FIRST FRIDAY: Winter Artists Show and Reception featuring "THE MAGIC AND MIXTURE OF GLASS AND PHOTOGRAPHY" Don Dietz and David and Stephanie Salter

Come and meet the artists at our Winter Artist Reception of the Desert Art Center's 67th season

The DAC small gallery will host our "GLASS AND PHOTOGRAPHY" show with featured artists Don Dietz (stained glass) and David and Stephanie Salter (photography)

Don Dietz

serving bowl                   serving tray

Don graduated from San Francisco State University with a Masters Degree in Industrial Education.  He taught crafts, graphic arts and drafting for 14 years.  After retiring in 1997, he began traveling extensively throughout the United States. He started making stained glass art work from his "Studio on the Road".  His work is inspired by many sights he has seen and he incorporates the designs and objects in many of his projects .  Don's ability to work with colors and patterns within the glass to achieve overall effect makes his work unique.  He has done commissions for homes in Arizona, California and Nevada and his work has been displayed in several galleries and throughout the United States.

He enjoys the challenge of "Painting with Glass".  When choosing class he takes into consideration how the glass will appear in natural light.  He works within the glass to achiever the overall effect of his subject.  In his new medium of fused glass he creatively blends colors, patterns and textures into original decorative functional objects.  His method and madness fuse together swirls, lines and delicate patterns in unique, one-of-kind creations.

David and Stephanie Salter

Wagons                                 Nashville Warbler

Davids interest in photography began in the 1960s when he built his own darkroom and experimented with black and white images. The digital revolution rekindled his interest in photography with the computer replacing the darkroom. During the latter part of his 34-year career as a biologist and college professor, he made many digital images of a wide variety of microscopic and macroscopic biological specimens. 

Since his retirement in 2004, he and his wife, Stephanie, have traveled from Baja California to Alaska “digitalizing” wildflowers, wildlife and landscapes. David is especially interested in the great variety of desert wildflowers and the many challenges offered by bird photography.  He and Stephanie are long-time residents of Coachella Valley and spend much or our time traveling and exploring the deserts of the Southwest.

Mesquite Dunes                   Parnasssian

         
Stephanie retired  from ICU/Open Heart nursing in 2007, she became more involved her and David's photography business, Digital Images, which she manage with  David. They both share the love of photography and all the travel and excitement of finding that “special” photo. Stephanie's favorite lens is Canon’s 100-400mm L-Series zoom. They spend much of our time photographing the grandeur of the Southwest—especially Death Valley. Their old jeep takes them to remote places where nature has been less disturbed by human activity. Their “retirement” is filled with, photography, art shows and volunteering at the Desert Art Center.