Sarah Hall (glass artist)

This article is about the stained glass artist. For other people named Sarah Hall, see Sarah Hall (disambiguation).
Sarah Hall
Born (1951-12-09) December 9, 1951
Hamilton, Ontario
Nationality Canadian
Known for stained glass artist

Sarah Hall is a stained glass artist[1] from Canada. Sarah Hall is internationally recognized for her large-scale art glass installations and solar projects. Over the past decade Sarah has pioneered a new direction in architectural glass in North America: merging artistic glass design with technical innovations related to green building.

Early Life and Education

Early life

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1951, Sarah Hall was the eldest of three children of Clifton Leonard Howard Hall and Laura Eveline (Walsh) Hall. In the first year of life she moved with her parents to Dundas, Ontario where they built a house on the ravine overlooking Warren Park. Sarah was inspired by the natural surroundings of her childhood home in Dundas. The Niagara Escarpment which encircles the Dundas Valley including Webster's Falls and Tews Falls were important influences in the development of her work. Her father, was Chairman of the Building Committee for St. Marks United Church in Dundas. During the design phase of St. Marks, when Sarah was 9 years of age, she accompanied her father and his committee to many churches. It was in this time she made the decision to make stained glass windows her life’s work. As no classes in stained glass were offered in Canada during the 1960s and early 1970s, Sarah lived and worked in Alberta photographing ghost towns for the Provincial Archives of Alberta supported by an OFY federal grant.

Glass Studies

In 1974, Sarah enrolled in the Creative Arts Department at Sheridan College where stained glass was offered as one of the classes. In a decision to study stained glass full-time she enrolled in the Architectural Glass Department at Swansea College of Art, Wales, UK. Following her Diploma in Architectural Glass from The City & Guilds of London Institute, Sarah assisted Lawrence Lee ARCA, Master of the Glass Department at the Royal College of Art in London. Sarah’s studies were completed with a year in Jerusalem researching Middle Eastern techniques in glass. One of the techniques she learned in Jerusalem was gold leafing on glass.

European artistic influences include the stained glass work of Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Georges Meistermann, Georges Rouault, Fernand Leger and Johannes Schreiter. Sites where these works were viewed were visited with her mentor art historian Peter Larisey, SJ (Society of Jesus) who taught at Regis College, University of Toronto. Artistic influences from Canada include glass artists Yvonne Williams and Rosemary Kilbourn and painter Emily Carr. Sarah spent a summer on Haida Gwaii to photograph what remained of the villages and totem Carr had painted.

Personal life

In 1982, Sarah married Jeffrey John Kraegel, a builder of musical instruments and piano technician for The Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall. They have two sons, Jordan Benjamin Hall Kraegel and Jonathan Ezra Hall Kraegel. Both sons have shown strong ability in craftsmanship and design - Jordan in wood and Jonathan in metal.

Techniques

First Studios - Leaded Glass Technique

In 1980, Sarah established her own stained glass studio in Toronto. For the first four years, the studio was located in an old storefront at 94 Tecumseth Street. Sarah then moved to 30 Portland Street with fellow glass artists Robert Jekyll, Steven Brathwaite, Karl Schantz, Andrew Kuntz and photographers Robert Burley and Andre Beneteau sharing the large 4th floor warehouse. An early supporter of Sarah’s work in glass was June Callwood who commissioned her work for Jessie’s Centre designed by architect Jack Diamond. Numerous projects were accomplished in this studio (1984 -1990) created in the traditional stained glass technique with glass painting and silver stain. In these projects, Sarah did the design work and all of the technical work on the glass herself.

