The popular class, held at Chinatown’s Element Art Center, was my first experience with stained glass and it made an instant fan out of me. Like sewing, there are a series of very different processes that go into completing a stained glass work including design, scoring, cutting, grinding and fitting — and that’s before any soldering even happens.

Luckily for us, Element owners Chloe Hess and Justin Steffler design and precut the glass pieces beforehand from a photo that participants are asked to send over before the class. I was charmed — the design actually looked like my cats with all of their notable markings well represented.

Our session began with Hess explaining how the glass was prepped before we were tasked with lining the edges of each small piece with copper foil. The process was incredibly tedious but soothing in the way that meditative, repetitive things often are.

Next we plugged in our irons, donned our safety gear and soldered the glass pieces together using lead came and a mild acid, which we brushed along the copper strips with a paint brush. This part was scary — the irons get incredibly hot and sometimes the lead can sizzle and splash like grease when it reaches boiling temps. It was also pretty difficult to make beautiful soldered lines and this was where my limited experience in the medium showed itself the most.

After we connected each piece and soldered the lines on the front, back and sides, Hess came around and attached a wire chain for hanging. She also gave us the option to paint additional details onto the glass, which I did using guidelines that were already accounted for in the paper design.

Owned and operated by Steffler and Hess, working artists who hold degrees in both fine art and education, the interdisciplinary studio has been in operation since 2022. “We saw a need for a space that provides the community with a version of what we had in art school: equipment and space,” said Hess. “We hope to help our students and artist members share their stories through art.”

Hess and Steffler lead all of the classes, including abstract stained glass, woodcarving, ceramic sculpture and wheel throwing, painting, mosaics and printmaking. They also offer a ticketed membership program that includes dedicated storage and round-the-clock access to facilities.

Price: $145 for the 3-hour workshop