By Nat Wexler | Photos by Holly Leitner, unless noted
You’ll find it at the Lake Geneva Public Library, Black Point Estate, the Geneva Lake Museum. You’ll find it in luxury homes around the lake, in new and historic churches and, for a few weekends in December, you’ll even find it on the lawn of Yerkes Observatory. In the Lake Geneva area, stained glass and art glass are all around us, offering a way to view the beauty of a Lake Geneva winter in a new light. One of the great ways to while away the colder season is to peer through the incredible stained-glass windows around town, or visit the World’s Tallest Glass Tree, or even try your hand at making your own art-glass creations.
PUTTING TOGETHER A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE
While the origins of stained glass are rather opaque (pun intended), the art form is rooted in the history of religion, architecture and art as a whole. Art glass, and stained glass in particular, has been used for centuries in religious spaces and private homes to inspire the viewer and augment interiors. Often, historians can identify historical periods by analyzing the motifs and styles of the stained-glass artwork; many cultures have utilized stained glass as a form of storytelling.
Ed Gilbertson of Gilbertson’s Stained Glass Studios in Lake Geneva says his company has been telling stories through stained glass since 1975. Gilbertson and his team have created a variety of stunning stained-glass pieces that are on display in locations throughout the area, including the Geneva Lake Museum and the Lake Geneva Public Library.
In fact, the Geneva Lake Museum recently opened an exhibit entitled “The Wizard of Lake Geneva,” celebrating Dungeons & Dragons co-founder Gary Gygax, who lived in the area for most of his life. Gilbertson and his team worked in collaboration with Dungeons & Dragons artist Jeff Easley to create stained-glass windows for the exhibit.
According to Gilbertson, stained-glass windows can be thought of as a puzzle. Individual pieces of glass are cut and placed into a template made of lead. To create the Dungeons & Dragons-themed pieces, the glass artists took drawings made by Easley and adapted them so they would work inside the puzzle of a stained-glass window. One of the windows depicts a wizard with a dragon lurking behind him, while another depicts a knight fighting a fire- breathing dragon.
PROTECTING AND RESTORING A PRISMATIC HISTORY
One place to view Gilbertson’s more traditional work is the Lake Geneva Public Library. His studio created the beautiful stained-glass dividers that can be seen throughout the newly renovated library. The pattern is actually a replica of the windows at the former Geneva Hotel, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and stood on the site of the current Geneva Towers condos from 1912-1970. The distinctive windows that Wright designed for the hotel have become known as “Lake Geneva Tulip Stained Glass,” and the pattern is still available for sale today through the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. (In a fitting connection, the Lake Geneva Public Library building was designed by James R. Dresser, a protégé of Wright’s.)
In addition to the dividers created by Gilbertson’s Stained Glass Studio, one of the original Lake Geneva Tulip stained glass windows from the Geneva Hotel is on display above the library’s lobby window. Gilbertson’s team also created stained-glass pieces for the area near the meeting rooms, based on a window from Dresser’s personal collection.
In addition to creating original stained-glass art, Gilbertson and his team also restore existing stained- glass windows for both museums and private collectors. (Recent restoration works included two stained-glass windows designed by revered art glass firm Tiffany & Co.) While the glass in a stained-glass window can stand the test of time, the lead frame has a shelf life of roughly 100 to 120 years. To restore these pieces, Gilbertson and his team painstaking remove the glass from the old lead frame, cataloging the location of each piece. They then recast a new frame of lead and replace each pane of glass in its original position. Gilbertson says he takes joy in the fact that, while he didn’t create the original piece, he gets to “help bring the piece back to life for another 120 years so people can continue to enjoy it.”
Many of the historic homes on Geneva Lake were built with stained- glass accent windows. When these historic homes are demolished, sometimes the stained glass is donated to the Geneva Lake Museum, where Gilbertson helps to restore and maintain the exhibits. Currently on display, visitors can view original stained-glass windows from Ceylon Court, the former estate of Frank R. Chandler, and Swinghurst, the former estate of the Rev. David Swing. Another place to view historic stained glass in Lake Geneva? Topsy Turvy Brewery, which is located in a former Baptist church that is filled with stained-glass windows.