First Studios List of Works (1980 - 1990)

Dupont Street Studio - Expanded Techniques (1990 – 2005)

In 1990, having a large number of commissions forced another move to an exceptional space in the old General Electric warehouse at 1440 Dupont Street. Painted entirely white, this 3000 square foot studio had 30 foot high ceilings, massive skylights and windows. Several craftsmen assisted Sarah in her work including John Wilcox, Rosiland Sokolosky, Hap Straker and William Lindsay. Glass techniques were expanded considerably in this time to include large murals based on gold leaf techniques (Scotia Plaza), reverse painted glass, sandblasting and glass etching with hydrofluoric acid. Towards the end of this period, Sarah worked with craftsmen at Sattler Stained Glass Studio in Nova Scotia to facilitate larger projects. Her contribution to the built environment was honoured in 1997 by the Ontario Association of Architects "Allied Arts Award." She was elected in 2002 into membership of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. Sarah Hall is listed annually in Canadian Who’s Who. Projects created in this period are included in the list below.

Dupont Street List of Works (1990 – 2005)

  • Scotia Plaza, All That Glitters- Reverse Painted Gold Leafed Glass Mural, Toronto, ON
  • St. Paul the Apostle Church, Sanctuary & Chapel Windows, Burlington, ON
  • Cardinal Carter RCSS, 4 Chapel Windows & Medallion, Aurora, ON
  • Jessie's Centre for Teenagers, 10 Optical Glass Nursery Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Holy Trinity RCSS Chapel, 14 Chapel Windows, Bradford, ON
  • Queensway General Hospital, Gold Leafed Donor Wall Mural, Toronto, ON
  • Prince of Peace Catholic School, 9 Foyer Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Quiet Room Windows, Toronto, ON
  • W. J. Watson Public School Resource Centre, Clerestory Windows, Keswick, ON
  • First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, Tower & Chapel Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Skylight Window, Sarnia, ON
  • Michael Power Separate School, Etched Glass Screen & Mural, Toronto, ON
  • St. Matthew's Catholic School, St. Matthew & Holy Family Windows, Cambridge, ON
  • Thornhill Public School, Foyer Windows, Thornhill, ON
  • Bishop’s Residence, Reception Room Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Immaculate Conception Church: 38 Windows, Woodbridge, ON
  • Thomas Aquinas RCSS, Chapel Window, London, ON
  • Fox Point Lutheran Church, 9 Chapel & 6 Entryway Windows, Milwaukee, WI
  • Prospect Cemetery and Mausoleum, 14 Windows - Stations of the Cross, Toronto, ON
  • Bruce Peninsula Hospital, Clerestory Window, Wairton, ON
  • Knox Presbyterian Church, Nave Window, Toronto, ON
  • United Methodist Church, Sanctuary Window, Hysperia, CA
  • 16th Ave. Public School, Interior Glass Mural, Thornhill, ON
  • Jean Vanier RCSS, Sanctuary & 6 Clerestory Windows, Collingwood, ON
  • Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church, Celtic Windows, Richmond Hill, ON
  • St. Peter's RCSS, Chapel Windows, Barrie, ON
  • Our Lady of Mount Carmel Convent, Chapel Windows, Maple, ON
  • St. Simons Anglican Church, Nave Window-St Cecilia, Toronto, ON
  • North York Hospital, Chapel Mural and Entryway, Toronto, ON
  • St. Andrew Church, 5 East Gable & Baptistery & Rose Windows, Columbus, OH
  • Immaculate Conception Church, 25 Clerestory & Choir Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Mother Teresa School, Foyer and Library Windows, Cambridge, ON
  • Epiphany of Our Lord Church, Skylight, Narthex & 6 Sanctuary Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Manresa: Jesuit Spiritual Retreat Centre, Chapel Window, Pickering, ON
  • St. John Lutheran Church, Entryway and Sanctuary Windows, Dublin, OH
  • Beth Tikvah Synagogue, 3 Chapel Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Shaarei Beth-El Synagogue, Sanctuary Windows, Oakville, ON
  • Laval House, Spiritan Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Marble Collegiate Church, 2 Sanctuary Windows, New York City, NY
  • St. Richard’s Catholic Church, Sanctuary Window Borrego Springs, CA
  • Thomas a Becket Parish Church, Sanctuary and Chapel Windows, Canton, MI
  • St. John Lutheran Church, Sanctuary and Narthex Windows, Dublin, OH
  • Beth Tikvah Synagogue, 3 Chapel Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Shaarei Beth-El Synagogue, Sanctuary Windows, Oakville, ON
  • Laval House, Spiritan Windows, Toronto, ON
  • Marble Collegiate Church, 2 Sanctuary Windows, New York City, NY
  • St. Richard’s Catholic Church, Sanctuary Window Borrego Springs, CA
  • Thomas a Becket Parish Church, Sanctuary and Chapel Windows, Canton, MI
  • Thomas a Becket Anglican Church, 6 Nave Windows, Mississauga, ON
  • B’nai Keshet Synagogue, Entryway, Clerestory & Sanctuary Windows, Montclair, NJ
  • John Neumann Catholic Community, Blessed Sacrament Chapel, St. Charles, IL

