More than thirty years after its creation, a captivating stained-glass window, comprised of over 300 pieces of rare glass, has found a permanent home at the Garden thanks to the efforts of three local members.

Crafted with Care

The window began as a beloved custom home piece that brings the outdoors inside, depicting a blooming tree and fluttering hummingbirds. Created in 1993 by artist and Garden member, Randy Griswold, the piece brought both artistry and privacy to the primary bathroom of a home overlooking the Fox River.

Along with its artistic merit, the glass itself holds value. Chicago Art Glass, which is no longer produced, has long been renowned for its ability to depict the colors of nature accurately.

Griswold recalls, “99% of the window is made with Chicago Art Glass—the same kind Louis Tiffany used. That glass is priceless now. You can’t get it anymore.”

His artist journey started in 1968 when he decided to pick up a stained-glass kit from a craft store in order to make a lamp of his own. Since then, his stained-glass projects have found spots to shine all throughout the greater Green Bay community – homes, churches, nonprofits, and Green Bay Botanical Garden.

This specific spring flower window was constructed using the copper foil method, a technique pioneered by Louis Tiffany. Every single glass piece full of lifelike color was hand cut, foiled, and soldered.

“People look at it and think the color is painted on too,” he explains. “But no—what you see is the color of the glass itself. That’s what makes it art glass!”

Although Randy worked in radiology education and biomedical engineering, this hobby became his lifelong passion.

“Just bury me with a glass cutter, a little bit of solder, and an unfinished piece for the road,” he jokes.

Making the Move

Years later when Tony and Katie Pizzo moved into the home, it was time for a refresh, but they couldn’t bear to just toss the stained-glass window. They wanted it to have a future elsewhere.

Tony remarks, “I wanted the window to be somewhere that allowed more people to appreciate it and get the same smile I did in the twelve years Katie and I owned it.”

That’s when an idea began to take root. The Pizzos reached out to Randy, the original artist in hopes he would work with them to find the piece a new place to shine. When Randy suggested taking it to the Garden as a potential donation, the Pizzos wholeheartedly agreed, realizing they were all members of the Garden.

It just made sense that the window would be shared as a permanent installation somewhere in the Garden.

Finding a New Home

After Randy deinstalled the window, he kept it in his studio until a concrete plan could form. Once he chatted with colleague, Mike Smith, who was also a fellow Garden member and skilled woodworker, things were set in motion.

Smith agreed to handcraft a cherrywood frame for the piece, complete with LED backlighting and wall mounting. Altogether, the project took him about 2 months, but it was a worthwhile effort.

Mike says, “The Garden is a special place, and when Randy asked about building a frame for his stained glass to hang in the Fischer Visitor Center, I was all in.”

Through the combined effort of Garden members and with some help from staff on site, the 4×4-foot stained-glass window found a permanent home in the K.C. Stock Lobby at the Garden. Now guests of all kinds, whether they’re here for a summer visit, attending a wedding in the Cornerstone Foundation Hall, or participating in a workshop, can enjoy the piece in person. A bit of quiet respite and reflection with locally made and nature-inspired art.

Looking back on the experience, Griswold reflects, “The three of us—Tony, Mike, and I—came together purely by chance, and we all just happened to be Garden members. If that’s not serendipity, I don’t know what is.”

Plus, it’s not alone; Randy also crafted the circular windows in the Garden’s Rose Cottage located in the Vanderperren English Cottage Garden. Today, he continues creating new pieces, just as he has for more than fifty years, ever inspired by his love for the medium.

He says, “My goal isn’t to make money—I just want people to enjoy glass the way I do.”