Carved faces, Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA   Carved sea creature, pipe shade carvings of Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ,Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA Jude Fritts
Wood Carving & Sculpture 		Butterfly carving, pipe shades, Fritts pipe organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA  Carved dream catchers and looking glass in pipe shade carvings for Fritts pipe organ at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA  Pipe shade carvings, Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA, wood carver Jude Fritts

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Woodcarving


Carvings by Jude Fritts for

The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ
Carved faces, pipe shade carvings, Fritts pipe organs, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA Carved faces for pipe shade carvings for the organ at the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington, wood carver Jude Fritts PLU Pipe shades with dream catchers, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA Life-sized sculpture of woman with orb, pipe shade carvings at Fritts pipe organs, Pacific Lutheran University Pipe shade carvings, Fritts organ, Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma Carved dream catchers and looking glass in pipe shade carvings for Fritts pipe organ at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA Carved sculpture of sea monsters for pipe shade carvings for the organ at the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington, wood carver Jude Fritts Carved sculpture of woman with sun and sea creatures, carvings for the organ at the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington, wood carver Jude Fritts Carvings for the organ at the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington, wood carver Jude Fritts Carved faces, carvings for the organ at the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington, wood carver Jude Fritts Carved sun, carvings for the organ at the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington, wood carver Jude Fritts

Pacific Lutheran University
Lagerquist Hall
Tacoma, Washington
1998


"A multitude of carefully carved god-like faces peers from each set of organ pipes; intricate, three-dimensional scrollwork is everywhere; and flowing locks stream from the upturned heads of two near-life-size female figures at the top of the organ."*

Jude draws her inspiration from "meeting a lot of interesting people" and says she chose the particular motif for this organ to honor those who had overcome trauma in their lives. "I was interested in the ways they were able to deal with their trauma in order to survive."*

The pipe shades are made of basswood that grew in the Appalachian Mountains. Basswood is very stable and strong for its weight and responds well to carving tools due to its firm grain structure.     More...

*From www.plu.edu/about/tours/art9.html
Carved female sculpture, pipe shade carvings, Fritts pipe organs, Pacific Lutheran University



Life-sized sculpture of woman with orb, pipe shade carvings at Fritts pipe organs, Pacific Lutheran University

wood carved ornament


Carved sun burst, pipe shade carvings, Fritts pipe organs, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA    carved ornament, dream catchers, ancient woman figures, Fritts pipe organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA   carved sculpture,PLU pipe shades, Fritts pipe organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA   Carved ornament, pipe shade carvings, Fritts pipe organs, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA    PLU Pipe shades with dream catchers, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA 

Carved ornament, pipe shade carvings, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA

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wooden carving


Jude Fritts raising the large PLU carving, Fritts pipe organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA, wood carver Jude Fritts  Raising the large carving, Fritts pipe organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA, wood carver Jude Fritts  Raising large carving, Fritts pipe organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA, wood carver Jude Fritts  Fritts pipe organ, Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA, wood carver Jude Fritts

Workshop, Carving pipe shades for The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, wood carver Jude Fritts  Workshop, Carving pipe shades for The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, wood carver Jude Fritts  Workshop, Carving pipe shades for The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ, Pacific Lutheran University, wood carver Jude Fritts

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Notes on the The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ's pipe shade carvings

Opus 18 of Paul Fritts & Company Organ Builders

  • "The evolution of the mechanical-action organ in the United States..." by Tamara Stills

    "Opus 18 was not only a landmark for Paul Fritts (at the time it was his largest instrument by twenty stops), but for Jude Fritts as well. It was a turning point for her because of the sheer scope of the project (two hundred fifty square feet of carvings) and, perhaps more importantly, the design freedom she enjoyed. Having done seven other organs for her brother, and carvings for several instruments by other builders, she began to tire of creating carvings by request; she wanted to employ her own inspiration for designs. With Opus 18 she was given free latitude. The subject matter of the carvings is a reflection of her personal experience while she was working on the project.

    "When she began work on the carvings for Opus 18, Fritts had to use studio space in a building that was home to a psychotherapy clinic. While using the studio space at the clinic, Fritts met trauma survivors. Out of her encounters with those patients, Fritts feels that her carvings provide a voice for countless anonymous victims. The carvings were a bit controversial for the university, not because of their inspiration, but because of nudity.

    "Included in the case is a head with three faces (in the Ruckpositiv). Children's faces represent the playful child-like personalities of some of the patients she encountered. Also found in the carvings are dream catchers and sea creatures. The nudes in semi-relief are a female, surrounded by stars and holding a moon and a [fe]male holding the sun."



    From: Still, Tamara G., "Paul Fritts and Company, Organ Builders: The evolution of the mechanical-action organ in the United States during the 20th century with historical emphasis on the instruments of Paul Fritts", doctoral dissertation submitted for Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Washington, 2005




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For more about The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ

Visit Pacific Lutheran University's website:
Paul Fritts & Company Organ Builders (Opus 18):
News Articles:
Other Sites:
Discography of Performances on the The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ:
pipe shade carving

About Jude Fritts

See Jude's Resume in Photos...

Jude Fritts is a woodcarving artist with twenty six years of experience working in a wide variety of styles and woods. Jude's custom carving includes carved doors and panels, wall art, carved ornament, and sculpture. Jude has designed and carved large scale pipe shade carvings for organs built by Paul Fritts & Company Organ Builders, Charles M. Ruggles Pipe Organs, Rosales Pipe Organ Services and Schlicker Organ Co. She is currently working on carvings for the new pipe organ at St. Philip Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX, which will be delivered January 2010.

Jude has created designs ranging from renaissance to contemporary and has worked in oak, Douglas fir, cherry, Honduran mahogany, western red cedar and basswood. Individual works vary in size from 5 to 65 panels totaling 12 to 250 square feet of carving. Carvings for an organ typically take a year to complete. Large organs, like The Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ for Pacific Lutheran University, have taken more than two years. Small organs may require only three months.



Featured Pipe Shade Carvings by Jude Fritts for Pipe Organs at:

Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, 1998

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 1991

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 2004

St. Marks Cathedral, Seattle, WA, 2003


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Woodcarving

Jude Fritts


Wood Carving & Wood Carved Sculpture
Olympia, Washington