And It's Good!  Ithaca NY

Wall of Acknowledgment at Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca

In the fall of 2013, a brand new wing of our school facility was opened - The Andrea B. Riddle Center for Music, Movement and Art.  The school wanted a unique way to thank the donors who made the facility possible. Marjorie Hoffman donated her time and labor to design and construct the wall, collaborating with architects, builders, other artists and volunteers. The fused glass water tiles were created in the Serviente Glass Studios of Ithaca. The copper plaques were created by Joel Semeir of Peace.Pole.com. The woodburning was done by Graham Ottoson of Ithaca. Lisa Bushlow coordinated the effort. Photos of the wall were taken by Deb Adams.

The wall was completed in March of 2014.  It consists of large, locally milled timbers, hand made ceramic tiles representing leaves and ground created by Marjorie, glass  tiles for the water, etched copper plaques, natural stones and glass accessories.  It measures fourteen feet in length and eight feet high.  The very top, which depicts clouds and scattered leaves, was carved by Marjorie from plywood and then painted. Through this process, Marjorie became a mosaic designer.

Construction happened in segments, using the tree forms to define the surrounding shapes.  This approach facilitated both the mosaic process and the installation. We were able to create the mosaic panels on a horizontal tabletop and do the installation in sections.