New Kaleidiscope

A big blue kaleidoscope is visiting the library for viewing now.  Artist Tom Chouteau, its creator, is the owner of Kaleidoscope Art Gallery and Gifts in Davenport.  He has been making kaleidoscopes for over 30 years.

This kaleidoscope is called “Blue Note.”  The holes in the plow-wheel enable one to view both passersby and the surrounding environment as well as the colorful stained glass.  It uses a 4-inch crystal ball, which gives a magnificent kaleidoscopic image viewed through the three-mirror system.

“As a child, I played with mirrors and experimented with how they work,” he said.  Tom comes by his artistic endeavors naturally--his father was an artist and taught at St. Ambrose.  He has seven sisters, and four members of his family have art degrees.

The public (and certainly children) is welcome to come into the library and experience this beautiful piece of work, but please, be careful!  We don’t want to see it get broken!