German Studio and Introduction to Solar (2004 – present)

In 2004, Sarah received a Chalmers Arts Fellowship from the Ontario Arts Council to research and includes photovoltaic technology into her art glass installations. This initiated a collaboration with Glasmalerei Peters GmbH in Paderborn, Germany. The first demonstration of PV technology was the "Northern Light" project co-ordinated by Concordia University at the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC in 2005. In 2008, Sarah and architect Clive Grout received an award from the American Institute of Architects for "Lux Nova", their photovoltaic art glass installation at Regent College, UBC. Canadian violinist Oliver Schroer composed music for "Lux Nova" and several concerts of his music were held at the studio. Mentorship for her work in solar power has come from physicist Ursula Franklin. A project called the "Wisdom Windows" honouring Rose Wolfe and the women of Massey College was commissioned by Master of the College John Fraser as a result of this mentorship. In 2008, Sarah created BIPV for Grass Valley School in Camus, WA. This was followed by "Leaves of Light", Life Sciences Building at York University and "Waterglass" solar art facades at Harbourfront Centre. Hall’s most extensive solar project has been the monumental south windows entitled "Lux Gloria" at The Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, one of the sunniest city in Canada with over 2268 hours of sunlight per year. Although the focus was on solar integration in this period many projects were created in other techniques including glass mosaic, appliqué, screen-printing and fused glass.

Another new innovation has been solar glass retrofitting for existing buildings which provides a brand new building envelope that collects energy.

In her most recent work, Sarah continues to explore innovative approaches to pressing environmental issues. In addition to bringing third generation photovoltaics (organic solar cells) into architecture, she is looking for ways to mitigate the world-wide problem of bird strike. This man-made plague causes some 100 million bird fatalities per year caused by bird-skyscraper collisions. Sarah is working with researchers at the American Bird Conservancy to integrate new patterns and surfaces in architectural glass that will warn birds away and collect energy from sunlight at the same time.

Throughout her career Sarah has sought to improve human environments through the medium of architectural glass. Over the years she has discovered creative ways to tackle global problems while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of her works - finding ways to develop greater energy autonomy and to live in harmony with the natural world.

List of Works (2005 - Present)

