Glenn Greene has a lot to say, and he says it through his stained glass.
“My art comes from being a working stiff; this has informed my art,” he says; he’s proud of his on-the-job training, as distinct from a formal, art-school education. Greene, 63, has been a stained-glass artist since 1979, when he began working for a family friend at a stained-glass studio in his native Cleveland. He juggled high school and full-time work, then moved to Pittsburgh to volunteer on a restoration project at an Oakland church.
Not long after, he started to pick up more work; Pittsburgh’s well-preserved historic buildings have provided a rich collection of stained glass to restore. Pittsburgh’s status as a major glass manufacturing center also made the city fertile ground for Greene.
Glenn Greene Creates Stained Glass That Brightens Regent Square
He founded Glenn Greene Stained Glass 40 years ago, opening his studio in a former machine shop in Regent Square. On any given day, visitors wander into his studio to admire his work. Alongside commissions and restoration work, he creates original pieces that reflect his own artistic vision. “I have pieces hanging everywhere,” Greene said. “What is especially gratifying is when I create something out of my head and someone buys it and hangs it or installs it in their home, and it looks like I spent hours making it work with their space.”
Greene, who adds that he is inspired by the beauty of nature, enjoys restoring old windows as much as he enjoys designing contemporary pieces. His work can be found in buildings throughout the city — churches, synagogues, bars and restaurants, commercial buildings, residential homes and an installation featured at the University of Pittsburgh Honors College inside the Cathedral of Learning.
Why Stained Glass?
For Greene, the “magic gel” of stained glass is its universal allure — and the way it harnesses light. “When glass gets lit up by the sun, the material is very seductive and appealing. You hear someone say, ‘I don’t like stained glass,’ as often as they say, ‘I don’t like chocolate,’” he says with a laugh.
Greene represents a tradition that is very much still alive, particularly in a city teeming with historic homes and buildings. “This is an ancient, medieval craft that is evolving — and has a here and now.”
Greene said his style is always evolving — but there’s a conceptual continuity to it. “People can tell if you have something to say; that is infectious. I’m lucky enough that I make stuff because I have to, because it’s inspiring to me. When someone else is inspired by it, it completes the circle.”
Story by Hilary Daninhirsch
Photo Courtesy Glenn Greene Stained Glass