So, you’re serious about lead safety in your (single-bench/bustling business) stained glass studio. You’ve implemented the first “3-for-Free” steps in safety, you: (1) have shoes designated specifically for your work area, (2) wash your hands during and after working, and (3) don’t eat where you work. What else can you do that is relatively easy and cheap to increase being safe?

A growing number of San Francisco homeowners are choosing to restore historic properties—in particular the Victorians that are so synonymous with the city. When a young couple bought a 1900 Victorian in Haight Ashbury, they immediately moved in and began planning restorations and updates, starting with preserving an elaborate but disintegrating stained-glass window at the front of the house. The four-month process, overseen by local specialist Nzilani Glass Conservation, involved removing the panels and taking them apart, salvaging all of the original broken pieces and rebuilding the missing glass.

A typical day at Nzilani Glass Conservation could involve anything from photographing windows to restoring glass. As the only BIPOC-owned stained glass studio in the country, according to the Stained Glass Association of America, they’re providing employment for a diverse group of artists in a traditionally heavily white industry.

“When I was pursuing [glass conservation] as an interest, as an art, and then as a career, I didn’t see myself reflected in it,” says Ariana Makau, the founder of Nzilani. That’s part of the reason why Makau is deliberate about making sure her team is diverse not only racially, but in terms of life experiences as well.

Destination Crenshaw, which organizers have called the “largest commissioning project ever undertaken for Black artists,” is growing.

The $100-million, 1.3-mile public art corridor on Crenshaw Boulevard — reflecting and celebrating Black Los Angeles — has added four art commissions to its roster.

The project — permanent, outdoor sculptures and murals as well as 4 acres of new green space— now includes new works by sculptor Gerard Basil Stripling as well as muralists Patrick Henry Johnson, Anthony “Toons One” Martin and Kisasi Ramsess.

Repairing failing residential windows means ensuring personal safety. In fact, what is often referred to as “stained glass” is in truth leaded-art glass (individual pieces of clear or colored glass set into lead cames to create an artistic design). Addressing lead safety while preserving old windows can be tricky when your beloved pet’s favorite sunny grooming spot happens to be under a deteriorating leaded window actively releasing lead dust.⁠

Of course, leaded-glass windows add great value to your home, both historically and monetarily. Effective preservation of older windows is preferable, under correct health and safety precautions. Site work must always be undertaken by a leaded-glass specialist who also has certified lead-worker training.

The stained glass windows that adorn the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Athens are covered in paper thin cracks.

They’re so fragile, one shattered earlier this year, when March rushed in like a lion.

Still, the intricate design and striking size of the windows offer a glimpse into another time — a time when the Black community in Athens was booming and when Ada Woodson Adams was just a child.

“In 1939, when I was born, segregation existed in Ohio and surrounding areas of Athens County. And so the Black church was the center of Black life,” Woodson Adams remembered.

A 7 foot diameter stained glass sampler in a vintage redwood frame, each petal showcases the talent and expertise of our team.

Ariana Makau was a panelist at the Women in Preservation Symposium sponsored by the NSCDA and the Smithsonian Institution. This was a fantastic opportunity to “rub shoulders” with fellow professionals in the field, share insights and experiences, and highlight the importance of preserving our artistic and cultural heritage while ensuring the language of yesterday is spoken tomorrow.

Published six times a year by the International Institution for Conservation, News in Conservation provides a platform for members of the conservation community to share the latest research, interviews, and reviews. The latest issue’s front cover features three members of the Nzilani team.

Walking into the vaulted interior of Resurrection Church Oakland on the corner of Franklin and 17th Street, your eyes are immediately drawn to look upward. Roughly 25 feet off the ground, a glowing, 10-foot wide orb of jewel colors bulges towards you, almost as if you could reach up and touch its ethereal light.

The inverted stained glass dome is meant to be the embodiment of spirit. But just two years ago, the 118-year-old structure was in no condition to inspire. Botched by improper repairs, it was in critical condition: damaged, unsafe, and unstable.

Though initially thought to be a relatively small repair of two, stained glass panels, discoveries in the initial survey phase revealed major disrepair of the entire west wall. Nzilani worked with other preservation specialists over two years to conserve the entire stained glass window.