Compelled to Create at Every Turn Artist Ann M. Thane

by Carol St.Sauveur Ferris

We are not born with a road map nor a set of directions, so what happens is a continuous revelation to our parents, family, friends and most of all, to ourselves. For most women it often takes years, even decades, to discover their true selves. Ann Thane has been fearless in her pursuit of self-discovery. Whether a student, wife, mother, civil servant, leader, or artist, Thane is committed to being the best she can be at whatever is waiting for her just around the corner.

As a child, Thane grew up in an affluent neighborhood just outside of Wilmington, Delaware with her two brothers, two sis ters, and two parents who were always loving and supportive of her and her sib lings. Upon graduation from high school, she attended the University of Delaware to study art where she also met her husband, Peter Thane, who has been by her side throughout her journey.

During the time she attended the University of Delaware, the curriculum was based on classical realism in the style of well-known 20th-century artist, Andrew Wyeth. It was not a natural way of interpreting what Thane saw, but she persisted. She found she could draw the female form with ease but drawing the male form was a challenge H er college experience left her a bit “i n secure about her expressive techniques” so she stored her pieces in the attic and went on to marry Peter, raise a family, and do freelance graphic design work during her 20s and 30s including stints at various advertising agencies.

While her kids were in school, Thane was very active in community events and the PTA. She also brought her love of art to her kids’ classrooms when they were small. She was eventually invited to participate in and lend a helping hand at a local museum that housed a unique assortment of treasures collected by educator Walter Elwood, who used them to teach children about the world beyond Amsterdam, New York in the early 1900s. Upon his death in the 1950s, he left the collection to the Amsterdam School District which in turn established the Walter Elwood Museum of the Mohawk Valley in 1981 in his honor. Thane became director of the museum in 2001 and eventually shepherded it to its current status as an independent entity from the school district.

In her 50s, Thane ran for office three times and won the election twice, serving as Mayor of Amsterdam, New York for two consecutive four-year terms. During her tenure, she immersed herself in all as pects of governance including the restoration of City Hall, and a long list of infrastructure improvements, cultural arts programs, historic preservations, and public arts projects. And while public office invariably comes with pressure and stressors, Thane kept herself grounded with various artistic pursuits including embellishing shells and furniture, making jewelry, and burning designs into wood.

When she left the Mayor’s office, Thane found her college art portfolio while cleaning her attic one day. It had been sitting there forgotten for several decades. She dusted it off and instantly rediscovered her deep connection to the strength and power of the women she drew and a newfound appreciation for the young woman who drew them. At 62 she realized she was now more than ready to explore and express the tenderness and strength that all women possess while showing their vulnerability and sensuality. Since then Thane has been unstoppable.

It wasn’t long before her college pieces, as well as new work, hung in the Perella Gallery of Fulton-Montgomery Community College in 2020. That exhibit showed art work spanning nearly 30 years and was called Bodies of Work. Her pieces were done in mixed media including col ored pencils, pastels, ink, spray paint, and collage and suggested the power and sensuality of women.

Now in her mid-60s, Thane shares that she “re discovered the artist within” and has decided “to do me now and run with it in a funky way!”

When viewing her multi-media artwork it is clear that she most certainly has rediscovered her voice and happily sings the songs of many women of all ages. It especially resonates with women who are struggling with the changes aging brings to appearance, health, perception, self-worth, and relationships including the roles of wife, mother, and friend. Thane admits she had a tough time with aging so not surprisingly her female subjects are often voluptuous, reflec tive, and unapologetic.

A self-described workaholic throughout every phase of her eclectic career, she is currently immersed in an amazing project that began in 2019 when Thane applied for an individual Arts grant from Saratoga Arts. Her original intent was to create a mosaic of a Madonna inside a grotto that stands in Amsterdam’s Catholic Charities parking lot. She called it Mother Mosaic of Amsterdam NY. It was to be non-denominational and feature elements from faiths from all around the world and include a variety of patterns found in folk art and ethnic textiles. References to the elements and nature were to be included as well. When the grant was awarded in early 2020 at the start of the pandemic, she got busy.

The mosaic first began as a small sketch that was blown up to five feet by nine feet. Within a very short time, it became clear that Thane’s attic could not accommodate a piece this size so local ceramicist, Tammy Merendo-Capone, provided her with studio space plus a kiln, essential supplies, and most importantly, creative guidance and mentoring throughout the process. But not long after that, Thane realized that the project was growing in scope so she leased studio space in Amsterdam’s historic Clocktower Complex.

Ensconced in her new spacious studio, Thane and four volunteers designed, rolled clay, cut shapes, glazed, and fired individual tiles by the thousands. The entire process, from rolling clay to completion, took up to a month before they were ready for application. Once completed, the gorgeous tiles were individually applied to the surface of the piece with bonding mortar, then grouted and sealed.

At the same time, Thane designed another mo saic to be installed on the opposite side of Mother Mosaic. Entitled The Tree of Life, it came to life using donated tiles made by the children of Amsterdam at various public events depicting colorful animals, fairies, flags, handprints, and more. Begun at the outset of the pan demic, this touching piece represents the industrious people of the community. Of special significance is the heart of the tree, dedi cated to the Swart family, who sadly was the first in the Amsterdam community to lose a loved one to COVID.

In May of 2020, after so much blood, sweat, and tears creating Mother Mosaic, it came as a bit of a surprise when the city contacted Thane and requested a change to her nearly completed piece. Specifically, they asked for fewer references to the Virgin Mary. Though a setback, she rose to the challenge and worked her marvelous magic to create a new mosaic called

Mother Nature as a replacement. The original Mother Mosaic will have to find a new home and the Tree of Life is slated to be installed at another public venue in Amsterdam.

Now the beautiful and elegant Mother Nature stands proudly at Riverlink Park and shares the concrete pad with Mother and Child on the opposite side. The mosaics are grand in scale, towering 12 feet and measuring 6 feet wide. Mother and Child tenderly depicts motherhood with grace and beauty. It reveals a woman walking with a child in her arms while gazing at a field, perhaps ex plaining the colorful flowers surrounding them. It is serene and delicate while strong and comforting. The other side is an elegant portrayal of a goddess-like woman in a flowing white gown with wild tendrils of hair blow ing in the wind. She is simultaneously feminine and strong, while dreamy and grounded. She seems to be looking into the distance or perhaps into the future as well.

While working on her mosaic art projects, it was lucky for Thane that the city of Amsterdam received funding from the Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor to support tile-making workshops. She got to work with ele mentary school students in summer school and eventually became the lucky recipient of hundreds of their tiles in organic shapes with textured backgrounds and others in the shape of stars. These special tiles found a forever home as integral pieces in Mother Nature.

With the installation of Mother Nature and Mother and Child nearing completion, a stainless steel guard to direct water away from the mosaics now caps the top of both sides to protect them from rainwater runoff and will be crowned with a full-scale, seven-foot crane. The crane was de signed and fabricated by metal artist Andrew Benson from a single sheet of stainless steel whose body and wings have been cleverly adorned with stainless steel spoons, forks, and knives donated by the community of Amsterdam.

For most people, creating and seeing a dream come true of such grandeur and beauty would be the chef-d'oeuvre of their lives but not for Thane. No siree. In fact, when speaking with her, she shares that she worries that she won’t live long enough to do everything she wants to do in this lifetime. Hopefully, Ann Thane is blessed with a very long life because she is simply not done creating.

And hopefully, for us, we’ll all be here for it!

Visit www.thaneartwork.com to view her creations.

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