Glassterpiece

TLC Stained Glass finds a bigger space to teach and show its stuff

Though the practice of creating stained glass masterpieces dates back thousands of years, its place in our daily lives remains ubiquitous because, let’s face it, pretty colors are pretty colors. Glass is so commonplace, in fact, that it’s almost like we take it for granted at this point, but there are those who go further, sharing their love of the stuff with anyone they can and participating in a tradition so old that no one even knows when or where it began.

Enter TLC Stained Glass, a relatively new studio/workshop space from artist Theresa Cashman, who will host a grand re-opening this week. At its core, TLC is an educational space through which Cashman imparts her passion for stained glass with classes and workshops that delve into cutting, staining, soldering and using the Tiffany method of adjoining pieces with copper foil tape. In a broader sense, Cashman’s new location not only keeps the classwork going, but features a gallery-type element, as well as quarterly donations to nonprofits Metro Caring, which focuses on food insecurity, and RIP Medical Debt, which pays off medical bills for those in need.

Oh, and creating stained glass pieces is fun and beautiful, too.

“I love the way glass emits light and color in a medium that’s unlike painting,” Cashman tells SFR.

Cashman left the high-stakes world of high school science teaching for stained glass, and though she’s only been in business about a year and a half, had already outgrown her original spot in Santa Fe’s Design Center. She’s basically self-taught in the art of stained glass, too, which is to say she’s got a knack for explaining how the process works so even the most unaware glass n00b can learn. Not only that, but she’s the only person in Santa Fe working in stained glass on this level, a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly. You can learn all about how it works at the upcoming opening event for the new TLC spot this week—which will be catered by chef Fernando Ruiz’s soon-to-open taco joint, Escondido.

“You never know exactly how it’s going to look until you hold the final product up to the sun,” Cashman says. “You can find compatible colors and all, but really, until it’s complete...it’s always interesting to see how everything interacts once it’s finalized.”

The same could be said for the new TLC space, but the gorgeous glass and siren call of tacos sure don’t hurt. (Alex De Vore)

TLC Stained Glass Studio/Gallery Opening: 2-5 pm Saturday, March 11. Free. TLC Stained Glass, 1730 Camino Carlos Rey #100, (505) 372-6259

Grow ‘Em Right

True story, there are those of us who hate yard work so hard that we have to let new people we meet know that in case they try to make us pull weeds or something. But it’s probably because we didn’t have the right teachers when we were young; or maybe we just didn’t understand how the fruits of our labors could be meaningful. While it’s too late for us, the Santa Fe Children’s Museum’s ongoing Seeds & Sprouts program should go a long way toward instilling better practices in today’s youths. Making use of the museum’s massive outdoor farming/gardening space, kids can learn how to grow chile, herbs and tomatoes, plus more aesthetic plants for grazing and pollinating animals and insects. Expert gardener Hector Solis knows how to hang with young folks, too, and we hear there’s sometimes a turtle. (ADV)

Santa Fe Children’s Museum: Seeds & Sprouts: 10:30-11:30 am Thursday, March 9. Free. Santa Fe Children’s Museum, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, (505) 989-8359

Now and Then

OK, we admit it—we initially paused joyfully when we learned photographer Meridel Rubenstein will be showing work at Turner Carroll Gallery’s new contempo space, CONTAINER, because of her über-dope lowrider shots from the early ‘80s. But learning a bit more about Rubenstein’s more recent work has us all a-twitter, too. Boiled down, the Eden in Iraq Wastewater Garden Project finds Rubenstein documenting a combination of water remediation, garden design and environmental art in a southern region of Iraq, and while we could never fit as many words as Rubenstein deserves, her work is, in a word, fascinating. Find her speaking about the project and showing the shots; just make sure to RSVP by emailing darcy@turnercarrollgallery.com. (ADV)

Meridel Rubenstein Artist Talk: 5-6 pm Friday, March 10. Free. CONTAINER, 1226 Flagman Way, (505) 995-0012

The Specter of Beths

So maybe we’ve been bumping The Beths’ 2022 album Expert in a Dying Field because its eponymous opening track asks, “How does it feel to be an expert in a dying field?” and that speaks to us as journalists. Or maybe it’s just because members Elizabeth Stokes, Benjamin Sinclair and Tristan Deck have found such a catchy and satisfying combo of chorusy pop goodness and moving vocal melodies that you’d have to be missing your heart to not jump on board immediately. The why isn’t as important as the how when it comes to seeing this sugary-sweet New Zealand-based trio—and the way you do it is to pop by Meow Wolf. Fans of Waxahatchee and Snail Mail will find a lot to love here, but know that Stokes’ voice is so smooth and wonderful she’s in a class all her own—jeeze, what a banger band. (ADV)

The Beths: 8 pm Monday, March 13. $25. Meow Wolf, 1352 Rufina Circle, (505) 395-6369