The visual artist Teresa Lawler was raised in Montauk and since marrying, raised her own family in East Hampton, NY. With one masters’ degree in Education and another in Computer Technology, she was an Art Teacher in the East Hampton public school system for 22 years.
As a schoolteacher, Teresa constantly expanded her knowledge of different mediums and techniques. She believes in the value of being an educated artist. If one doesn’t know how to use it, build it, create it, then one should try to learn how! Her exploratory approach, as an art teacher is what eventually led her to her current passion: watercolor and glass fusing.
Teresa fondly remembers her first classes with Vermont glass artist Genevieve Cole. Using scientific principles to manipulate her medium and create a landscape out of glass still fills her with awe and excitement. While she enjoys photography, drawing and painting with traditional mediums, glass fusing allows her greater experimentation while still achieving a painterly style.
As an art teacher, she values the process of creating as much as the end product. One can continually recycle glass fusing, melting and breaking into pieces as many times as needed-to start over with a vision that may be fulfilled, or sometimes even better, not be matched at all by the end product.
Challenging the viewer’s perception of glass art motivates Teresa to paint with glass. Many people would label glass art as “crafts.” Her works have themes of nature: landscape, beach scenes, still life -a result of growing up in Montauk. Mounted and framed, they can invoke feelings in their viewers as strong as a painting with traditional mediums. As she hones her skill, she looks forward to breaking the mental barriers toward glass art, moving away from the craft label into fine art.
In addition to Genevieve Cole, Teresa lists Vermont glass artist Simon Pearce as an influence. Also you may see in the lines and textures of her artwork her admiration of the drawings and painting of Vincent Van Gogh. From her perspective, glass is a wonderful medium to use when producing Van Gogh’s Style.
Her most valuable influence is her father, who passed away in 1996. He told her when she was a young girl that art isn’t all in one direction. This basic truth has proved itself in her art practice and motivates her to use all mediums available when planning her vision in glass. Letting the process of art lead her in many directions, she has succeeded in creating works that still bring her home.
Education
Educational Technology, Computers in Education, 2000, Honors Long Island University, Brookville Masters of Science, Education. 1996 Honors Long Island University/Southampton Bachelor of Science, Art Education. 1991. Honors Long Isand University/Southampton Associate of Arts. Liberal Arts. 1989 Honors Suffolk Community College, Riverhead
Awards: Skills/Abilities
, Suffolk County Art Teacher of the Year 1997 New York State Art Teacher Portfolio Project 2000 NYSTA Statewide Peer Review 1998 Grants: Peconic Teacher Center, EH Greater Education Foundation Presenter NYSATA 1998 Art Out East, Long Island Art Teachers Spring Conference 1997 Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Educator Workshops National Art Education Association Conferences: Baltimore, New Orleans, New York City Membership: NAEA, LIATA, NYSATA, Guild Hall, Artist Alliance of EH, East End Artist, AVA Gallery Art Assistant - Miriam Schapiro
ART EXHIBITIONS The Gallery Depot, Montauk 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 East End Arts, Riverhead 2015, Member Show, Juried Show 2016, Member, Juried Shows 2017, 2018, 2019 Artist Alliance of East Hampton, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Guild Hall of East Hampton 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Ashawagh Hall Art Exhibition, 3/26-27, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Springs Improvement Show 2017, 2018,2019, 2021 East Hampton Street Fair 2017, 2018, 2019 ArtApart, EHAC 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Other Activities: Religious Education Teacher, Eucharistic Minister Most Holy Trinity, retired EMT-B and Captain (2019,2020) at East Hampton Village Ambulance 2003- 2023 retired
Experience
Art Teacher. Grades 4-6. East Hampton Middle School, 1992 Art Teacher. K-4. John Marshall Elementary School 1991-2006. Art Teacher. East Hampton High School. 2006-2014. Retired Art Teacher Montauk Gallery. 2018, 2019, 2023 Art Teacher. The Art Barge. 2019. 2022, 2023
Teaching background: Art History, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography B&W, Digital Photoshop, Glass Fusing, Crafts, Weaving, Watercolor, Sculpture, Clay, Set Painting and Computers.
Other Related Activities
Elementary Scholarships Art Club Art Sale and Show Costume/Set Design, JMMES, EHMS, EHHS PTA Reflections Art Contest Guild Hall Student Art Festival Summer Institute, Learning Standards and Assessment of the Arts Minds and Hands of the 20th Century - Art Barge Art Interview Committee Nature Conservancy Committee for Andy Warhol for Visual Arts Parrish Art Museum Education Committee Guild Hall - Co-Chair Clothesline Art Sale Long House - Education Committee Private/Group Lessons: Glass fusing classes - Genieve Cole, AVA Gallery, NH, Bullseye Glass, NY - Miriam DeFiore, Italy, 2016 Painting with Glass, 2017 Watercolor Classes - Janet Jennings, EH, NY, Robert O'Brien, NH, Robert Carsten, NH Printmaking Classes - Dan Welden, NY, Japanese Woodcut
Book Illustration. Keeping the Montauk Light, Written by Barbara Borsack, Illustrations by Teresa Perraut Lawler