WORKING WITH BROKEN GLASS & HEALING BROKEN LIVES

Nestled in a cozy San Gabriel Valley art studio in the city of Monrovia, is a unique woman of faith and flair whose passion for the art of mosaics has been known to truly transcend the phrase “art imitates life.” While most people best know that this phrase asserts the idea that life imitates art, few are aware that it derives from classical notions that can be traced as far back as the writings of Aristophanes of Byzantium who lived more than 100 years before the time of Christ.

A true 21st century classical women herself, Sharon Ruff-Richter creates works of mosaic art using a vast variety of materials, including the traditional broken glass and pottery tiles. They tell stories so real and so heartfelt that in some cases they might be considered “forensic artwork.” This was never more true than in the 2015 creation of an elaborate 3-foot cross, called “Rogelio’s Memory,” which is partnered with a poem.

Together, they tell the true-life story of the massacre of 123 unarmed peasants assembled in the green hills above Lake Suchitlan at Copapayo, El Salvador by government troops on November 3, 1983.

This cross was made with stained glass, glass gems, and bullet casings. The bullets form the shape of an inverted fish, representing Christ. “I have done many mosaics that are based in my Lutheran faith, including many mosaic crosses,” shares Ruff-Richter.

Until 2013, Ruff-Richter, led what some may call the typical American life. She was born in Casper, Wyoming, and lived in multiple states and countries growing up. She refers to her childhood in Southern California as “my formative years in the Los Angeles area, where both my parents were born.” She attended South Gate, CA schools and graduated from Cal State Long Beach. After graduation, she spent a year as a VISTA volunteer, working on business development on Native American reservations in San Diego County. This time was perhaps her first “deep dive” into the world of all things cultural.

Following her service with Native American populations, she boldly set off as a single woman, moving to New York City to enroll in graduate school at the acclaimed Columbia University. There she earned both M.S. and M.Phil. degrees in anthropology. It was there at Columbia she met her husband, Dan, who was also a graduate student. In 1981, she further received a certificate from Stanford’s Institute for Advanced Chinese Language Study and developed a successful career as a writer, including the translation of documents from Chinese to English. She also has some mastery in other languages including Biblical Greek, Spanish, and Hebrew.

Sharon and Dan raised their kids for 20 years in Cumberland County, PA, known for its agriculture, in the town of Carlisle just 24 miles from Harrisburg. It was there that Dan taught history as a profession at Dickinson College. Sharon, who also worked outside of the home, began exploring and taking various