from the early 1900’s. These photographs now hang in the Groveland town complex. In January of 2010, I moved into studio space at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, MA. Here I am exploring work in Photography, Pottery, Jewelry, and Found Object Sculpture.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Sometime I think I have made it harder for myself in my backdoor route to where I am today. I always enjoyed drawing and building things as a kid. But never took art classes in school because of a bad experience with an art teach when I was young. After graduation from High School I attended Arizona Western Community College to study Physical Education. During my last semester at the school I stumbled upon some students doing a Raku pottery firing. I immediately knew I wanted to peruse doing pottery. But after graduating from the Jr. College I got married and started a family. Two years later I decided to return to college to try my hand in the arts and specifically pottery.
When first starting classes at Northern Arizona University I felt at an extreme disadvantage. Many of my classmates had been taking art classes most of their lives and were already proficient and knowledge in their craft. After a short time and some hard work I was able to catch up to the other students and even surpass some of them. I became president of two art organizations on campus, worked in the Art Gallery and became graduate assistant.
After graduation I taught art classes in Arizona and then in Massachusetts. However the art teachers market quickly dried up and again I had to shift careers to provide for my family. I spent the next 25 years in the computer and Hi-Tech manufacturing industry making very little art. Then several years ago I attended an open house at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, MA. Upon entering the facility and seeing all the artists and their work I was reunited with my love and passion of creating my own art. I rented a studio and started on a new path. But again I felt disadvantaged because of my lack of knowledge and skills compared to the other artists around me. Fortunately, it was a warm and nurturing environment and I was able to grow and expand my skills.
Please tell us about The Glass Ingot.
Today I am concentrating on making found object sculpture but still dabbling in pottery, jewelry and photography.
In my Hi-Tech career I was working closely with engineers and manufacturing products with tolerances in the thousands of an inch. This experience has helped me engineer my creations into seamless sculptures using discarded and recycled items. A healthy dose of imagination also goes a long way to envision the end product. I find the challenge as rewarding as the finished piece.
“I enjoy the convergence of similar and unrelated images into a juxtaposed end product. I try to evoke multiple thoughts and emotions in the viewer as the nuances in the work are discovered.”
I believe the creative process happens when whatever you are working on begins directing you toward your next step and when the evolution of the process is guided by the artwork itself.
Contact Info:
- Address: Western Avenue Studios
Studio #427
Lowell, MA 01850 - Website: www.GlassIngot.com
- Email: bwood@glassingot.com
- Instagram: Glass.Ingot
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Glass-Ingot-319278093125/
Image Credit:
Photos by Bruce Wood
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