Tempe High School Class of 1969

Offsite Links

Tempe High School Class of 1969 - '69 Buff Art Gallery

First Name:	*
Last Name:	*
Email Address:
Title:	*
Body:	<i>Here is an article that appeared in this years FBR Open program about Greg Campell's contribution to the FBR Open Trophy...regarded as one of the most beautiful and valuable on the PGA TOUR. “That’s a nice plaque. But where’s my trophy?” It’s funny you should ask. For almost 75 years, the Thunderbirds have held one of the PGA Tour’s most prestigious, and probably the wildest, golf event of the tour. Annual turnout is staggering, the weather typically warm and sunny, and the purse worthy of a win. But, until 2002, the Phoenix Open, now the FBR Open, was an event marked by a very modest trophy – a plaque that, while many golfers were proud to have earned it, didn’t quite fit the image the Thunderbirds wanted to portray. “Our motto is “always be the best,” said Ed Grant, former Big Chief and the Thunderbird tasked with designing a new trophy. “But, when I was the Tournament Chairman in 1996, the trophy I gave to winner Phil Mickelson was just a single plaque.” Thunderbird legend has it that two years later Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevick, winner of the 1998 Phoenix Open, called the Thunderbirds on their choice of award. When presented with the traditional Phoenix Open plaque, Parnevick said: “That’s a nice plaque. But where’s my trophy?” Taking Parnevick’s comment to heart, the Thunderbirds decided it was time to re-design their trophy into an icon worthy of their tournament and their organization; one that golfers would not only be proud to win but also proud to display. And they succeeded. In 2002, Phoenix Open winner Chris DiMarco proudly held the new Thunderbird trophy. Designed and created in a joint effort between local artist and wood-turner Greg Campbell and the world-renowned Waterford Crystal company in Waterford, Ireland, the Thunderbirds unveiled not just a trophy, but a unique work of art. “It’s the centerpiece of my house,” DiMarco said. “It’s something I look at every day; I’m proud to have it.” While the Thunderbirds decided it was time to commission a new trophy, it was Greg Campbell’s work that inspired the Southwestern spirit the trophy exemplifies. At the time, Grant served as a member of the Thunderbirds’ advisory council. Having gone to high school with Campbell and kept in touch, Grant was already familiar with Campbell’s exquisitely carved bowls and vases. Campbell, an Arizona native who became a full-time artist in 2000, carefully crafts his pieces from felled trees he finds locally, including mesquite, the indigenous tree that forms the base of the Thunderbird trophy. Campbell’s sought after bowls and vases of various sizes and shapes are the result of hours of work at the lathe where he carefully carves away the layers to reveal the wood’s natural beauties and imperfections. He fills narrow cracks with turquoise, malachite or lapis; and uses dried coffee grounds to provide texture and character to the wider cracks and holes. Once the piece is carved, he applies layers of natural oils to highlight the wood’s inherent hues – mesquite’s shades of light chocolate-brown, the deep red and rust tones of African sumac, and the cream shades of olive. Each piece is sanded and polished to the high gloss of porcelain. “Greg’s work was emblematic of the Thunderbirds,” Grant said. The combination of the indigenous Mesquite wood and the turquoise ingrained in its natural cracks and fissures clearly represented the Arizona-based Thunderbirds, and Grant soon introduced his vision to the rest of the council. “We started talking about [the trophy] at a planning session at some hotel up in the mountains,” Grant said. “They had a piece of art similar to one of Greg’s bowls, and I grabbed it.” Despite what hotel personnel thought, Grant was not stealing the artwork, but trying to share his vision of the new trophy with his fellow Thunderbirds. They embraced his idea. While Campbell’s woodwork would provide the base of the trophy, the world-renowned trophy creator Waterford Crystal in Waterford, Ireland was a natural choice for the Thunderbird emblem – a 17-pound piece of crystal adorned with silver. Having worked with them in the past, Grant approached Waterford representative, Mel Morgan, to ask if they could create the piece Grant had in mind. Despite the fact that the venture was a new one for Waterford, they welcomed the opportunity once they saw Campbell’s work. After 18 months spent collaborating with Campbell and Waterford, the trophy was ready. In 2002, Tournament Chairman Scott Henderson presented the new trophy to Phoenix Open winner, Chris DiMarco. “I remember holding [the trophy] up,” said DiMarco, “and the Thunderbird who gave it to me saying, ‘be careful with that, that’s a $50,000 trophy’ and thinking, ‘oh, wow!” The ‘new’ trophy, now in its sixth year, marries the elegance of Waterford crystal with the rustic beauty of Campbell’s Southwestern art – creating a memorable trophy any professional golfer would be proud to receive. </i> *
Attach File:
Verification:	What is the last letter in the word "sea"?

	To obtain a site like this for your class visit www.ourclassonline.com. [Administration]
	Copyright Web Portal People, LLC. 2024 - Maker of class reunion & family websites. All rights reserved.