Stained Glass Museum
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows
The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is a permanent exhibition which opened in February 2000 at Chicago’s Navy Pier entertainment complex. It is the first American museum dedicated solely to the art of stained glass windows.
Named after prominent Chicago collectors E.B. and Maureen Smith, the museum
holds over 150 individual pieces displayed in four galleries: Victorian,
Prairie, Modern, and Contemporary. The majority of the works originally came
from Chicago-area buildings, and a number of prominent artists are represented,
including John LaFarge, Adolfas Valeška, Ed Paschke, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
(Indeed, the museum contains the largest public display of Tiffany windows in
the world). The collection contains religious themes, secular work, and some
more unusual items, including a stained glass portrait of basketball player
Michael Jordan and a window created from glass soda bottles.
The museum is located along a strip of shops, theatres, and restaurants, and
admission is free. Most of the windows in the museum are illuminated with
artificial light to highlight the colors and intricate details. Since each piece
is protected by a layer of bulletproof glass, patrons are encouraged to come
close to the works and even bring food into the galleries. Curator Rolf Achilles
says, “It’s one of the very few museums in the world you can stroll through
eating an ice cream cone right in front of the art. We don’t keep people away.
Text from Wikipedia
Louis Comfort Tiffany
from the Women's Building
World's Fair at Chicago
1893
the Printer
Saint Patrick
as a lamp shade
Autumn
Charity
Spring
King Solomon
Rapelye Memorial
Chicago Skyline
Art Nouveau
