Linda Shanahan

Anita Metzbower, she’s a real rock star

Need some help? You needn’t look far

Botched your piece? You’re not alone

She’ll help you solder or set a stone

You’ll always find her in the shop

You ask for help; She’ll always stop

She loves lost wax and silver, too

But most of all loves helping you

Now in this year of twenty twenty

She’s our pres. and gets no money

She’ll listen and she’s always fair

Can be a job to tear your hair

Especially with this COVID mess

We’ll open soon but who can guess

She’ll let us know ‘cause she’s a pro

For more on “Nita” see below

Anita Metzbower, “Nita” to her friends (“I needa help” to her students), is a humble, quiet lady who prefers channeling her thoughts and words into art. Imagination, dreams, and other realities express who she is and has become. Born and raised in Michigan in a Leave It to Beaver-type family, she graduated from Central Michigan University with a BS degree in art and science. Nita left Michigan after college and began a career which lasted 40 years, teaching art to all ages from small children through senior citizens. She shares, “I truly loved what I did and continue doing it today. The children whom I touched with art will always remain in my heart. They were my family away from home where I could laugh and have fun! Art is truly for everyone!” She continued her education in art, working on her masters at the Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore, Md. Her artwork was displayed around the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area. “My highlight was displaying my art at the Woman’s Show in D.C., next to the White House.” Currently, she’s assisting Jim Marquis in lost wax classes and monitoring the Silver and Lost Wax Open Shop in IronOaks.

Nita lived in Annapolis, Md., and briefly in Colorado. She moved to Arizona in 2014 with her husband, two dogs, and a cat who have all since passed away. She has one son who is now married with three children.

Nita is a rare example of a club member who has created and/or taught in a number of areas, including fused glass, etched glass, stained glass, silversmithing, lost wax, wire wrapping, wire bracelets, copper tooling, precious metals, ceramics, painting and drawing, watercolor, oils, beading, pottery, chair caning, lapidary, leather, silk screening, and, yes, basket weaving. Want to take a class from Nita? Please join our club. For information on the Sun Lakes Rock, Gem and Silver Club, visit our website at slrgs.com.