NOTE: If image link above not working in your browser, see slideshow at: media.cnpapers.com/stainedglass
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sunlight streams through their panels, transforming windows into works of art. Luminous even on gray days, stained-glass windows create pools of colored light on indoor surfaces when the sun shines brightly.
They warm the interiors of places of worship, public spaces and private homes and draw the eyes of nocturnal passers-by when the light glows inside. Some detailed windows depict complicated tales, scenes and symbolism, while viewers pause to puzzle out the meaning of more abstract designs.
Stained-glass artists Chris Dutch, Martina Husson and Sharon Harms helped narrow down the stained glass featured here by naming some noteworthy pieces found in public places in the Charleston area.
They came up with a mix of traditional/contemporary and secular/sacred works.
Well-known masters such as Tiffany Studios and Willet Studios as well as Charleston native David Pushkin, who went on to produce, create and teach in New York City, crafted some of the traditional pieces.
Contemporary pieces brighten the interiors of the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, the WesBanco building, St. John's Episcopal children's chapel and Christ Church United Methodist. Some were designed by out-of-towners, while Dutch, Dottie Thomas and Parkersburg artist Marcella Blomberg lent their creative flair to others.
The plaques beside the windows read like a who's who in Charleston, with prominent family names peppered throughout the window dedications.
Kanawha United Presbyterian Church, 1009 Virginia St. E
The beauty of the Tiffany stained-glass lancet and rose windows in the back of the Kanawha Presbyterian sanctuary often catches visiting speakers unaware when they first step into the pulpit. Signed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the 1915 lancet window depicts Psalm 121, which reads, "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence my help comes."
"I can't tell you how many times I've heard guest preachers stand up and say, 'Oh, I wish you could see what I'm seeing here,'" said Anne Carroll, a longtime member of the church. The lancet windows at the rear of the sanctuary depict a verdant river valley surrounded by green hills, a scene that strikes a chord with many West Virginians.
Tiffany created the muted colors and details in the windows without paint, but instead by placing layers of glass on top of each other to achieve depth. Tiffany & Co. also built the four windows lining one side of the sanctuary. The folds in the gown and feathered wings of a glowing angel featured in one window stand out because of the folded glass used to create it.
Facial details on a few of the windows' figures were painted and fired on lower levels of glass, then covered with more glass layers. "At the time, Tiffany was trying to get away from painting in stained glass," Dutch said. Most of the windows at Kanawha Presbyterian contain no paint.
The four medieval-style windows across the sanctuary were added in the 1950s and created by Willet Studios in Philadelphia. They depict the Nativity, discipleship, Christ's ministry, and Christ as a physician, his commission and transfiguration.
Christ Church United Methodist, 1221 Quarrier St.
From the tragedy of a destructive fire in 1969 arose a church that showcases an exquisite collection of stained glass from more than 100 years, said David Donathan, director of music ministries at Christ Church United Methodist. Examples of a few salvaged pieces of traditional glass from 1909, art glass from the 1950s and enormous contemporary works from the 1990s all adorn Christ Church.
The heat from the fire caused almost all of the original 1909-10 traditional windows to explode outward. The women of the church gathered as many of the shards as possible from the street and made them into sconces used in the fellowship hall.
One window, the "Good Shepherd," survived and hangs at the top of the stairs leading to the church's fellowship hall. Another window, inaccessible today in the bell tower, survived.
A small chapel with stained-glass windows installed in 1954 survived the fire.
The brilliantly colored abstract windows of the centrum were dedicated in 1992, and replaced the solid purple, orange and red windows that were installed as a temporary measure when the church was rebuilt.
"They were looking for an abstract design to complement the contemporary centrum," said Donathan. "The first two designs were rejected because they were too traditional. Reverend David DuBois wanted something abstract that people could figure out the meaning by themselves."
The three large windows were designed by artist Charles Lawrence, constructed of pieces of Blenko glass, and installed by Willet Studios.
