Amy Mower is not only the Vice President of the Garden Club of Denver, but she is also accomplished at metal soldering! More on that later. . .
Amy joined GCD 10 years ago with encouragement from close friends, including Lisa Gould, Caroline Rassenfoss and Sally Obregon. When she became a member, Amy had recently lost her mother, and she was drawn to the mix of ages in the club and the opportunity to connect with some of the older members. She was also excited about the chance to learn new skills and be exposed to new topics.
In her time as a GCD member, Amy has served as Photography Chair for two terms, Conservation Chair and now Vice President. She is slated to begin her term as President in 2024. One of the things she has enjoyed most about the club is learning more about conservation. It was an area she did not know a great deal about previously, and she has come to appreciate how important it is for us all to do our part to protect the environment. She has also found the collaboration with the Denver Botanic Gardens to be very interesting.
Amy grew up in St. Louis as the youngest of five children. As a young adult, she followed her brother, who attended DU, to Colorado and enrolled in the horticulture program at CSU. She then transferred to an art school in Canada to study photography. Amy returned to Denver after graduation to work in a commercial photography lab where she eventually became an account executive and worked with designers and advertising agencies. She knew how to do high-end slide shows before PowerPoint was “a thing!”
Amy and her husband Ted have three grown children. Her oldest son lives in Englewood and recently married, her middle son is pursuing a PhD in Seattle, and her daughter, who is a registered dietician, will be married in Vermont this summer. The family has lived in the same home for 28 years, and they are neighbors of GCD member Tinka Kurtz.
About the soldering. . . in the late 1990’s, Amy’s mother-in-law brought her some interesting beads from the Indian Market in Santa Fe which ignited a life-long love of jewelry making. Amy started taking metals classes at Arapahoe Community College and remained in the advanced metals program for over 10 years. She loves enameling and fusing and she promises to share some of her creations with interested members.
A few other fun facts:
Favorite Flower: peony
One item she can’t live without: iPhone and coffee
Last Book Read: Overstory by Richard Powers
Currently Reading: Silent Spring Revolution by Douglas Brinkley chronicling the rise of environmental activism
If she could only have one meal every day: her husband’s homemade granola
Person she would most like to trade places with for a day: Ansel Adams
Characteristics she admires in others: Optimism and confidence
