A wonderful studio for the production of stained glass is what I discovered when I wanted to get a unique gift for my daughter.
A panel in the works.
I found this place after fruitlessly searching St. Augustine gift shops for a small piece of framed stained glass to hang in a window, one that would show some sort of scene from that historic city.
Here’s the name, address and phone number:
St. Joseph Ministries’ Architectural Stained Glass Studio
2745 Industry Center Rd. # 6
St. Augustine, FL 32084
904-669-5388
Sister Diane and St. Augustine artist, Gary Stehli
That name means just what it says. The studio is a ministerial outreach of the Sisters of St. Joseph in St. Augustine. And for 31 years, Sister Diane Couture has been running the place, producing exquisite pieces of art, doing restoration and preservation work, and offering classes, seminars, DVDs and workshops.
After the loss of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Sister Diane and her crew completed a commission for a stained glass window at the National Shrine in St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City. And this studio has preserved stained glass works “from little known artists to great masters such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and the Mayer Studio in Munich.”
Amazing and incredible.
When I contacted Sister Diane, she didn’t have any ready-made stained glass depicting St. Augustine, but she was willing to make one for me. Surprisingly, she worked with my budget and created a product that greatly exceeded my expectations.
The finshed St. Augustine composite.
In the end she was able to include representations of
- the Castillo de San Marcos
- the St. Augustine Lighthouse
- a lion (from the Bridge of Lions)
- and the huge cross where the Spanish first set foot in what would become the oldest city in the United States in 1565.
All of that on a circular piece of glass 18 inches in diameter for a fair price.
I couldn’t be more pleased. Sister Diane was a delight to work with and a true credit to the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Completed works, including mine in the lower right.
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