In September, our display case will feature the cut-glass artwork of Mary Lou Jackson. There will be a public reception for the artist at the library on Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 1-3 p.m.

Fascinated by the beauty of sunlight shining through cut-glass crystals, Jackson started
collecting single crystals as mementos of special events and travels. For many years, she
volunteered as a docent at a lighthouse on the California coast and would scour
beaches for interesting driftwood on which to hang the crystals to create delightful combinations of beautiful crystals with storm-tossed natural wood.

Now, Jackson uses cholla cactus wood out of her own backyard in Eldorado and local juniper as well as other wood (and the occasional horseshoe) for her creations.

Jackson is a retired Registered Nurse and worked most of her career as a surgical
nurse educator, including many years at St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe. When not
looking for interesting wood or making beautiful designs, she volunteers with her
husband Bill teaching English as a Second Language through the Literacy Volunteers of
Santa Fe program.