Dutch, a member of Christ Church, served on the committee that chose the designs and oversaw the window installation. The three enormous abstracts that dominate the centrum are made of slab glass in epoxy.
"The slab technique fits the style of the building, with its concrete interior," said Dutch.
NOTE: If image link above not working in your browser, see slideshow at: media.cnpapers.com/stainedglass
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sunlight streams through their panels, transforming windows into works of art. Luminous even on gray days, stained-glass windows create pools of colored light on indoor surfaces when the sun shines brightly.
They warm the interiors of places of worship, public spaces and private homes and draw the eyes of nocturnal passers-by when the light glows inside. Some detailed windows depict complicated tales, scenes and symbolism, while viewers pause to puzzle out the meaning of more abstract designs.
Stained-glass artists Chris Dutch, Martina Husson and Sharon Harms helped narrow down the stained glass featured here by naming some noteworthy pieces found in public places in the Charleston area.
They came up with a mix of traditional/contemporary and secular/sacred works.
Well-known masters such as Tiffany Studios and Willet Studios as well as Charleston native David Pushkin, who went on to produce, create and teach in New York City, crafted some of the traditional pieces.
Contemporary pieces brighten the interiors of the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, the WesBanco building, St. John's Episcopal children's chapel and Christ Church United Methodist. Some were designed by out-of-towners, while Dutch, Dottie Thomas and Parkersburg artist Marcella Blomberg lent their creative flair to others.
The plaques beside the windows read like a who's who in Charleston, with prominent family names peppered throughout the window dedications.
Kanawha United Presbyterian Church, 1009 Virginia St. E
The beauty of the Tiffany stained-glass lancet and rose windows in the back of the Kanawha Presbyterian sanctuary often catches visiting speakers unaware when they first step into the pulpit. Signed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the 1915 lancet window depicts Psalm 121, which reads, "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence my help comes."
"I can't tell you how many times I've heard guest preachers stand up and say, 'Oh, I wish you could see what I'm seeing here,'" said Anne Carroll, a longtime member of the church. The lancet windows at the rear of the sanctuary depict a verdant river valley surrounded by green hills, a scene that strikes a chord with many West Virginians.
Tiffany created the muted colors and details in the windows without paint, but instead by placing layers of glass on top of each other to achieve depth. Tiffany & Co. also built the four windows lining one side of the sanctuary. The folds in the gown and feathered wings of a glowing angel featured in one window stand out because of the folded glass used to create it.
Facial details on a few of the windows' figures were painted and fired on lower levels of glass, then covered with more glass layers. "At the time, Tiffany was trying to get away from painting in stained glass," Dutch said. Most of the windows at Kanawha Presbyterian contain no paint.
The four medieval-style windows across the sanctuary were added in the 1950s and created by Willet Studios in Philadelphia. They depict the Nativity, discipleship, Christ's ministry, and Christ as a physician, his commission and transfiguration.
Christ Church United Methodist, 1221 Quarrier St.
From the tragedy of a destructive fire in 1969 arose a church that showcases an exquisite collection of stained glass from more than 100 years, said David Donathan, director of music ministries at Christ Church United Methodist. Examples of a few salvaged pieces of traditional glass from 1909, art glass from the 1950s and enormous contemporary works from the 1990s all adorn Christ Church.
The heat from the fire caused almost all of the original 1909-10 traditional windows to explode outward. The women of the church gathered as many of the shards as possible from the street and made them into sconces used in the fellowship hall.
One window, the "Good Shepherd," survived and hangs at the top of the stairs leading to the church's fellowship hall. Another window, inaccessible today in the bell tower, survived.
A small chapel with stained-glass windows installed in 1954 survived the fire.
The brilliantly colored abstract windows of the centrum were dedicated in 1992, and replaced the solid purple, orange and red windows that were installed as a temporary measure when the church was rebuilt.
"They were looking for an abstract design to complement the contemporary centrum," said Donathan. "The first two designs were rejected because they were too traditional. Reverend David DuBois wanted something abstract that people could figure out the meaning by themselves."
