Author: SGAA Staff
On a bitterly cold day in December of 2017, a semi-truck came to a stop in Buffalo, NY. With 115-years worth of historical paperwork, magazines, and archives weighing down the axles, it was hope and unbridled tenacity that kept the boxes from collapsing in on themselves.
Just a few months earlier, in October of 2017, Megan McElfresh of Buffalo, NY had been offered the job of Executive Director of the Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA), founded in 1903. Her terms: “You’d have to move the national offices to Buffalo, NY.” The Board replied, “Go pack the truck.”
The architecture of Buffalo has a reputation all its own, but if you’re a stained glass artisan, you’ve definitely heard that the Queen City is one of the places you need to go. McElfresh calls it a “living museum” of stained glass.
Buffalo, NY has an incredible collection of stained glass that rivals any city in the nation. Trinity Episcopal Church in Buffalo, NY is one of just three places in the country where you can study Louis C. Tiffany and John LaFarge windows side-by-side. Image courtesy of Megan McElfresh.
Buffalo has one of the best historical collections of stained glass in the country. From original windows from the height of the art nouveau movement by Louis Comfort Tiffany to intricate French grisaille and dalle de verre, Buffalo is home to a diverse selection of notable glass. SGAA headquarters at Trinity Episcopal Church contains original windows from both Louis Comfort Tiffany and John LaFarge, one of only three places in the world to do so.
Unique, luscious details showcase the development of American Opalescent Stained Glass in the windows at Trinity Episcopal in the sanctuary just down the hallway from the new SGAA offices in Buffalo, NY.
The City of Good Neighbors– with its vibrant art community, love for its people, and pride for its history— is the perfect place for the stained glass community to put down roots.
The SGAA has the distinct honor of being the only accrediting body for architectural stained glass in the United States. The organization maintains Standards and Guidelines for the Preservation of Stained (and Leaded) Glass Windows to ensure the best possible stewardship of our nation’s art glass treasures for the next generations. Today, the organization has approximately 60 Accredited Professional Studios, many of which are in their 3rd generation or more.
Having the SGAA headquarters here in Buffalo has brought to light and renewed ties to national studios and led to incredible collaborations to preserve the City’s historic glass. For instance:
At First Presbyterian on Symphony Circle, the “New Jerusalem” window was designed by Frederick Wilson, who would go on to work at The Judson Studios in Los Angeles, CA. The Judson Studios is one of the Association’s founding members and is now in its 5th generation of family ownership. David Judson was the SGAA President responsible for hiring McElfresh and led the board to agree to the move to Buffalo.In South Buffalo, the work of 4th generation SGAA Accredited member Rambusch Studio can be seen in Our Lady of Charity Parish or St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.The 1884 interior of Delaware Ave Baptist Church was designed and executed by J&R Lamb Studios, America’s oldest continuously-run decorative arts company. J&R Lamb Studios constructed some of the country’s first opalescent stained glass windows for the Church, including the opalescent stained glass dome skylight. Today, the fourth generation descendants of the Lamb family sit on the SGAA’s Board of Directors.It was SGAA Accredited member Oakbrook Esser that carried out the restoration of the stained glass windows at The Darwin Martin House. Another SGAA member, Bovard Studio, tackled the mosaic fireplace.This fall, SGAA Accredited Studio Nzilani Glass Conservation is assisting with the conditions survey for the window restoration at Westminster Presbyterian.
McElfresh herself is a third generation artisan. When she first moved to Buffalo in 2011, McElfresh turned to her lifetime of experience in stained glass and established McElf GlassWorks as a way to funnel her experiences and energy into a professional life here in her new home city.
Megan McElfresh speaking at the Buffalo History Museum in February 2020. Image courtesy of the Buffalo History Museum and the SGAA.
Since its move to Buffalo, Stained Glass Association of America has built partnerships with Explore Buffalo, the Buffalo History Museum, Buffalo Religious Arts Center, and other architectural organizations throughout the city. McElfresh exchanges knowledge and support with these organizations, but most importantly, she exchanges passion. A frequently heard exclamation at the end of one of McElfresh’s tours is: “I will never look at stained glass the same way again!”
McElfresh shared: “Stained glass is part of our buildings, it’s part of our atmosphere. Our work is part of the living space of an amazing city like Buffalo. It is an artform of service and generosity from the talented hands of the maker to the community that it serves.”
“Buffalo used to hear that its glory days were behind it, but it’s a vibrant city that will surprise you. The same is true of stained glass. I hear people say that ‘Stained glass is a dying art form,’ But we have just as many studios operating at a professional level today as we’ve ever had. The new work that’s happening right now blows my mind every single day.”
Trinity Episcopal Church in Buffalo, NY | Image courtesy of Megan McElfresh.
Now, McElfresh is focused on the future: making access to stained glass education equitable and accessible to radically different emerging voices. “I am so excited for the years ahead and what the future holds for this organization, and by extension, for our glass community here in Buffalo. There is no place the SGAA would rather be and I am so ready to celebrate that!” says McElfresh.
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The SGAA Foundation, in partnership with the Center of Glass & Light at Trinity Church, is hosting Facet & Form: Glass Tradition Reimagined, as a celebration of our new home in Buffalo. Through stained glass demonstrations, activities, and education, attendees will leave this event rethinking everything they know about stained glass.
The Stained Glass Association of America & The Stained Glass Quarterly
371 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202
800-438-9581 | 816-737-2090
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