Murray Stein

Dallas Area Woodturners Bio 2012 Murray Stein

Murray is an engineer turned sculptor and lives in Allen TX. He moved here seven years ago from Maryland to be near his grandchildren. His six children are scattered from Dallas to Maryland, to Florida and Virginia.

Murray and his wife Carol (who also is a turner) volunteer a lot in the community, mostly in the Senior Recreation Center, where he teaches Classical Music Appreciation and she assists with administrative duties. They also present music programs for children called, “Making Music with Household Utensils” at several public venues.

Rhapsody in Blue

The sculpture honors Schubert's "Trout Quintet".  The keyboard was made on a lathe as a bottomless cylindrical bowl with vertical sides, cut apart, and glued together as a sine wave. The black keys are real ebony.   The other strings are constructed with an industrial laminate made from tulip poplar.

The violin and viola are overlapped to take advantage of their natural curvature which forms a fish - the trout.  Murray bought dichroic glass from Nan Phillips and used it as a linear mosaic to emphasize the outline.  Now it's a rainbow trout.

Dedication at the Strathmore Center,
Maryland
The 50+ people that showed up for the dedication of my sculpture at the Strathmore Center in Maryland.

Murray has created several other ‘collections’, such as his Native American Segmented Pottery (featured for two months in 2009 at the Dallas International Museum of Cultures). His International Collection reflecting art from other cultures, will soon exhibit there too.

Then there are his electronic UFOs featuring motion, levitation, blinking lights and ‘talking Martians’. His latest collection is of lathe-made flowers which reflect his love of nature. He has won numerous ‘first place’ and ‘best of show’ awards plus having been interviewed on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNN, newspapers and magazines.

His thousands of hours of volunteering in both MD and TX have not gone unnoticed for his work at city, county and state levels. In 2006 he was called to Washington to receive a National Award on Capitol Hill: “Distinguished Senior for 2006”. In 2007, and again in 2009 he received two Public Service Awards from the D.A.R. here in Texas.

Murray’s art can be seen at www.woodizgood.deviantart.com He can be contacted at carmur@alumni.gwu.edu

Artist's Spotlight

What type(s) of art do you like to create?
1.       Figurative and abstract sculptures in wood
2.        Exotic Vessels (Wood turning) multi-colored wood
3.        Large Pen and Ink Images 
4.       Judaica (wood, stone, metal) including Biblical themes
5.       Sculpted period furniture

Where did you learn to do what you do?   Self-taught

Tell us about your most important projects. 

1. Lest We Forget was inspired by very emotional gut feelings to memorialize the 6 million victims of the Holocaust.  The sculpture is of two adult hands and two child’s hands in the window of a cattle car which was taking them to a death camp.  As my hands cramped when I was chiseling the hard maple, I could relate to the suffering of the victims as they were beaten by their guards.  This will be installed in the new Dallas Holocaust Museum.
2. Sombrero is a life-size Mariachi hat made from over 1,100 pieces of wood.  This is one of a series of musically oriented sculptures.  63" circumference.  Third place in TX State Fair, Champion Ribbon in MD Fair.
3. Suspended Chord is a sculpture for the upcoming Arts Hall (Allen, TX), the future home of several area orchestras.  Presently it is in the Executive Offices of the Plano Symphony Orchestra. 5’ x  3’ x 2’. 
4. Schubert’s Trout Quintet is a commission which was installed in the promenade of the Strathmore Music Center, Bethesda, MD.  7’ x 5’ x 1’.   Strathmore hosts 30 concerts/yr of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Describe your studio.
1.       The Allen, Tx studio is in a garage and consists mainly of four lathes, associated saws, drill presses and means for sculpting and finishing wood.  The arbor-covered patio serves as an extension of the studio for al fresco work.  The former living room, along with the family room serve as galleries.  My easels are my lathes, my brushes are chisels and my paints are domestic and tropical woods.  (It’s nice to live in a gallery).
2.       The Rockville, MD studio has two lathes, one of which is home-built, and permits turning very large vessels.  My 42” diameter UFO was turned on this. (See website).

What type of music do you listen to while you work?
1.       Classical music from Baroque to 20th century.

Where do you find your inspiration?
1.       From visiting museums, galleries and craft shows.
2.       From sitting on the can. (true)

Do you have any advice for other artists?
1.       Join art organizations and be active.
2.       Exhibit where ever you can. Galleries, libraries, public venues, restaurants
3.       Visit museums, attend craft shows for inspiration.

Do you belong to any art organizations?
1.       Texas Sculpture Association
2.       Dallas Area Woodturners
3.       American Association of Woodturners
4.       Senior Artists Alliance

Do you have a website?  www.woodizgood.deviantart.com