The three large windows were designed by artist Charles Lawrence, constructed of pieces of Blenko glass, and installed by Willet Studios.
Dutch, a member of Christ Church, served on the committee that chose the designs and oversaw the window installation. The three enormous abstracts that dominate the centrum are made of slab glass in epoxy.
"The slab technique fits the style of the building, with its concrete interior," said Dutch.
Several years after the main glass window installation, Dutch created stained-glass doors into the centrum. He also designed an abstract stained-glass window from pieces of salvaged glass.
B'nai Jacob Synagogue, 1599 Virginia St. E
The vibrant colors and intricate designs of the stained-glass panels at B'nai Jacob Synagogue draw walkers on Virginia Street inside the doors for a closer look. The six panels inside the lobby were designed by New York artist and Charleston native David Pushkin. A graduate of George Washington High School, Pushkin is the son of Dr. Jack Pushkin and Marsha Pushkin Albert.
The six panels in the lobby represent the story of Creation, and trace the story of light, the firmament, plants, astrology, the animal kingdom and mankind. Pushkin designed them as a commemoration for B'nai Jacob's 100th anniversary in 1993.
Three panels in a small chapel represent the three different services held each day -- morning, afternoon and evening. A prayer shawl running across the top of each panel unifies them.
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 305 E St., South Charleston
When the series of seven abstract windows at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church was installed in 2006, the rich jewel tones revitalized the neutral contemporary sanctuary. Designed by Marcella Blomberg, of Parkersburg, they depict the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
"You should be in here on a summer morning," said church administrator Sandy Williams. "The sunlight shines through the windows so brightly, it bathes everything in color."
The abstract windows represent baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation, matrimony, holy orders and anointing the sick.
"For me, the clearest is probably the Eucharist window," Williams said. "I can see the bread and wine easily in that one."
Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, 300 Virginia St. E
Intended for public consumption and enjoyment, the architectural stained-glass pieces in the federal courthouse consist of about 2,000 square feet of glass. New York artist David Wilson created a geometric pattern of colors and textures, both opaque and clear, that allows viewers to see through to the outdoors.
Three tall sections on the three-story main lobby wall are visible to all courthouse visitors, while the panels that extend along the fifth- and sixth-floor walls are visible from the interior only to guests who clear security and go upstairs.
Wilson's art glass installation is one of just 200 art-in-architecture pieces commissioned for federal buildings. In a written statement, Wilson said he intended for the glass design to work with the building and with the changing light of the day and season to visually engage people who view it.
St. John's Episcopal Church, 1105 Quarrier St.
"I designed the four windows in the children's chapel," said Dottie Thomas. "They wanted something colorful to make the room a chapel."
The project started as a collaborative effort by four fledgling stained-glass artists under the tutelage of Joe Mullins. He taught them the rudiments of cutting and placing glass.
"It became obvious that four different artists could not work on the same project," Thomas said. Eventually, the other three artists drifted into other projects or locations, and Thomas finished four windows, which were installed by Dutch.
All windows feature detailed texture produced by kilning and infusing the glass. The first window features a deer and a cross. "There are all straight lines in this one. I hadn't learned to cut curves," Thomas said.
Her final installation at St. John's is a resurrection window with a dogwood cross on which the flowers were kilned to make them pop. The window features butterflies, chicks, eggs, frogs and other symbols of new life.
WesBanco building, 300 Tennessee Ave.
When Lisa Fisher Casto, owner of The Art Store, commissioned Dutch to design a stained-glass window for the West Side bank building on which she was working, the only guidance she gave him was a color scheme.
Dutch knew the building's style held Art Deco influences. He designed a piece for an upstairs conference room that incorporates architectural and historical design elements.
"The way the images come out with lead lines is the way I like to draw," he said. "You can get such intense colors. Stained glass is very beautiful. It combines flat art and sculpture."
Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.
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