A little bit of Nevada hangs on White House Christmas tree

Dan Kulin

Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2002 | 11:16 a.m.

Nevada artists' decorative renderings of a rooster, cardinal and mountain bluebird have made their way to Washington as ornaments on the White House Christmas tree.

"It's a great honor," said Zoria Zetaruk, one of the five Nevada artists whose creations hang from the presidential tree. "My children are just thrilled."

Zetaruk, 88, of Las Vegas, used a technique she learned from her mother to decorate an ostrich egg with a red rooster surrounded by a colorful design on a black background.

"They told me the theme was birds ... So I called the White House and asked if I could make a rooster because it is a stalwart protector of its flock," said Zetaruk, who has been teaching others how to paint eggs at a Las Vegas senior center for about 23 years.

Zetaruk, who received the 2002 Governor's Award for Excellence in folk art, said she spent about six weeks working on the egg that went to the White House.

"Just working every day a little bit because you know your eyes start to go," she said.

The artists were selected by the Nevada Arts Council and chosen from a pool of artists the state agency has come in contact with through other programs, council Executive Director Susan Boskoff said.

The ornaments sent to the White House become a permanent part of the White House Christmas tree ornament collection, she said.

"This is a pretty big deal," Boskoff said.

The final group of five artists were chosen to ensure different kinds of artwork would head to the White House, she said.

Joanne Vuillemot of Henderson sent a sterling silver sculpture of Nevada's state bird, the mountain bluebird, to Washington.

"I think it's a very good idea to showcase artists from all the states. I think it's really nice," Vuillemot said.

Vuillemot, who describes herself as a metal smith, is chairwoman of the Department of Art and Art History at Community College of Southern Nevada and teaches jewelry-making classes at the college.

The other Nevada artists who made ornaments for the White House tree were Jose Bellver of Pahrump, whose ornament portrayed a northern cardinal; Sharon K. Schafer of Boulder City, who used the cactus wren as the subject of her ornament; and Larry Williamson of Virginia City, whose ornament featured a rufus-sided towhee.

Nevada's first lady, Dema Guinn, said the ornaments provide White House visitors with a memorable image of Nevada.

"Thanks to the efforts of these five talented artists, the spirit of Nevada and the spirit of the holidays unite to create five spectacular works of art," Guinn said in a prepared statement. "We share this art with the rest of the nation, providing greater appreciation for the natural beauty and artistic genius that live within our state."