FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 13, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 73
A gem in College Point
vschneps@gmail.com
For over 50 years, John
Norwood, the 81-year-old
College Point artist, sculptor
and model maker, has made
the northeast Queens area his
home and art studio. I had the
privilege recently of revisiting
him and his pediatrician
wife, Ruby.
Th eir home sits on College
Point’s waterfront facing one
of LaGuardia Airport’s two
runways, providing great
sunsets and the soaring sight
of planes rising from the
Earth minute aft er minute.
Ruby assured me their new
windows keep the constant
roar of jets from disturbing
them and they never tire
of living with their unique
views.
In fact, it inspires them
— and although their kids
want them to downsize their
16,000 sq. ft . home/gallery.
But they’re devoted to where
they are, so I don’t see them
moving, even aft er surviving
a devastating fi re in 2009 that
left them homeless and much of
his work destroyed. Th ey simply
rebuilt and John continued
creating!
I met them both many years
ago shortly aft er I had created
the Whitestone/College Point
Courier in my living room. It
was 1985 and I was introduced
to the unique couple who left
an immense impression on me,
because of their devotion and
passion for what they do. It’s
just as strong today, with both of
them still doing what they love!
John had worked for 25 years
with the world renowned architect,
I.M. Pei, creating scale
models of Pei’s enormous projects
like the designs of the Javits
Center and Th e Pyramid of the
Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
When he retired, John became
a full-time artist using recycled
materials — including, remarkably,
cigarettes, matches and the
boxes that held them. He also
used objects washed up near
their waterfront property. He
makes trash into treasure.
There is now the John
Norwood Museum featuring his
work for the world to visit and
view - tripadvisor.com gave him
5 stars !
Th is visit I brought with me
Sally Tallant, the new director of
the Queens Museum, and artist
Kia Eshghi and his wife Pouran.
I was delighted to meet Ruby and
John’s daughter, Erica, a teacher
and, in her spare time, a talented
portrait artist.
John and Ruby are gems who
share their passions with us
making our world a better place.
I feel privileged to know them.
You can visit the Norwood
Museum by visiting johnnorwood.
com. Visits are by appointment
only.
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Ruby, Sally, Kia, Pouran, John and Erica
in one of his galleries.
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