Sarah Hall is a

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

artist from

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Sarah Hall is internationally recognized for her large-scale art glass installations and solar projects. Her work can be found in churches, synagogues, schools, and other commercial and public buildings in Canada, the US, and Europe. Over the past decade Hall has pioneered a new direction in architectural glass in North America: merging artistic glass design with technical innovations related to green building and bird friendly glass. In 2019 her professional contributions and technical innovations in the field were recognized through her appointment to the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

Early life and education

Early life

Sarah Hall was born in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

in 1951, and grew up in the nearby town of Dundas. Her family’s home was on the edge of a ravine, and Hall was greatly inspired by the natural world around her. The

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is an approximately discontinuous, arc-shaped but generally northward-facing escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States. The escarpment begins south of Lake Ontario and circumscribes the top of the Great Lake ...

which encircles the Dundas Valley, was an important influence in the development of her work. Hall’s dream to become a stained glass artist began early. When she was 9, her father was Chairman of the Building Committee for their family’s

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

in Dundas. During the design phase for this project, Hall went along with her father and his committee as they looked church buildings. It was then that she decided to make

stained glass windows Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

her life’s work. As there were no classes in stained glass in Canada during the 1960s and early 1970s, Hall lived and worked for several years in Alberta photographing ghost towns for the

Provincial Archives of Alberta Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...

, supported by a federal Opportunities for Youth grant. Living Cross by Sarah Hall

Education

In 1974, Hall enrolled in the Creative Arts Department at

Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...

where stained glass was offered as one of the classes. Following this, she was determined to find a full-time program in stained glass, and she next enrolled in the

Architectural Glass Architectural glass is glass that is used as a building material. It is most typically used as transparent glazing material in the building envelope, including windows in the external walls. Glass is also used for internal partitions and as an a ...

Department at Swansea College of Art, Wales, UK. After receiving a Diploma in Architectural Glass from The City & Guilds of London Institute, Hall assisted Lawrence Lee ARCA, Master of the Glass Department at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...

in London. Hall's studies were completed with a year in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

researching Middle Eastern techniques in glass, particularly the art of gold leafing.

Career

In 1980, Hall established her own stained glass studio in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. For the first four years, her studio was in an old storefront at 94 Tecumseth Street. She then moved to 30 Portland Street, where she shared the fourth floor of a large former warehouse with fellow glass artists Robert Jekyll, Steven Brathwaite, Karl Schantz, and Andrew Kuntz, along with photographers Robert Burley and Andre Beneteau. An early supporter of Hall's work in glass was

June Callwood June Rose Callwood, (June 2, 1924 – April 14, 2007) was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist. She garnered fame for her articles and columns written for national newspapers and magazines, including Maclean's and Chatelaine. S ...

who commissioned her work for Jessie’s Centre designed by architect Jack Diamond. Numerous projects were accomplished in this studio (1984 -1990) created in the traditional

technique with glass painting and

silver stain In pathology, silver staining is the use of silver to selectively alter the appearance of a target in microscopy of histological sections; in temperature gradient gel electrophoresis; and in polyacrylamide gels. In traditional stained glass, si ...

In 1990, the growing number of commissions necessitated another move to her own studio – a 3000 square foot space in an old General Electric factory at 1440 Dupont Street in Toronto. There, Hall established a fully equipped design and fabrication studio. Several craftsmen assisted Hall in her work including John Wilcox, Rosiland Sokolosky, Harold (Hap) Straker and William Lindsay. Glass techniques were expanded considerably in this time to include large murals based on

gold leaf upA gold nugget of 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter (bottom) can be expanded through hammering into a gold foil of about 0.5 m2 (5.4 sq ft). The Japan.html" ;"title="Toi gold mine museum, Japan">Toi gold mine museum, Japan. Gold leaf is gold that has ...

techniques (used in the project Scotia Plaza), reverse painted glass,

sandblasting Sandblasting, sometimes known as abrasive blasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove su ...

and

glass etching Glass etching, or "French embossing", is a popular technique developed during the mid-1800s that is still widely used in both residential and commercial spaces today. Glass etching comprises the techniques of creating art on the surface of glass ...

with hydrofluoric acid. Towards the end of this period, Hall worked with craftsmen at Sattler Stained Glass Studio in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

to facilitate larger projects. Her contribution to the built environment was honoured in 1997 by the

Ontario Association of Architects The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is the regulatory body responsible for registering and licensing all architects legally entitled to practice the scope of architecture in the Province of Ontario, Canada Canada is a country in N ...

