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Hospital Interfaith Chapel Art Glass

Every winter, around this time, I start to get cabin fever. Usually this results in a certain amount of surfing the internet for distraction and inspiration. For example, you might remember last January’s post about tulip fields in the Netherlands.

This year, my thoughts have stuck a little closer to home, as I continue contemplating the growing realm of hospital interfaith chapel art. Surprisingly, I haven’t found that many online examples of glass used in these spaces; but I thought I might feature a few particularly nice gems that have come across my radar.

This contemporary stained glass window comes from the Interfaith Chapel at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. It’s one of several corner pieces created by Schickel Design that, together with skylights over the central chamber, channel natural light into a contemplative interfaith chapel nestled among other buildings on the hospital campus.

What can I say – I’m an eternal fan of stripes. This glass installation, one of my own, was spearheaded by IKM, Inc. for the UPMC Presbyterian University Hospital’s Interfaith Chapel in Pittsburgh. As with much of my work, the designers were drawn to abstract cast glass for the chapel “to lend the buoyancy of color and light normally seen in this kind of space without the specific traditional imprint of religious tradition.”

Another modern spin on stained glass, this ornate art screen by Robert Frei (Emil Frei, Inc.) serves as a meditative focal point for visitors to the Interfaith Chapel at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The Institute has a whole department dedicated to spiritual care and views the screen as “a metaphor for spiritual care at Dana-Farber: a prism that serves people of many different faiths, a symbol of peace and hope.”

Have you come across other great examples of art glass in hospital interfaith chapels or meditation rooms? Let me know in the comments below!