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Transformations – From Cold Metal To Vibrant Art
By Jack McNeel Photo by Jackie McNeel Exploring Theresa McHugh’s website of custom designed and fabricated metal artwork will reveal an astounding variety and quality of work she creates. It might be as delicate as white syringa flowers on long stems, as massive as the 20foot sculpture that greets visitors to Coeur d’Alene, or as personal as an indoor floral motif commissioned by a homeowner. Whatever the subject and wherever the location you can be assured it’s both unique and of superior quality. Theresa was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene where her parents owned Clark’s Jewelry. She learned about the jewelry business producing custom designed jewelry. “I wasn’t really enamored by the jewelry business. I like big things and like to do big work. Although my current work may be just a bigger version of the jewelry, in a way.” Theresa enrolled at Boise State University thinking of a career in architecture and engineering but when her father passed away suddenly, thirty years ago, she dropped out of college and returned home to help run the store. She and husband Barry, now Kootenai County Prosecutor, started a family and this slowed Theresa’s plan to return to Boise State. “I had three kids in three years and was just buried with kids and really wanted to be home with them,” she explains. “But about 20 years ago when they were 4, 5, and 6, I returned to Boise State and took up welding.” Welding isn’t thought of as a woman’s field, which can reflect a certain bias. Theresa was lucky in having an instructor, a man of 80, who was pro women. “I was the only woman in the entire vo-tec department, the whole building, and he told the guys to watch out because women make better welders than men,” she recalls laughing. “I was happy to have that backing
because I was pretty intimidated. “Women can become very good welders because they tend to be more detail oriented. That’s what my instructor said the very first day of class. I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to stick with it considering all the crap I put up with. There was a lot of, ‘What are you doing here, you should be home?’ and all that.” Welding skill is critical for an artist working with metal, plus the personality to enjoy such a physical form of art. Theresa fits that mold. “I’m a stand-up-to-work, don’t-sit-down, kind of person.” Comparing herself to her husband, she adds with a laugh, (Continued on page 23)