Michigan Stained Glass Census

Organized in 1980, Christ the Redeemer parish dedicated its first church building in 1984. Its present home, completed in 2000, is enhanced with windows that blend with the contemporary design of the building. These windows represent the Four Elements that are reflected in the Liturgical Seasons (clockwise): "Earth" facing west, "Air" facing north, "Water" facing east and "Fire" facing south. Facing in the four directions, they are highlighted by the changing light of the sun during the year. Each window features a pattern of 24-karat gold luster in the shape of a square, with an inner circle containing a double cross that echoes the double truss design of the ceiling. The square symbolizes the Four Elements, while the circle is a symbol of the earth.

The windows were designed by stained glass artist Elizabeth Devereaux of Chico, California, in collaboration with Pastor Joe Dailey and the church window committee, a procedure the artist usually follows. Devereaux earned a B.A. in painting and drawing from Dominican College of San Rafael, including a year at the University of Vienna, Austria, and has done graduate work at the Akademie der Bildende Kunst in Munich, Germany, and the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. Since founding her studio in 1969, she has created windows for religious, residential, commercial and public buildings throughout the United States. She generally uses hand-blown glass and often employs kiln-fired gold or silver lusters for their reflective qualities to give the window "a nightlife of its own." Her work is always site-specific as a result of the collaborative design process she uses. Devereaux's many awards include those from Modern Liturgy Visual Art Shows, IFRAA (Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art & Architecture), AIA (American Institute of Architects), and Public Art Awards for her library and municipal building windows.

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church was registered in the Michigan Stained Glass Census by Sue Enjaian of Lake Orion (MSGC 05.0003).

--Text by Betty MacDowell, Michigan Stained Glass Census
June 1, 2005

Bibliography:

"The Art of Collaborative Design for Sacred Space: Elizabeth Devereaux's Architectural Glass." Glass Art Magazine. July/August 2004, Vol. 19, No. 5, 58-63.

"Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church" (2005). http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/ctr/

Devereaux Architectural Glass. "Elizabeth Devereaux Architectural Glass" (2002). http://www.devglas.com/

Previous Windows of the Month

Back to the Michigan Stained Glass Census Home Page

The Michigan State University Museum Home Page

The Michigan Stained Glass Census is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs