Arts at St. John's
St. John the Divine has long been a major venue in Victoria, not only for musical performances, both sacred and profane, but also visual arts, drama, and fabric arts.
Stained Glass Window Committee
The work undertaken by this committee can be divided into two projects: the Emmaus Chapel Project and the West Window Project. The committee members undertook a year of specific research on both the medium of stained glass and the artist selection process. In addition, interested parishioners as well as committee members had the opportunity to learn about the many aspects of stained glass by means of two illustrated lectures. Victoria stained glass artist, Ed Schaefer, gave a presentation on the making of stained glass windows and Ayla Lepine presented a history of ecclesiastical stained glass in church architecture. A sermon and a study group led by the Rector assisted in exploring the theme of Revelation.
The Emmaus Chapel Project
This project is well under way. The renowned stained glass artist, Lutz Haufschild, has been selected to design, create, and install a stained glass window, based on the theme of the Crucifixion, in the south wall of the Emmaus Chapel. The theme of the window respects the wish of the donor, the late Hilda Wharton. Installation of the window is expected to take place in late Spring 2004.
Examples of the artist’s previous commissions can be viewed on his web site at:
The West Window Project
This project is still in its rudimentary phase. The theme of Revelation has been chosen for the three lancet windows, complementing the church’s namesake of Saint John the Divine.
Upon completion of the Emmaus Chapel Window, the committee will begin the process of eliciting expressions of interest from a list of stained glass artists, using the same process as for the Emmaus Chapel. Because the funding for this window comes from numerous donors, there will be opportunity for parishioners to give input concerning the sketches of the artists who are short listed for the project.
Elizabeth McAuley and Pat Ormerod Co-Chairs
