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Calendar
of Events
Summer 2008
Download
the new Summer newsletter in PDF format
(You
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Every
Sunday Afternoon
3:00 p.m.
“ Russian Gem Treasures”
Renown lapidary writer, Bob Jones, travels to Russia
to explore the mineral wonders, museums, and palaces.
Learn where major gem deposits are located and see
Tsar treasures and modern Russian jewelry.
45 minute video.
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July
12 “Fossil Discovery”
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This
interactive presentation allows children to learn how
fossils are formed, where to look for fossils, and how
to study fossils. Activities include: a fossil quiz
game to win prizes, polishing amber, searching for shark teeth, and breaking
casts for dinosaur bones. Children can keep all the fossils they find
and win.
Instructor: Don Baumgartner
Interactive Lecture/Activity - Ages 7 yrs. to Adult
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Fee: $15.00 per person
Museum members $10.00
Registration Required: (630) 833-1616
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PICK UP YOUR PASSPORT TO ADVENTURE HERE!
This summer the Lizzadro Museum is once again participating
in the Passport To Adventure Program. Sponsored by the Kane-DuPage Regional Museum
Association (KDRMA) the program is designed to encourage children and their families
to visit a variety of museums in the Chicagoland area. A passport booklet can
be picked up at participating museums and libraries in Kane and DuPage counties.
Choosing from over 100 sites to visit children can complete an activity and have
their passport stamped at each site. Children visiting 7 or more sites will receive
a prize. The Summer Passport To Adventure begins on Memorial Day and ends on
Labor Day.
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July
26 “Fossil Collecting Field Trip”
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Travel
by motor coach and collect fossils at the
BuzziUnicem Quarries in LaSalle, Illinois. The
quarry contains Pennsylvanian Period (300 million
years old) marine fossils in shale and limestone.
Collectable fossils include: several types of brachiopods,
gastropods, corals, crinoids, and shark
teeth.
Field Trip - Ages 8 yrs. to Adult
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Fee: $38.00 per person, Museum Members: $32.00,
Reservations Required: (630) 833-1616
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Special
Exhibit
“ American Lapidary”
June 10 to August 31, 2008
Features hardstone carvings and faceted
stones by American artists including lapidary
hobbyists and professionals.
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August
2 “Soapstone Carving I & II”
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Lorel
Abrell, a lapidary, teaches participants how to successfully
carve soapstone. Simple tools and techniques are used in
carving this soft and inexpensive material. Learn the basics
from blocking out a design to final polish. All materials
are provided.
Classes I & II are simultaneous -10a.m. to 12 p.m.
I for beginners and suggested for ages 9 to 11 yrs.
II for intermediate level for ages 12 to adult.
Fee: $15.00 per person, Museum Members $10.00
Reservations Required: (630) 833-1616
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August
9 “Are You Going Green?”
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Join
us at the Cool Cities Coalition Green Fest in Wilder Park,
9a.m. to 3p.m. Learn how you can reduce your carbon footprint
through hands-on exhibits, speakers and eco-friendly products
and services. The Museum will host Kay McKeen, the Director
of SCARCE. Learn how individuals can choose sustainable
solutions for our environment including energy and water
conservation and recyling waste materials.
Lecture - Youth to Adult - 45 min. - 2 p.m.
Free Admission - Reservations Recommended
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Visit
the Museum Gift Shop
new inventory in stock now!
Exceptional gifts any time of the year.
Museum Members take advantage of
your 10% discount on all purchases.
www.lizzadromuseum.org/gift.html
Gift
Shoppers are always admitted free.
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August
16 “The Legend of the Koh-I-Noor”
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Famous
diamond replica expert, Scott Sucher presents the history
surrounding one of the most sought after diamonds from
India. See replicas of the diamond's original cut from
the 1300s to its present cut from the 1850s. The diamond
now
resides as part of the British Crown Jewels in London.
Adult Lecture - 2 p.m. 60 minutes
Regular Museum Admission
Reservations Recommended |
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September
20 “Fossil Dig”
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Learn
about the world famous Mazon Creek fossils from Illinois.
These Coal Age fossils (350 million years old) are a
unique part of Illinois geologic history and the fossil
record. Learn where to collect these fossils and search
for a Mazon Creek Fossil to take home.
