GuitarMania! Public Can Watch Stained Glass Guitar Created in Learwood Plaza

For a second time, Avon Lake artist Judy Kean has been invited to create another stained glass GuitarMania piece, and the public will have a chance to see the artist at work in Learwood Plaza.

Kean, who has been a stained-glass artist since 1984, created “The Glass Parrot” for the 2007 GuitarMania project. That 10-foot guitar, which required thousands of pieces of cut glass, was auctioned off with other GuitarMania works with proceeds benefitting the The United Way.

Kean is creating another 10-foot guitar with stained glass for the 2012 GuitarMania project. Last week, the guitar was delivered to her temporary space in a vacated Learwood Plaza store, and is now ready to be started.

The public is invited to watch her at work.

"I'm pretty excited about it," Kean said about the new project.

Renowned guitar artist “Pamelina H” created the pattern for the guitar, which is sponsored by Cleveland law firm Baker & Hostetler. Unlike the last guitar,  the public will be welcome to stop in Kean’s space and watch her at work. The large space is located, appropriately, next to the

“Right now I’m the only artist open to the public,” Kean, who operates in Avon Lake, said. “I’d like to have people stop by, students, school classes.”

The work to finish the guitar, which should be complete in four to five weeks is laborious. Most GuitarMania pieces will have the pattern drawn on and painted; Kean had a life-sized contact sheet of the guitar pattern created, which will adhere to the guitar and then cut out by color pattern.

“It will take thousands of glass pieces,” Kean said, adding she loves the design created by Pamelina, who specializes in painting guitars. The swirly design will feature blue, black and green glass pieces. “I wanted a ‘pop’ color,” she said.

The completed guitar might find a home in front of the downtown law firm before being moved, with the rest of the guitars, in front of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The guitars will be on display from Sept. 1 through Oct. 20, 2012.

The guitars will be sold during a live auction on Oct. 20, 2012 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.