  • Vincent de Paul, Windows, Tabernacle & Interior Glass Screens, Rogers, AR
  • Marguerite d’Youville, Glass Skylight Canopy & 12 Nave Windows, Brampton, ON
  • John of the Cross Community, 6 Sanctuary, 10 Narthex Windows, Mississauga, ON
  • Catharine of Siena, 56 Sanctuary Windows, Columbus, OH
  • Thornhill United Church, Rose Window, Thornhill, ON
  • South Huntington Jewish Centre, 24 Synagogue Windows, South Huntington, NY
  • Embassy of Kuwait, Main Foyer Window & North Corridor, Ottawa, ON
  • World Youth Day HQ, Chapel Window, Koln, Germany
  • Rose of Lima, 50 Sanctuary & Narthex Windows, Toronto, ON
  • HQ, Union of Reform Judaism, Chapel Project, New York, NY
  • Church of the Resurrection, 14 Marian Chapel Windows, New Albany, OH
  • Our Lady of Assumption Church, 3 Chapel Windows, Albany, NY
  • St. Peters Catholic Church, Blessed Sacrament Chapel Screen, Laporte, IN
  • Grace Church on-the-Hill, IOAC Narthex Window, Toronto, ON
  • St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Entryway Doors and Gold Leaf Murals, Mississauga, ON
  • Scioto Ridge Methodist Church, 20 Sanctuary Windows, Columbus, OH
  • Christ Lutheran Church, 12 Sanctuary Windows, Waterloo, ON
  • Solar Decathlon Project, Photovoltaic Art Glass, Washington, DC
  • Gwen Harris Concert Hall, 36 windows for the Music Building, Paradise Valley, AZ
  • Regent College Wind Tower, "Lux Nova" Solar Art Glass Project, Vancouver, BC
  • Grace Church on-the-Hill, Narthex (Bradfield) Windows; Toronto, ON
  • Rene Goupil Jesuits, 3 Chapel Windows, Pickering, ON
  • Grass Valley Elementary School, Photovoltaic Art Glass Windows, Portland, OR
  • Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community, 16 Entryway Windows, Vancouver, BC
  • Manresa Jesuit Retreat Centre, 8 Blessed Sacrament Chapel Windows, Pickering, ON
  • Massey College, Upper Library – 9 Wisdom Windows, University of Toronto, ON
  • Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community, "Magnificat" Windows, Vancouver, BC
  • St. Barnabas on-the-Desert, Sanctuary Project- Glass Mosaic Wall, Paradise Valley, AZ (in collaboration with Casavant Organs)
  • Cathedral of the Holy Family, 3 Solar Façade Windows, Saskatoon, SK
  • Cathedral of the Holy Family, 5 Sanctuary Windows, Saskatoon, SK
  • York University,"Leaves of Light" Solar Project, Toronto, ON
  • Holy Name of Jesus Parish,"Light of the World" Glass Mosaic, Vancouver, BC
  • Western Theological Seminary, Narthex, Prayer Rm, Sanctuary Windows, Holland, MI
  • Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Waterglass Solar Project, Toronto, ON
  • St. George’s Anglican Church, 3 Sanctuary Windows, Toronto, ON
  • St. Pius X Parish, 8 Sanctuary Windows, Reconciliation Room, Calgary, AB
  • Redeemer Episcopal Church, 2 Chancel Windows, Altar Frontal, Cincinnati, OH
  • Emmanuel College, University of Toronto, Chapel Window, Toronto, ON
  • St. Patrick’s Home, Chapel Entryway- 6 doors, Ottawa, ON
  • Chapel, Cathedral of the Holy Family, 2 "Annunciation" Windows & Mosaic, Saskatoon, SK
  • Rosedale United Church, Narthex Centennial Window, Toronto, On
  • Divine Savoirs Holy Angels HS, 15 Chapel Windows, Milwaukee, WI
  • Christ Church Cathedral, 100 foot high bell spire, Vancouver, BC
  • St. Clements Anglican Church, choir window, Toronto, ON
  • Greenwood College School, 5 floors: interior glass walls, Toronto, ON

Other Works

Audio/Visual

Exhibitions

Solo

With Other Artists

Awards

Hall's work has received several International First Place Awards for outstanding Liturgical art from both the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, and Ministry and Liturgy.

In 2004, Hall was awarded a Chalmers Arts Fellowship (Ontario Arts Council): to research and integrate photovoltaic technology (solar energy collection cells) into her art glass installations. This unique fusion is the first of its kind in North America, and first premiered at the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC.

Books

Hall has released four publications.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "About Sarah Hall". sarahhallstudio.com. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Members since 1880". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  3. ↑ "Publications by Sarah Hall". sarahhallstudio.com. Retrieved 14 January 2016.

External links

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