Born on November 28, 1954, Connie Parriott died on the morning of June 8, 2013 after a long battle with cancer. photo: russell johnson
On Saturday morning, June 8th, the art community lost a dear friend and colleague — Connie Parriott. After fighting a long battle with cancer, Connie was surrounded by friends and family later that evening for a two-day, two-night wake that was both a send-off and gathering to remember her life and all that she accomplished.
Connie is remembered as a loving mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, artist, instructor, gardener, and talented cook. She met her husband of 31 years, Charlie Parriott, when both worked as artist models, in a nude black and white photography class. “It was an auspicious occasion,” her husband Charlie, tells the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet. Connie and Charlie had two daughters together, Helena and Rachel, and a legion of friends in various art communities including the glass art world, where Connie was a beloved figure.
Charlie and Connie Parriot in a portrait on the blog (http://melissaelucia.wordpress.com) of an photographer and friend of the family. photo: mellissae lucia
Charlie says that Connie was “not a bystander. She participated in symposiums in the Czech Republic, taught for two years in France, as well as Turkey and Finland,” on top of painting and glassblowing. Longtime friend, Janet Neuhauser added, “We want to keep her art alive and get it out there.” (A gallery of Connie’s artwork will be added to this item in the near future.)
Mellissae Lucia, the daughter of a close friend of the Parriotts, writes eloquently on her blog about growing up in a close-knit artist community. “Connie was a wonderful counterpoint to Charlie,” Lucia writes. “He is as wiry and intense as she was fluid and laid back. Her smile had a way of calming your nervous system, always letting you know you were welcome. The grooviest mom next door ever.”
Long time friend and colleague, Cappy Thompson, shared, “She was uniquely beautiful in the manner of Georgia O’Keeffe or Patti Smith. She was the queen of cool…unpracticed, completely natural…” and that “She had a wonderful life.” Whether she was painting, cooking for her friends and family, or simply going to galleries to support fellow artists and friends, Connie was a woman of many colors and abilities.
Although Connie’s life was cut short by cancer, her warm and vibrant energy, artwork, and impact on many will live on through the ages both in and outside of the art community she illuminated with her vibrant presence.
—Jessica Ohnikian