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Tara Tyrrell
Decorations: Three artists make ornaments for D.C. tree

BY MOLLY MILLETT, PIONEER PRESS, 27 OCTOBER 2003

Glass artist Tara Tyrrell of St. Paul with two of her ornaments that will be hung on the Minnesota Christmas tree in Washington, D.C., this holiday season. (Sherri Larose/Pioneer Press)

Handmade ornaments made by three local artists will hang on Minnesota's Christmas tree, one of 56 evergreens surrounding the National Christmas Tree near the White House this holiday season.

The smaller trees represent each of the 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia. Although the National Christmas Tree has been around for 80 years, the accessory trees became a tradition in 1954 and are part of the monthlong "Pageant of Peace" celebration at President's Park, between the White House and the Washington Monument.

Bachman's has decorated the Minnesota tree since 1999, but this is the first year the company commissioned local artisans' handmade creations. The three artists created ornaments with their own interpretations of lady-slippers and loons, the state flower and bird.

"Although some people wanted the state bird to be the mosquito," says Tara Tyrrell, one of the artists, laughing.

All three artists work at Bachman's.

Tyrrell, a glass artisan, lives and works in the Tilsner Artists' Cooperative in Lowertown. She also is a painter and a sculptor whose work was most recently shown in St. Paul's fall Art Crawl.

Tyrrell's lady-slipper fused glass ornament lies atop glass pieces that she uses in her designs. (Sherri Larose/Pioneer Press)

Tyrrell created her lady-slippers and loons out of fused glass. She is thrilled that her glass creations will sparkle in Washington this Christmas.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me, as well as a chance to do something patriotic," says Tyrrell.

The other ornament artists are Rick Petersen of Edina, who worked in polymer clay, and Zach Jorgensen of Minneapolis, whose chosen medium was white stoneware clay.

Each artist made 25 ornaments. Those that are not shipped (carefully) to Washington next week can be seen on a tree at Bachman's during the holiday season. The Washington trees will be on display after a Dec. 4 tree-lighting ceremony in which President Bush flips the switch.