Marie E. Tawes

Marie Tawes, 52, died peacefully at her home in Charlottesville, Va. Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005, after a brave and courageous battle with ovarian cancer.

She made her transitional journey surrounded by her caring family, son and fiancé. Over six years she faced each new development of her illness with fortitude, grace, and a positive spirit.

Born Feb. 18, 1953, in Greenwhich Village, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Leon Betowski and Margaret Betowski of Manhasset , Long Island, N.Y.

Raised within a close loving family, in addition to her mother she is survived by her teenage son, Kendall Tawes; her brother, Leon Betowski Jr. and his family of Las Vegas, Nev.; elder sister, Nan Brooks and her family of Port Washington, N.Y.; younger sister, Paula Flaherty and her family of Bethlehem, Pa.; and her fiancé Mike Richardson and his daughter, Alex, of Nortonsville, Va.

Marie, better known as Mimi Layne Tawes, the stained glass artist, was an exceptional high school student and accomplished musician. Raised in the shadow of the Tiffany Estate, she became fascinated by glass art and the art deco style in particular at an early age. She studied at the University of Virginia College of Art where she received her BA in Studio Art degree in 1975. Interestingly and quite by chance she lived in the Georgia O' Keefe house on Wertland Street while a student. After post-graduate courses at VCU and the Arrowmont School she experimented in her Williamsburg Studio, which she set up in 1979. Discovering over time how to enhance her sculptural and pictorial works by incorporating other media including airbrush, xerox, transparencies, silk screening, paper and slumping into her essentially miniature geometric works within the straight lines and circle themes, which became common to her work.

Naming her business Firelight Glass Art, she moved to the McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville in 1983 where she remained for the next 22 years.

A prolific and versatile artist, Mimi during her lifetime, undertook hundreds of prestigious glass art commissions including the long glass panels at the University of Virginia Medical Center, restored many old church windows, created art deco lamps together with small gift items and in 1997 made a special decorative piece for the White House during the Clinton administration. Making her goal visual exploration, she felt that the myriad images that came to her were a gift enabling her to execute a stream of consciousness in glass. Mimi's competitive edge caused her work to be shown at venues and galleries such as the Brand Library in Los Angeles , Ca., and the Parson's School of Design and the American Crafts Council in New York. These exhibitions in turn led to critical acclaim and recognition in national magazines. She was a recipient of many awards for her inspiring unique figural work. This past summer alone, although in falling health, she hosted two exhibitions. One at UVa Dell Gallery in honor of her 30 years as a professional Virginia artist followed by being the chosen featured artist at the McGuffey Art Center's summer show where her whimsical glass sculptures caught the publics' imagination.

Believing that the arts were a way for people of varied socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicity, religious and political orientations to come together transcending their differences, she saw art as a way people could connect in a society made up of disparate and competing elements. Mimi conducted hundreds of inspirational workshops over the years, freely sharing her expertise and techniques with adults and children. She taught glass art in several local Virginia high schools and at Piedmont Virginia Community College. She used to teach her students how luminosity, visual experience, textural qualities and mental images, combined with designing patterns the many processes of creating the piece, be it a panel or a decorative box, made for a therapeutic and satisfying experience through the mix of applying graphic art and craft skills.

Mimi inspired so many people throughout her lifetime. One of her proudest achievements was bringing together a group of diverse friends who established a metaphysical, esoteric, informal debating club in Charlottesville, Va. during 2003. Another of Mimi's joys was travel. She drove across America on a voyage of discovery, went to Italy in search of her mother's ancestors, toured England and together with her son, spent a memorable holiday in France with her fiancé and his daughter in 2004.

Even though ovarian cancer shortened her remarkable life, it never robbed her of her joy, nor stemmed her energy to work towards making the world a more peaceful place. Whilst a compassionate, humane light has gone from this world, we know it will shine forever in the realms of eternity just as her earthly creations are a constant reminder of this wonderful woman we were all so privileged to know.

Mimi expressed the wish to leave her body to medical science so the family suggests friends may care to make a donation to Hospice of the Piedmont at 2200 Old Ivy Rd., Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA 22903 to whom they are extremely grateful for the care and attention given to her during her final months.

A gathering to celebrate the life and work of Mimi Layne Tawes, will be held between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005, at the McGuffey Art Center, 2nd Street NW, Charlottesville, Va. Further details about this event can be obtained from the Betowski family, P.O. Box 4882, Charlottesville, VA 22905.

A Mass will be offered for her soul at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Manhasset, Long Island, N.Y. at a later date. Information may be obtained from Nan Betowski Brooks, 9 Prospect Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050. The Betowski family invite Mimi's friends and acquaintances to attend.