Client: St. Luke Lutheran Church

Location: Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Completion date: 2001

Artwork budget: $150,000

Project Team

Architect

Robert Overhiser

The Architects Design Group, Ann Arbor, MI

Artist

Arthur Stern

Arthur Stern Studios

Overview

This project included a monumental 40' wide x 18' tall window that started up about 20' off the floor. It is only seen upon exiting the sanctuary and is titled "A Celebration of Faith, A Celebration of Worship". There are also two side aisle windows titled "Holy Spirit" and "Communion", all designed as an ensemble, and built with hand blown glass and beveled glass prisms.

Goals

The committee felt my design style suited the building and their worship style. I took the angular slope of the ceiling and the large window had three crosses as part of the framing to work with. I then created iconography that blended with the angular shapes, improvising the entire ensemble of art glass around the same abstract geometric vocabulary.

Process

I collaborated with the architects and a committee from the congregation, fielding their design criteria, and returning with design options suited to their requests. After a presentation and critique, I took details they responded to from the various options I had presented and created a final design. The final design met everyones approval and fabrication began.

Additional Information

This project earned a BENE Religious Arts Award and has been widely published in both books and magazines.