"Allied Arts Award." She was elected in 2002 into membership of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. Unitarian by Sarah Hall

As her projects continued to expand in size and complexity, Hall moved her fabrication work to the larger and better-equipped facilities in Germany; and by 2003, most of her work was being created under her artistic supervision at the studios of Glasmalerei Peters GmbH in

Paderborn, Germany Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...

In 2004, Hall received a Chalmers Arts Fellowship from the

Ontario Arts Council The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is a publicly funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians. Based in Toronto, OAC was founded in 1963 by O ...

to research and include

photovoltaic technology A photovoltaic system, also called a PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to abso ...

in her art glass installations. This initiated a deeper collaboration with Glasmalerei Peters. The first demonstration of PV technology was the "Northern Light" project co-ordinated by

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

at the

Solar Decathlon The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition, comprising 10 contests, that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. The winners are se ...

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

in 2005. In 2008, Hall and architect Clive Grout received an award from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

for "Lux Nova", their photovoltaic art glass installation at Regent College, UBC. Canadian violinist

Oliver Schroer Oliver Schroer (June 18, 1956 – July 3, 2008) was a Canadian fiddler, composer, and music producer. Early life Oliver Schroer grew up in Vandeleur, Ontario, a small farming community near Markdale in rural Grey County. He attended Grey High ...

composed music for "Lux Nova" and several concerts of his music were held at the studio. Solar Decathlon Window by Sarah Hall

An important mentor for Hall’s work in solar power was the physicist

Ursula Franklin Ursula Martius Franklin (16 September 1921 – 22 July 2016) was a Canadian metallurgist, activist, research physicist, author, and educator who taught at the University of Toronto for more than 40 years.Lumley, Elizabeth (editor) (2008), ''Can ...

. A project called the "Wisdom Windows" honouring

Rose Wolfe Rose Wolfe, (née Senderowitz; August 7, 1916 – December 30, 2016) was a Canadian social worker, administrator and philanthropist. She was the former Chancellor of the University of Toronto. Early life and career Rose was born in Toronto, Ont ...

and the women of

Massey College Massey College is the postgraduate University of Toronto#Colleges, college of the University of Toronto located at the University of Toronto#St. George campus, St. George campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The college was established, built and ...

was commissioned by Master of the College John Fraser as a result of this mentorship. In 2008, Hall completed a building integrated photovoltaic (

BIPV Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope such as the roof, skylights, or façades. They are increasingly being incorporated in ...

) project for Grass Valley School in Camus, WA. This was followed by "Leaves of Light", at the Life Sciences Building at

York University York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...

, and the "Waterglass" solar art facades at

Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre is a cultural organization on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at 235 Queens Quay West. Established as a crown corporation in 1972 by the Government of Canada to create a waterfront park, it became a no ...

. Hall’s most extensive solar project has been the monumental south windows entitled "Lux Gloria" at The Cathedral of the Holy Family in

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

. This is one of the sunniest cities in Canada with over 2268 hours of sunlight per year, and with more than a thousand solar cells in this installation, the Cathedral provides power to the electrical grid. Although the focus was on solar integration in this period many projects were created in other techniques including glass

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

appliqué Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique ...

screen-printing Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a Substrate (printing), substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen i ...

and

fused glass Glass fusing is the joining together of pieces of glass at high temperature, usually in a kiln. This is usually done roughly between and , and can range from ''tack fusing'' at lower temperatures, in which separate pieces of glass stick together ...

