Fernie & Elk Valley Culture Guide Issue 6 - Fall 2017 | Page 18

FEATURE ARTIST
Stephanie Rogers
Stephanie Rogers began her enduring
relationship with stained glass at just 20
years old. Working as a quality control
inspector in the cosmetics industry
in Ottawa, she enrolled in an 8-week
stained glass class at a local high school
as a creative outlet. It was an immediate
fit and Rogers quickly immersed herself
in the industry, working in 3 studios
over the course of 15 years and later
attending the renowned Pilchuk Glass
School near Seattle.
Rogers’ 2nd Avenue studio came
to fruition in 2001, after living and
working in Fernie for 10 years. Here she
sandblasts individual glass pieces and
works on a variety of custom stained
glass orders. Her work can be seen at
public buildings in Fernie and hangs in
private homes as far away as Edmonton
and Nelson.
Over the years, restoration of heritage
buildings has become a feature of
Rogers’ work. In Ottawa, she worked
on a number of large scale projects
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including several church windows well
over 100 years old. In the Kootenays,
she was recruited to work on a badly
damaged window at the historic St
Eugene Mission. The glass panels
required painstaking hand-staining and
painting to match the vintage colours
before the window could be completely
re-leaded. The window is another part
of the St Eugene story that ties the
property indelibly to Fernie – the
building’s red bricks were fired in Fernie
over 100 years ago.
In January 2018, Rogers will begin
work on the restoration of a number
of diamond-pattern windows at
Fernie’s Christ Church, including one
particularly challenging window over 10’
long.
Drop in to Stephanie’s Glass and Art
Studio to chat with the artist and see
her at work.
532 2nd Ave  |  250-423-3944
Stephaniesglass.ca