One medium of art that has been almost exclusively associated with Christian churches is that of stained glass. Some basic considerations regarding stained glass are mentioned here.
Light. In the beginning, God created light. Since that time, it has been a source of fascination. Such fascination has been important in the art forms of Christian places, so much so that a prime criterion for judging the success of a religious building has been the way in which light enters the spaces. The craft of the glassmaker thus has its important place.
Glass. We marvel at the wonderful ways stained glass plays with light. Glass is thought to have been invented by accident; Phoenician sailors found glass-like remains in the embers of their beach fires over five thousand years ago. Glass was long considered a precious material, used in molded vases, mosaic tile, beads, and imitations of gems. Glass was not used for glazing windows until 1500 years ago, and the earliest evidence of such window glass is in buildings for worship.
Colored glass originated from our ancestors’ inability to make clear glass. Such glass is not really “stained”; the colors come from metal oxides fused to or suspended in the glass while it is liquid. “Art glass” is a more appropriate term today, one which can refer also to clear glass that has been acid-etched, beveled, engraved, sandblasted, or textured. These are all ways to modulate the quality of light refracted through the glass surface. Color is only one of the qualities available to the artist working in glass.
Between the Glass Pieces. The materials which hold the glass pieces together must also be carefully chosen. Since medieval times, lead channels have been in common use. In the last 100 years, glass fabrication methods have changed; copper, foil, epoxy, and zinc are now used as structural members.
Cost. The cost of art glass is generally determined by its size (square feet being the unit of measure). Price varies according to the types of glass used, the way it is held together, and the installation conditions. More significantly, the intricacy of the design and the number of glass pieces per square foot are primary cost determinants. Art glass suitable for a worship space typically ranges from $75 to $150 per square foot, not including the window frames and installation. For glass with painted figures of scenes, the median price is between $200 and $350 per square foot.
Collaboration. In church building and renovation, it is important that the architect, artist, and fabricator work together to explore all the design possibilities. Working with the parish representative, this team enhances the likelihood of a compatible marriage of the art glass to the architecture.