. In her most recent work, Hall continues to explore innovative approaches to pressing environmental issues. In addition to bringing third generation photovoltaics (

organic solar cells An organic solar cell (OSC) or plastic solar cell is a type of photovoltaic that uses organic electronics, a branch of electronics that deals with conductive organic polymers or small organic molecules, for light absorption and charge transport t ...

) into architecture, she is looking for ways to mitigate the worldwide problem of bird strike. This man-made plague causes some 100 million bird fatalities per year caused by bird-skyscraper collisions. Hall is working with researchers at the

American Bird Conservancy American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a non-profit organization, non-profit membership organization with the mission of conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC is the second BirdLife International partner in the United ...

to integrate new patterns and surfaces in architectural glass that will warn birds away and collect energy from sunlight at the same time. Detail of Solar Art Glass by Sarah Hall

Throughout her career Hall has sought to improve human environments through the medium of architectural glass. Over the years she has discovered creative ways to tackle global problems while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of her works - finding ways to develop greater energy autonomy and to live in harmony with the natural world.

A Selection of Solar Works

File:Lux_Gloria_by_Sarah_Hall.jpg, ''Lux Gloria'', Cathedral of the Holy Family,

(2011) Lux_Nova_by_Sarah_Hall.jpg, ''Lux Nova'', Regent College, UBC,

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

(2007) File:Waterglass_by_Sarah_Hall.jpg, ''Waterglass'',

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

(2011) Sarah_Hall's_Solar_Art_Glass_at_Grass_Valley_Diagram.jpg, Diagram on Hall's Solar Art Project at Grass Valley Elementary School (2009) File:Leaves_of_Light_by_Sarah_Hall.jpg, ''Leaves of Light'',

(2011)

A Selection from A Thousand Colours Sarah Hall Glass

File:Sarah_Hall_First_Unitarian_Congregation_Toronto.jpg, ''Radiance, Reflection, Revelation'',

First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto The First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto is a Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is affiliated with the Canadian Unitarian Council. It is the largest of six UU congregations and fellowships in the Greater T ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

(1993) Sarah_Hall_St_Thomas_A'Beckett.jpg, St Thomas A'Beckett Tower Windows,

Canton, Michigan Canton Township (commonly known simply as Canton) is a charter township in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Canton is located roughly west of downtown Detroit, and e ...

(2000) File:Sarah_Hall_Chapel_WYD_Koln.jpg, ''World Youth Day'',

Koln KOLN (channel 10) and KGIN (channel 11) are television stations licensed respectively to Lincoln and Grand Island, Nebraska, United States, serving as the CBS affiliates for southeastern and central Nebraska. Owned by Gray Media and jointly b ...

(2005) Sarah_Hall_Gwen_Harris_Concert_Hall.jpg, Gwen Harris Concert Hall,

Paradise Valley, Arizona Paradise Valley is a desert and mountain town in Arizona east of state capital Phoenix. The town is known for its golf courses, spectacular mountain views, numerous upscale resorts and restaurants, natural beauty with desert landscaping and gor ...

(2006) File:Sarah_Hall_DSHA.jpg, DSHA,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

(2015) File:Sarah_Hall_Grass_Valley_School.jpg, Grass Valley School, Camas, Washington (2009) File:Sarah_Hall_Waterglass.jpg, ''Waterglass'',

(2011) File:Sarah_Hall_Twilight_View_Cathedral_of_the_Holy_Family.jpg, Twilight View Cathedral of the Holy Family,

(2011) File:Sarah_Hall_Cathedral_of_the_Holy_Family.jpg, Cathedral of the Holy Family,

(2014) File:Sarah_Hall_St._Barnabas_on-the-Desert.jpg, St. Barnabas on-the-Desert,

(2010) File:Sarah_Hall_St._Catherine_of_Siena.jpg, St. Catherine of Siena,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

(2000-2006) File:Sarah_Hall_St._Patrick's_Home.jpg, St. Patrick's Home,

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

(2013) File:Sarah_Hall_Christ_Church_Cathedral.jpg, Christ Church Cathedral,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

(2016) File:Sarah_Hall_Christ_Lutheran_Church.jpg, Christ Lutheran Church,

Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (formerly Waterloo County, Ontario, Waterloo County). Waterloo is situated about west-southwest of Toronto, but it is n ...