A ONE-OF-A-KIND CHRISTMAS TREE
However, glass is not only for historic appreciation, it’s also a thriving art form that brings excitement to the local community. This year, for the third winter in Williams Bay, glass artists Jason Mack, Rob Elliott and Sarah Elliott will create “The World’s Tallest Glass Tree,” an experiential art glass installation. The World’s Tallest Glass Tree is a collaboration between the artists and Yerkes Observatory.
Walt Chadick, Director of Programs & External Affairs at Yerkes Observatory, said the organization wanted “a community-focused event that was truly one-of-a-kind.” The World’s Tallest Glass Tree is a steel-framed structure upon which the artists melt down and reuse the glass of thousands of bottles that are donated by community members. The end result is a unique glass Christmas tree; this year, it’s expected to stand slightly over 36 feet tall.
Individuals can watch the artists creating the tree during a two-weekend festival that takes place Dec. 6-8 and 13-15. While spectating the tree’s creation is entertaining in its own right, those who want to get closer to the action can purchase tickets to assist the artists by blowing the glass onto the tree. Then, at 4 p.m. on Dec. 15, the tree will be topped with a glass star.
While the star-topping ceremony is a popular time to visit the tree, Chadick recommends also coming earlier in the festival to see the tree go from a blank, steel frame to a stunning piece of art. “The magic of the experience is watching the tree get built, since the process is the payout,” he explains. The tree remains in place through the holidays before it is disassembled and removed.
In addition to the art-glass spectacle of creating the tree, the festival will also feature food and beverage offerings along with a craft fair featuring works of local artisans. For visitors who want to take the magic of the event home with them in a tangible form, ornaments made with glass from last year’s tree will be available for purchase.
While the glass tree is a relatively new addition to the Yerkes Observatory’s programming calendar, the relationship between glass and astronomy has a much lengthier history. Early telescopes like the bservatory’s large reflecting telescope (the largest of its kind in the world!) used glass lenses, meaning that much of what we have learned about the universe has been while peering through glass. Glass is also used to preserve what is viewed through the lens of a telescope. More than 100 years ago, the observatory pioneered the field of astrophotography and still contains in its collection over 180,000 photographs on glass negatives.
LEARNING THE CRAFT
While the World’s Tallest Glass Tree does offer a hands-on opportunity, those new to the art form may want to expand their study. In nearby Richmond, Illinois, visitors to The Glass Smith pub and studio can learn from masters. This combination-bar-and-glass-blowing- studio offers visitors a chance to make their own works of glass art.
Co-owners Brian Dunlavy and Jeff Popp opened the Glass Smith last winter after searching for several years for just the right space. The upscale garage-meets-bar vibe of the building provides the perfect separation of space — on one side of the room is the glass kiln (“heated 24/7 to around 1,400 degrees” according to Popp), as well as the workbench and tool areas. On the other side of the room is a custom copper bar that Popp keeps fully stocked, and across from it is a small display area where art glass made on-site is available for sale. Bar patrons can sit at the bar, at high-top tables or along the rail that separates the spaces, and watch the glassblowers as they work.
The owners say the experience of watching art being made in front of your eyes is one that can’t be underestimated. Many bar visitors end up going home and signing up for a class. The classes offer students the ability to create their own paperweight, and the instruction is designed so that students with no prior glassblowing experience are able to complete the project on their own.
The goal is to provide a space dedicated to creating art, one that people will want to come back to again and again. Dunlavy says he is excited about the creative renaissance that has taken hold in Richmond lately and he’s hoping to include more and more people in the process of making glass art. “We plan on changing up our class projects every few months,” he says. “We want to be a destination activity for people who are visiting the area, and a community resource for people who live here.”
