Studio Profile: Sarah Hall Studio

"I fell in love with stained glass when I was a kid, at the age of nine." Her words come easily and with the self-confidence of a successful woman whose identity is given voice in the art she creates. "Father was chairman of the building committee, and we looked at church architecture and windows every Sunday for a year. I knew I'd found what I wanted to do."

The absolute conviction of that young girl propelled Sarah Hall to where she is today. As owner of the highly respected Sarah Hall Studio in Toronto, her path was reinforced with a stellar education and apprenticeship. Studying initially at Sheridan College in Ontario, Sarah then crossed the Atlantic to graduate from the Architectural Glass Program at Swansea College of Art in Wales. This led to an assistant's position with the well-known Lawrence Lee, Glass Master of the Royal College of Art in Penshurst, Kent. She left Brit- ain for Jerusalem, where she studied Islamic techniques in glass and finally returned to Canada to open her own studio in 1980.

Sarah made one major decision in those early years that underlined her convictions most strongly, and at a time when it came with a heavy price. She decided to accept only original work, and generally only large commissions. "The first few years were very difficult," she recalls. "I worked part-time in the evenings until I had assembled a good

portfolio. Eventually, you begin to get invited to competitions and you develop a reputation." Her determination paid off and in 1998, Sarah Hall Studio was awarded the largest commission that year in North America - a 3,000 square foot window wall for St. Andrew Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio.

Dividing her time between her own studio in Toronto and partnering studios, Derix in Germany and Sattler in Germany and Canada, she has come to rely heavily upon her assistants through the years. Sarah points out, "In terms of the people you work with, you must trust your assistants' ability. It makes it easier to leave responsibility in their hands." Sarah hand-draws to scale each of her designs. The materials that she purchases, especially those from the German company Lamberts, demonstrate her preference for full antique glass, and she describes her style as lyrically abstract with a fondness for combining geometric and organic forms.

Sarah Hall Studio has an impressive portfolio of over 200 windows, including thirty-eight windows at the Immaculate Conception Church in Toronto; Beth Tikvah Synagogue's three chapel windows, also in Toronto; and, the entryway windows, six aisle windows, two rose windows, and sanctuary window of St. John Lutheran Church. Add to that list the narthex window and six sanctuary windows at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish Church, two prismatic glass windows for Cognos Incorporated, and the design for the Corporate Commitment Award.

One of the more unusual commission was that of the J. W. Watson Public School where the client's most insistent criteria was that all 500 students contribute in some way to the glass wall. Banishing horrific visions of 500 sets of hands along worktables and amongst tools and glass, Sarah came up with the perfect compromise. The students were assembled and asked to create a line drawing of something that made each of them happy. Sarah then began the onerous task of incorporating each of these "gifts from the heart" into a single window, a lesson, Sarah says, in the relationship between the artist, architect, building, and client.

The studio can boast of some impressive exhibits as well, including In Search of the Light of the World, in Paderbom, Germany, 1999; Salon International du Vitrail, Chartres, France, 1989; Winds Eye, Ontario Association of Architects, 1997; and Alternatives, Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1989. Gallery exhibits include Hallowed Objects, Glass Conscious, and Fresh Steps in Glass.

Sarah's talents do not stop there. Most recently she authored The Color of Light, LTP, Chicago, 1999, which is a resource book for parishes, architects, and clergy on how to commission stained glass for a church. Sarah and co-author Jeffrey Kraegel have written over thirty feature articles on various aspects of stained glass - historical, technical, philosophical, and artistic.

When working with clients, Sarah says she gets very architectural. Considering how her work will fit into their buildings is a part of good design, and in her opinion, color is equally important Instead of asking church clients what they'd like in their in their windows, she asks them to tell her about their spirituality. As an artist, she feels it is her job to translate their philosophy into art.

Sarah, energetic and dynamic, considers that she would have enjoyed having a business partner at some point in her growth. Administrative tasks in running a studio can become a daunting workload. Sarah travels 25% of her time, primarily between Germany and Toronto. Juggling projects, travel and day-to-day business can prove to be quite a challenge.

Sarah Hall and Jeffrey Kraegel en- joy a tranquil home life. When we spoke, they were about to leave for vacation to peaceful, and certainly some- what isolated, Newfoundland. "No phones," Sarah breathed in anticipatory delight. Sons Jordan, 14, and Jon-Ezra, 11, spend Fridays with their mother at her studio when school allows. Jordan is already doing some work at the studio and Jon-Ezra has his sights set on becoming an architect. If his mother is an example, he will most certainly realize his dream. PGQ