Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows facts for kids
| Established | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2014 |
| Location | Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois |
The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows was a special place in Chicago. It was like a big show or collection of art. This museum opened in February 2000 at Navy Pier, a fun spot in Chicago. It closed its doors for good in October 2014.
This museum was unique because it was the very first in the United States to focus only on stained glass windows. These are beautiful windows made from many pieces of colored glass. The museum was named after E.B. and Maureen Smith, who were famous art collectors from Chicago.
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Discovering Stained Glass Art
The Smith Museum had more than 150 amazing stained glass pieces. These were shown in four different areas, called galleries. Each gallery had a different style of art:
- Victorian: This style was popular in the late 1800s.
- Prairie: This style was common in the early 1900s, especially in the Midwest.
- Modern: This style showed newer art from the 20th century.
- Contemporary: This style featured the most recent art.
What Kind of Art Was There?
Most of the beautiful windows came from buildings right in the Chicago area. Many famous artists had their work displayed here. Some of these artists included John LaFarge, Adolfas Valeška, and Ed Paschke.
The collection showed many different ideas. Some windows had religious stories, while others showed everyday life. There were also some very unusual pieces! Imagine seeing a stained glass picture of basketball star Michael Jordan. There was even a window made from glass soda bottles. Another special piece was "Queen of the Elves" (also known as "The Fairy Queen") by Marie Herndl.
The Driehaus Gallery
Right next to the Smith Museum was another gallery called the Richard H. Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass Windows. It opened in 2001 and closed in September 2017. This gallery was all about the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. He was a very famous artist known for his beautiful stained glass.
The Driehaus Gallery showed 11 Tiffany windows. These windows were made between 1890 and 1930. They came from the large collection of a Chicago businessman named Richard H. Driehaus. The gallery also had a special Tiffany Studios fire screen.
Visiting the Museum
The Smith Museum was located among many shops, theatres, and restaurants at Navy Pier. The best part for visitors was that admission was completely free!
Most of the stained glass windows in the museum had special lights behind them. These lights made the colors shine and showed off all the tiny details in the glass. Each art piece was protected by a strong layer of bulletproof glass. This meant visitors could get very close to the art. They could even bring food into the galleries!
Rolf Achilles, who was in charge of the museum, once said, "It’s one of the very few museums in the world you can stroll through eating an ice cream cone right in front of the art." He meant that they wanted people to feel comfortable and enjoy the art up close.
Stained Glass in the City
Even after the museum closed, some of its beauty remained in Chicago. In December 2013, less than a year before the museum closed, 22 stained glass windows were put in the Chicago Pedway. The Pedway is a system of underground tunnels that connect buildings in downtown Chicago. These windows were placed there in partnership with Macy's, a department store. You can still see these beautiful windows on display today!
