Tom Holdman

{{Short description|American glass artist (born 1970)}}

{{Infobox artist

|name = Tom Holdman

|image=Tom Holdman.jpg

|birth_name =

|birth_date = April 8, 1970

|birth_place =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|nationality = American

|spouse = Gayle Holdman

|field = Stained glass

|training =

|movement =

|works = Roots of Knowledge, Orem City Library, LDS Church's Rome Temple visitors' center

|patrons =

|awards =

|website = {{URL|https://www.holdmanstudios.com}}

}}

Tom Holdman (born April 8, 1970) is a glass artist located in Lehi, Utah, 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).Robinson, Doug. [https://www.deseret.com/2017/1/15/20604185/man-with-life-long-stutter-finds-a-voice-through-art#tom-holdman-poses-for-a-photo-at-holdman-studios-in-lehi-on-friday-nov-4-2016 "Man with life-long stutter finds a voice through art"], Deseret News, 15 January 2017. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.

Career

Holdman'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.Jackson, Lisa Ann. [https://magazine.byu.edu/article/artists-speak-to-imaginations-through-painted-glass/ "Artists Speak to Imaginations Through Painted Glass"], BYU Magazine. Retrieved on 12 January 2021. 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."

= Roots of Knowledge =

Holdman's Roots of Knowledge is a 200-foot stained glass wall installation, located in UVU's Fulton Library.[http://talkingoutyourglass.com/holdman-studios "Tom Holdman’s Roots of Knowledge"], Talking out your Glass. Retrieved on 12 January 2021.Waggoner, Shawn. [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-talking-out-your-gl-29945186/episode/tom-holdmans-roots-of-knowledge-29948972/ "Tom Holdman's Roots of Knowledge"], Talking Out Your Glass podcast, 19 August 2016. Retrieved on 12 January 2021. Completed in 2016, the project took 12 years to complete at a budget of $3 million. 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).Bennett, Jeanette. [https://utahvalley360.com/2016/11/09/head-glass-tom-holdmans-12-year-old-glassy-idea-lights-uvu-roots-knowledge/ "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. 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.[https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/oct/26/gigantic-stained-glass-window-roots-history-knowledge-tom-holdman "Gigantic $3m stained glass window charts history of knowledge"], The Guardian, 26 October 2016. Retrieved on 12 January 2021. After an exhibition in London The Guardian called it 'one of the most spectacular stained-glass windows made in the past century'.

= LDS Church projects =

While 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.Leavitt, Amie Jane. [https://stainedglass.org/files/archive/2010/04/FeatureArticleSpring2016.pdf "Illumination: The Story of Tom Holdman and Holdman Studios"], Stained Glass, April 2010. Retrieved on 12 January 2021. 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 visitors' center of the Rome Italy Temple.Rappleye, Christine. [http://media.guardian.co.uk "'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.

Personal life

Holdman was born in Orem, Utah, and has spoken with a stutter since childhood. He attended Orem High School and UVU and served a mission for the LDS Church to Dallas, Texas.

References

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