On Stained Glass Conservation / Brianne Van Vorst

Architecture Off-Centre

“Rather than restoration, we're not changing the object [in conservation], we're retaining the object, even with all of its marks of age.”

I was taught that one of the identifiers of gothic architecture along with the flying buttresses, the pointed arches and the gargoyles – was the stained glass windows. But that was pretty much all I knew and thought about the stained glass – it was an element in the gothic cathedrals. Brianne’s preservation practice highlights stained glass not only as a medium and a material but also as an architectural element that has witnessed tremendous transformation over the years.

Brianne Van Vorst received an MA in Stained Glass Conservation and Cultural Heritage Management from the University of York. She returned to the United States and worked for a private stained glass studio before starting Liberty Stained Glass Conservation (LSGC) in 2016. LSGC was created to have a positive impact on the United States’ stained glass heritage by requiring an ethical, measured and high-quality approach to conservation treatment.

If you’re curious about Brianne’s work: www.libertysgc.com