Jaira Stewart

 It was an exchange of shaping; the rugged landscape of Santa Fe, NM, would sculpt Jaira Stewart from her early years. Later, she would materialize her love for the land—from heart to hand—into sculpting glass.

Growing up in a rural environment alongside her four younger siblings, she learned the values of small family farming and off-grid living. Her youth proved a canvas for artistic exploration as she dove into any form of art she could get her hands on. When she was introduced to glass in 2009, she fell completely captivated. Apprenticing at Tesuque Glassworks, she learned blowing and sculpting from accomplished artists and under the mentorship of the studio’s founder, Charlie Miner. 

    Many label Jaira as exceptionally talented, but she knows that’s just one facet of the journey. For more than a decade of honing her craft and a deep love for what she brings into existence have made Jaira the artist she is today. Her works echo the New Mexico landscape—from the micro-world of lichen to the grandeur of sunsets over mesas; and its symphony of stories—the historical echo of stolen land and lives, to the contemporary dust-covered arroyos that weave the intricate tapestry of the high desert.

    An Arapaho proverb says “When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us.” And this, she hopes to convey. A reverence for all the land represents. Using concentrated color powders and glass fragments, she hand-sculpts molten glass, breathing enchantment into works that evoke life and death and the beautiful ballet between.

 There’s a story to be told, and Jaira does her best telling through each work she breathes to life. 

Education

• One year of collage at the SFCC studying watercolor and black and white photography

• Art Business Conference with the Clark Hurlings Fun

• Workshop with Karen Willenbrink and Jasen Jonson 

jairaandglass@gmail.com
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