Street Talk: Silversmith Glenn Prescott made a masterpiece of a chalice

It is called "The Chalice nu Foighinn" which is Gaelic for "The Chalice of Patience" and it is stunning!

He is Carson City's Glenn Prescott and he made the silver chalice right here in Carson City,

The chalice weighs 84 ounces, is 15 inches tall and is entirely hand fabricated. It consists of 512 pieces and none were cast. It is surrounded by seven precious stones that include an emerald, ruby and sapphire.

Glenn, who is 38, made it at his workshop at home and it took slightly more than two years and 700 hours to complete. In a second we'll tell you more about the chalice and where you can see it in town but first we'll talk a little with Glenn, who has been called a "Master Silversmith" and a "Genius" when it comes to creating one-of-a-kind works.

Glenn and Linda have been married four years. Both were born in Milwaukee, Wisc.

"We met at a blues street dance on Memorial Day weekend of 1986 and have been together ever since," said Linda as we began our visit. "We had planned getting married for many years but something always came up until we moved here in 1996. Then in April of that year we finally did it! We got married at the Silver Queen in Virginia City."

The couple came "straight here" from Milwaukee. It was their "first venture" away from family and friends and they came because of Glenn's job as a metal fabricator for WorldWide Sign Systems.

"I make sign letters like the Playplace sign at McDonald's on South Carson Street," said Glenn. "When the company expanded to Carson City they needed volunteers so we came west."

Glenn does his silver work when not at his job and he makes "assorted silver items" like wedding chalices, personal picture frames, infant spoons, trophies and other made-to-order items.

"Anything you can picture he can do," added Linda proudly.

Glenn says patience is very important when he is creating something like the chalice.

"I work in a very old style," he said. "Silver doesn't yell at you. It whispers and tells you what it will do and will not do .... You'd be surprised what can be done with silver."

Glenn says he got his "artistic ability" from his parents.

"My dad Tom is a Native American Indian from the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin," said Glenn. "He and Judy have been married for 26 years. My mom Teckla lives in Visalia, Calif. She's been a big influence in my life, especially in my artistic ability. My grandfather - He's dead now - And my uncle Curtis - He's still alive - did it before me and they both taught me a thing or two about it. I started doing it 13 years ago."

I asked Glenn if he knew beforehand what the chalice would look like when completed or if he just "plays it by ear" when it came to making the chalice, which is valued at more than $75,000.

"I had a general idea of what the completed chalice would look like and I knew the detail that would go into it," he replied with a smile. "I drew a sketch of it and had my ideas before I started."

Glenn made the chalice for a Reno customer and he says he "makes these pieces" for clients "usually but not always" as he does make some things for himself.

"Eventually I will sell them but most of the work I do is for clients," he added. "I order my materials from a distributor in New Mexico. I order sheets of silver in different gauges. I usually order as I go. It depends on the silver and gold market. I buy more when the price is low enough to make it worthwhile."

SEE IT YOURSELF

The Chalice of Patience really is neat! Glenn handed it to me - I faked dropping it and almost gave him a heart attack! - And I told him what a great hood ornament it would make for my car as he carefully took it back.

The chalice is on display at Tim Rubsam's Jewelry Bench at the corner of Telegraph and Carson Streets.

"It will be on display all summer long," noted Glenn. "The owner wanted people to be able to view it before he takes it home for good."

Some of you may have seen or met Glenn as he was dressed in a tuxedo during the "Taste of Downtown" event last month at the door of The Jewelry Bench greeting people.

"I met a lot of people and directed them to the chalice," he said, smiling. "It was a good, fun experience .... I'd do it again."

What's next for Glenn?

"I'm working on some small projects but nothing like the chalice," answered Glenn. "I would do another like it again if asked. It's hard work but it's fun work too."

Speaking of fun, Glenn is a "banjoist" according to Linda.

"He plays a five-string banjo and he's performed professionally at social and charitable events for 17 years," said Linda happily. "He played with the seven-piece band Northwind and he's also made demo recordings and jammed with some of the best bands in the midwest."

Glenn and Linda like to go "gold panning" as well as "hiking in the hills" and they both like to read and go on long drives.

"We like doing those kind of things and we like it, like it a lot, living in Carson City," said Glenn cheerfully. "We've adjusted well to the Nevada lifestyle."

CHEESE CURDS & SAUSAGE

Last summer Linda and Glenn went "back home" to Wisconsin for a visit and they brought me back some "genuine Wisconsin Cheese Curds and Venison Sausage" for me and it was great!

"We plan to go back again in October," said a grinning Linda. "We'll drive again. It's a 4,000-mile roundtrip but we stop along the way and play tourist on the trip. It's a fun time for us and we can't wait to go."

I placed my cheese and sausage order with Linda and Glenn for this year and now I can't wait for them to go - Or rather, to return .... I can taste it already.

THE KING OF THE COWBOYS

That would be Roy Rogers. The cowboy hero of many a youth, Roy passed away two years ago last Thursday, July 6. Roy was a visitor and was familiar with Carson City, if you didn't know.

Tonight on our Street Talk TV Show on CAT-10 we'll travel out to Mound House to visit with "The Wagonmaster" himself, Norman Hoggatt, who will give us a personal tour of the Roy Rogers Museum plus we'll show you some of the movie "The Carson City Kid" that starred Roy as the Kid. The show repeats Monday at 8 a.m.

-ALAN ROGERS is a Nevada Appeal columnist. His message phone is 887-2430, ect. 402.)