Tom Holdman (born April 8, 1970) is a glass artist located in Lehi, Utah, in the United States. His works include the story telling stained-glass windows in the Orem City Library in Orem, Utah; the Roots of Knowledge stained-glass window at Utah Valley University (UVU); and pieces for more than 50 temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[1]
Tom Holdman | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 8, 1970 |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Stained glass |
| Notable work | Roots of Knowledge, Orem City Library, Rome LDS Church Temple visitor's center |
| Spouse | Gayle Holdman |
| Website | www |
Career
editHoldman's interest in stained glass began in high school when a teacher acted as a mentor to Holdman's art. When he was 21, Holdman started a stained-glass studio out of his parents' garage and found patrons by traveling door-to-door. He founded Holdman Studios in 1988 in Lehi, UT. One of his first stained-glass works was for the Orem Public Library, funded by Karen and Alan Ashton, depicting classic children's fairytales and stories.[2] Holdman describes his introduction to glass-art, "It’s a partnership of three — the artist, the glass and the light. You are only one-third of that partnership. I loved how the light interacted with the glass. It’s hundreds of pieces of art as it is affected by the sun. That captivated me."[1]
Roots of Knowledge
editHoldman's Roots of Knowledge is a 200-foot stained glass wall installation, located in UVU's Fulton Library.[3][4] Completed in 2016, the project took 12 years to complete at a budget of $3 million.[1] The wall includes depictions of Isaac Newton, Harriet Tubman, the Berlin Wall, Stonehenge, the Millennium Falcon, Gandhi, and Alfred Hitchcock (holding a knife behind his back).[5] It also contains real objects encased in glass including a Roman coin, a piece of meteorite, and a spoon from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.[6] After an exhibition in London The Guardian called it 'one of the most spectacular stained glass windows made in the past century'.[6]
LDS Church projects
editWhile the Palmyra New York Temple was under construction, the LDS Church asked Holdman to create a glass-art depiction of the First Vision to be included in the temple.[7] His work is also featured in the Manhattan New York, Paris France, and Laie Hawaii temples. Holdman designed, created, and installed a four-panel depiction of Jesus Christ's life, miracles, and parables in the Rome Italy Temple visitors' center.[8]
Personal life
editHoldman was born in Orem, Utah, and has spoken with a stutter since childhood.[1] He attended Orem High School and UVU and served a mission for the LDS Church to Dallas, Texas.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Robinson, Doug. "Man with life-long stutter finds a voice through art", Deseret News, 15 January 2017. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.
- ^ Jackson, Lisa Ann. "Artists Speak to Imaginations Through Painted Glass", BYU Magazine. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Tom Holdman’s Roots of Knowledge", Talking out your Glass. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.
- ^ Waggoner, Shawn. "Tom Holdman's Roots of Knowledge", Talking Out Your Glass podcast, 19 August 2016. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.
- ^ Bennett, Jeanette. "Head Of The Glass: Tom Holdman’s 12-Year-Old Glassy Idea Lights UVU With Roots Of Knowledge", Utah Valley 360, 9 November 2016. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Gigantic $3m stained glass window charts history of knowledge", The Guardian, 26 October 2016. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.
- ^ Leavitt, Amie Jane. "Illumination: The Story of Tom Holdman and Holdman Studios", Stained Glass, April 2010. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.
- ^ Rappleye, Christine. "'Come Unto Me' shares images, scriptures and stories behind the stained glass window in Rome visitors center", Deseret News, 9 March 2019. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.