Stained Glass Window

Joe Hester was the artist in residence who helped us choose a design, oversaw selection of the glass panels, and the construction and installation of the window.

We sought a design that would inspire and excite the imagination, convey light both into and from the church, and be an expression of our presence in the community. The congregation overwhelmingly chose Kristin Gilje’s design.

Artist Jim Flannigan at Fremont Antique Glass Co. created many sheets of custom glass for us. Glass was blown into cylinders and then sliced into sheets. The finished sheets were evaluated for color, texture, movement, and light.

Under Joe Hester’s guidance a scaffolding was erected, and a cartoon of the design transferred to paper placed on the window. The panels would be constructed directly on the cartoon. We did not proceed until the translation of the design looked and felt just right.

Once the cartoon was completed, teams gathered, and the parish hall was transformed into an artists’ studio for the duration of the project. Each sheet of glass was laid over the cartoon, and the teams considered how best to use the sheet. We wanted to maximize our resources and use the variations in the glass to enhance and illuminate the design.

Working over several weeks, participants resurrected old skills and learned new ones. The work could be tiring and physically demanding. Yet good humor and fellowship carried us through.

As the panels were completed, we set them in the window, amazed at the play of light and color, delighting in the beauty that emerged from our fellowship and community.

In the late afternoon, the sun streams through the stained-glass window, pouring its warm, bright light into our parish hall. The window was dedicated on June 12, 2011, the day of Pentecost.