(2007) File:Sarah_Hall_Scioto_Ridge.jpg, Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church,

(2007) File:Sarah_Hall_Massey_College.jpg, Massey College,

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

(2009) File:Sarah_Hall_St._Teresa_of_Calcutta_Elementary_School.jpg, St. Teresa of Calcutta Elementary School,

Cambridge, Ontario Cambridge is a city in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, located at the confluence of the Grand River (Ontario), Grand and Speed River, Speed rivers, in the central part of the Ontario Peninsula. The city had a population ...

(1998) File:Sarah_Hall_Greenwood_College_School.jpg,

Greenwood College School Greenwood College School is an independent co-educational middle school and high school located on the south-east corner of Mount Pleasant Road and Davisville Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History Established in 2002 by Richard Wernham, Ju ...

(2016)

Awards and recognition

Hall's work has received several International First Place Awards for outstanding

Liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

art from both the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, and Ministry and Liturgy. In 2002 she was elected to membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. In 2019 Sarah Hall was appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of her lifelong contributions as an architectural glass artist and for her technical innovations. In 2017, the glass studio under Koen Vanderstukken at Sheridan College founded the Sarah Hall Glass Library. A collection of over 300 glass samples were donated to the Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design (Glass) program. This resource is available to the students of glass blowing at Sheridan College and to the public by appointment. In 2018, the project records of Sarah Hall Studio were acquired by the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, located at the

Toronto Reference Library The Toronto Reference Library is a public reference library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the corner of Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue, within the Yorkville neighbourhood of downtown Toronto and is the largest and most visited br ...

Books and articles

Hall has written or co-authored three books: * ''The Color of Light'' was published by LTP,

Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and elevated it to an ar ...

in 1999 and is the first book of its kind for the field of stained glass: a resource guide for those commissioning stained glass. * ''Windows on our Soul; A Spiritual Excavation'' (with co-author Bob Shantz), was published by Novalis in 2007. The book is based on Hall's series of windows inspired by early Christian imagery. * ''Transfiguring Prairie Skies: Stained Glass at Cathedral of the Holy Family'' (with co-author Donald Bolen), was published by The

Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon () (erected 9 June 1933 when the Diocese of Prince-Albert-Saskatoon was split) is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Regina. The current bishop is Mark Hagemoen, following the appointment of the former dioc ...

in 2012. The book explores the design and creation of the monumental stained glass windows at Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In addition, Hall has written numerous articles for Glass Art Magazine and other publications, covering topics related to the art of stained glass, commissioning, the creative process, and practical considerations for designing and fabricating architectural glass art.

External references

Books featuring Sarah Hall

*Torgerson, Mark A. 2012. Greening Spaces for Worship and Ministry: Congregations, Their Buildings, and Creation Care. Herndon: Alban Institute/Rowman & Littlefield. (Page 154 - 155). *Schwebel, Horst, ed. Glasmalerei für das 21. Jahrhundert. (Band II). 2012. Paderborn: Glasmalerei Peters GmbH. (Page 67, 77, 99, 102 - 103, 129). *Porter, J.S. 2011. The Glass Art of Sarah Hall. Herndon: Paderborn: Glasmalerei Peters GmbH. *Philippart, David, ed. 2001. Basket, Basin, Plate, and Cup: Vessels in the Liturgy. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications. (Cover, page 20). *Crawford, Gail. 1998. A Fine Line: Studio Crafts in Ontario from 1930 to the Present. Toronto: Dundurn Press. (Page 156 - 158).

References

External links

Sarah Hall Studio Official Website

Sarah Hall Glass Library

Baldwin Collection of Canadiana
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Sarah 1951 births Living people Artists from Hamilton, Ontario Canadian stained glass artists and manufacturers Religious artists Canadian glass artists Women glass artists Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Canadian women artists Members of the Order of Canada