Thursday, January 20, 2011

Stained Glass: 2 churches, 2 chapels, 3 organs and tea

Tuesday was an extraordinary day. I did stained glass tours in Saint Mark United Methodist Church and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in an afternoon. I'm at a loss to put the experience into words. I'll just start here. There is some music at the bottom.

It's the ultimate for Architecture Tourists: Two old Atlanta Churches by Atlanta's great architects, windows that took decades to complete, acoustics to make voices and grand organs sing and roar, designed to inspire and lift the human spirit. Best of all, these places work every single day. Not bad.

It's too much to take in: here are just a few square feet at Saint Mark.
P1070114-2011-01-18-St-Mark-Methodist-Stained--Windows-Detail

From St. Lukes.
P1070124-2011-01-18-St-Lukes-Episcopal-Atlanta-Stained-Glass-Angels-detail

For now let me thank Bobby Mays from St. Luke's who put this together for us. And I want to thank my fellow tourists shown here at Saint Mark.

Bill Barber, Our Saint Mark host: Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. Beth LaRocca-Pitts, George Houston, Bobby Mays, Bill Lyons, Warren Williams.
P1070108-2011-01-18-St-Mark-Methodist-Stained-Glass-Barber-LaRocca-Pitts-Houston-Mays-Lyons-Williams

Starting as near complete strangers, we certainly found a lot to talk about.
P1070110-2011-01-18-St-Mark-Methodist-Stained-Pastor-Beth-LaRocca-Pitts

This is what it's like to enter Saint Mark.


And to enter St. Luke's.


Not bad. (West window at Saint Mark)

5 comments:

  1. Funny I have never been a huge fan though I have had an immense appreciation for it in the use of churches and other historical buildings. Incidentally we are going to France and taking a tour and one part of the tour includes a "stained glass workshop" which will demonstrate the process by how its made. Unfortunately we may not be able to make that part of it, as its the last day we leave and might be cutting it close depending on what time we leave for the airport but if we can, I am going to go as I think it would be intereting! Lovely pictures..thanks.

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  2. Terry! Let me know about these, things, pretty please!!! :) I have a list of ATL churches to visit, architecturally, should happen late this summer. Also want to visit during "working hours" to hear the organ and choirs and all that Sunday revelry.

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  3. I took a stained glass class at Callenwolde with Joan Goodyear. She and her husband had a stained glass business in Atlanta for many years and did a lot of churches. I always wonder if I'm looking at their work when I see these windows.

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  4. Looks like a really fun way to explore the city...and probably one of the most colorful ways too!

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  5. Looks like anouther great tour. When is the next one?

    Laura Goff Parham
    State of the Art, Inc. Stained Glass Studio
    http://www.sotaglass.com/

    ReplyDelete

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