Lecture/Activity - Ages 6 yrs. to Adult
60 minutes - 2 p.m.
$3.00 per person, Museum Members Free
Reservations Recommended
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Special
Exhibit
“Ilya Schar Gem Paintings”
September 20, 2008 to January 4, 2009
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Special
Exhibit American Lapidary
June 10 to August 31, 2008
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The
American Lapidary exhibit represents both professional
and hobbyist work from around the country.
A selection of cabochons, faceted stones and gem carvings
will be on display. All of the featured artists
have
been recognized as award winners in gem shows
or competitions.
From the Museum’s Permanent Collection,
American Lapidary artists Jerry Muchna and Lyle LeGrand
are featured. Their work was donated to
the Museum posthumously. Professionals and hobbyists are
testaments to talent, perseverance and ingenuity.
Here is a listing of the artists’ biographies:
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Lapidary
hobbyist Lyle
LeGrand of Lake San Marcos,
California made cabochon jewelry for years. In
1983 he decided to try his hand at gem carving. Believing
he was not artistic, LeGrand decided to begin
with a turtle. ‘After all, he said, a turtle
is just a cabochon with a few
projections.’ But he soon realized that
he didn’t really know what a turtle looked
like. He studied live turtles
and pictures until he could close his eyes
and see a turtle in detail. He read lots of books on stone
carving and decided to start with a clay model. From
the model he traced silhouette patterns of the top, bottom
and side. He then transferred the patterns to stone.
He always chose his stone material for size and color
before creating the model. He started carving soft
stones but soon found nephrite jade as his favorite material.
Lyle said nephrite’s fine, dense grain
and toughness enabled him to create
the most delicate details imaginable.
Lyle
LeGrand went on to win many awards at National
Gem and Mineral shows. He was known as the “Critter Carver” for his whimsical and
life-like animal carvings. Three
of Lyle LeGrand’s nephrite jade carvings will be on display |
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Muchna’s “Raising
of the Flag at ance with itself.”
Iwo Jima” in faceted quartz.
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Jerry
Muchna retired from the
mortuary business in Illinois
and moved to Phoenix, Arizona
in 1961. His intentions were to
golf but he soon found rock hounding
more relaxing. He took up faceting
in 1966. With only a few formal lessons Jerry was soon
recognized as a talented amateur. In 1968 he won first
place for his free form faceting exhibit at the American
Federation of Mineralogical Societies, National
Show. He went on to create consecutive series
of faceted flawless Brazilian quartz pieces from tarantulas
to trains to entire miniature cities. Throughout
the 1970s he received much attention for his work.
His patriotic series began in
1976 as a commemoration for the
Bicentennial. This resulted in a threedimensional faceted
quartz recreation of “the Spirit of ‘76” after
the 1876 Archibald Willard painting. The piece
weighs 2,400 carats, has 3,724 facets and took 295
hours to facet. Jerry Muchna created several pieces
including “The Raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima.” and
the Liberty Bell. All three pieces will be on display. |
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“Are You My Mom?” Arizona
black jade, pristine shell,
and fossilized ivory by
Darryl Alexander.
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Darryl
Alexander began his career
as a jewelry artist in high school
winning awards early on. As he
describes, “I moved to Omaha,
Nebraska to work for a company
called Borshiems designing jewelry and
stone cutting. I then moved on
to Service Merchandise were I
did custom work and repair for
5 stores with an assistant jeweler, after
which I moved to Arizona to do custom jewelry for
several large companies. Since living in Arizona,
I have won 6 awards from the American Pearl
Design Competition, the Arizona Jewelry Design Competition,
the Gemmys 1st and 2nd place and have been
published in numerous magazines. I also have a wonderful wife and 7 children.” |
Sean
Davis stretches the limits of design and
technique. His carvings range from organic abstracts
to precisely executed architectural pieces. His talent lies
in finding the true nature of each stone and bringing
it to light.
“
When I’m carving, I start out with a general idea
of what I want to happen. I cut
and shape till it has a continuity that tells me it’s time to stop.”
“ I am inspired by the ebb and flow of water. It always
follows the path of least resistance. I try to emulate
the effortlessness of its movement in my carvings. Whether
I’m carving a geometrical piece or one that is free
flowing, my goal is to create a piece in balance with itself."
