Through stained glass windows
Surprises abound throughout Adair County. One would not anticipate being out Fairplay way and running into the designers of some of our nation's most beautiful stained glass windows.
Louis and Peggy Swayze and their Daughter, Jan, are resuming construction of these windows after having moved here from the Atlanta area. Louis, an architect by training from Georgia Tech and Emory University, and Peggy, the artist, trained at Agnes Scott College, University of Georgia, NYU and the Parson School of Design in New York City.
Together the family has collaborated with churches in the Atlanta area. Louis designed and oversees the building of the churches and Peggy would design the beautiful stained glass windows. In the St. Anne's Episcopal Church near Atlanta one sees some eighty (80) magnificently designed stained glass windows. In the process Peggy would create a drawing, and then select every piece of the glass that was put into these windows.
Then using her
knowledge and interpretation of the Bible the scenes were created. The
"Temptation" windows, among others,
show how light through stained glass can
make beautiful illumination in a building. According to Peggy "There is no such
thing as bad light because the Lord sends light through our windows in an
appropriate way." Her "Temptation" windows show Christ during the forty days he
was in the wilderness. In her "Acts of the Apostles" window is a beautifully
designed circular window. Peggy has pictures of all these windows and also has a
DVD in which she goes through the church explaining her thinking process in
designing the eighty (80) works of art. "Resurrection", "Baptism" and
"Crucifixion" are in such intricate detail they are breathtaking. In their
appearance the colors are beautiful and interwoven as if from the brush of an
accomplished painter.
During this process Peggy would spend two (2) to four (4) months designing these windows and then select with her team every piece of glass that was going into each window.
She and Louis have moved to Columbia to be near their daughter, Jan Swayze- Curry. Jan brought all their equipment and design materials and they are in the process of resuming their building of stained glass windows. Jan, who has worked with her mother for a quarter of a century, currently participates in every phase of the process- design, construction and installation. The Currys and Swayzes have another passionate vocation/hobby: Training championship dogs for competition, both in the ring and in the field, for seventeen (17) generations of dogs. For many years they have trained, shown, and coursed Afghans and Whippits throughout the nation.
Both Steve, Jan's husband, and Jan are judges in the field and, in fact, met each other through judging these championship animals. The Swayze's career has taken a wandering course. Louis graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in architecture. Peggy started as a painter and sculptor. They have been collaborating- building these beautiful buildings since 1952 and windows since 1974. They are placed not only in churches but in residences and other public commercial and residential buildings.
According to Peggy her work is not done when the window is designed. It is very important that she oversees the building and installation of the windows into the structure for which it has been created. Such beauty, such elegance, such full use of color and light is a sight to behold. It is hard to imagine that such an industry is located in our small community. As its availability becomes known, no doubt we will see their work throughout South Central Kentucky.