Sean has
been carving gemstones for 15 years. He apprenticed
under world-renown gem carver, Glenn Lehrer
of Lehrer Designs in Larkspur, California. He received
his Bachelor of Arts degree at California College
of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California.
Sean is the 2008 1st place winner
of the Gemmys sponsored by Jewelry Artist Magazine for
the Cabochon category. His home and studio are in Petaluma,
California. |
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“Memory” Rutilated
Brazilian Quartz, by
Susan Margolis.
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Designer
and teacher Susan Margolis graduated
from the Rhode Island School of
Design with a BFA and MA in Design. She
lives and works in Conneticut. ‘Shaping
stone, wood, and metal is the
most natural thing in the world. Gemstones
are the most beautiful and humbling
of these materials. In 1998, I was fortunate to study with
Ute Klein Bernhardt, a wellknown gem
carver from Idar-Oberstein, Germany. With
her fine guidance and experience I was able to make
the transition from the softer stones such as marble and
alabaster to carving more interesting, rare and beautiful gems.
Making forms, analyzing the light
that floats through or around
a stone, designing, working with tools
and materials allows me to express thoughts and experiences.
The honesty that carving gemstones
requires is quite challenging.
If there is a flaw in a stone, only deliberate
decision eliminates (or accepts and makes use
of) its presence. If something is not carved well, the
tiny size of the carving hides nothing. Each line must
flow into or make sense in terms of the whole– and
the whole must reflect the character of the stone.
I look at carving as a process
of responding to the possibilities
of the stone. Some carvers choose stone to suit
their ideas – but I feel that this approach
is somewhat strange. Each stone
has a tale of its own. It is up to
me to find one that is valid for the gem material. So, many
of my carvings tell stories and many are carved on two sides.’ |
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“Kaleidoscope” faceted
Citrine with inlaid lapis,
red coral and turquoise,
by Andrew Gulij. |
Andrew
Gulij immigrated to the United States from Poland
in the late 1980s. Soon after arriving, he began working
as a faceter for a lapidary company in San Diego,
California. After several years of long hours cutting
thousands of stones, Andrew and his wife Laura
opened their own company, Gemfix. Specializing only in
cutting and selling colored gemstones, Gemfix
quickly became the company of
choice for jewelers and designers
looking for expert work and beautifully
cut stones. Because of his unique
perspective, with genuine hands-on knowledge
of colored gemstones, his peers
recognize him as an expert in
his field.
Andrew’s approach
to gem cutting is very unique. He
explains: “My goal is to maximize the beauty
of a stone, often by applying
several different techniques to a
single stone, such as flat and concave faceting, carving, engraving, and inlay.”
Always experimenting with
new ideas, Andrew
perfected and then copyrighted an original technique he
named Gem-Intrusion, for which he won several prestigious
awards including AGTA Cutting Edge Awards
and Gemmys Awards. Gem-Intrusion is a technique
that creates an incredible play of colors within
the stone, as never seen before. Today, unique gemstones
cut by Andrew can be seen in galleries and collections
in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia. |
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Midwest
Faceters Guild Seminar
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Midwest
Faceters Guild Seminar
August
15 thru 17 at Elmhurst
College
This seminar is a great way to learn
about faceting and other skills without breaking
the bank. Classes include all levels of faceting.
Beginners will be provided a machine and rough
material. More advanced faceters must bring their
own
machines. Other classes include glass fusing, chain making, beading
workshops, steam casting and gem cad. Sponsored by members of
the West Suburban Lapidary Club. For more information and registration
forms visit www.midwestfacetersguild.org or www.westsuburbanlapidaryclub.com
In conjunction with this event, diamond replica expert Scott
Sucher will lecture on the Koh-I-Noor diamond at the Lizzadro
Museum on August 16 at 2:00 p.m.
Reservations are recommended.
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Educational
Boxes Available
The Museum offers educational boxes with rocks, minerals, and
fossils, hands-on specimens and activities. Three boxes are available
for loan: Rocks& Minerals, The Quartz Family, and Illinois
Rocks& Minerals. Geared for 3rd thru 6th grade, boxes are
loaned free of charge to groups; school, scout, home schools,
camps and daycares. Call or e-mail the
Museum for an educational brochure.
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Download
the new Summer newsletter in PDF format
(You
must have Acrobat Reader for these documents)
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