Visiting Artisan Series Welcomes Stained Glass Expert Küpper

#1311 | September 12, 2012

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College’s Historic Preservation Department will host H. Thomas Küpper to kick off its Visiting Artisan series for the 2012-13 academic year. He is the glazing department team leader at Lincoln Cathedral and is responsible for the conservation and preservation of the more than 720 plain and historic stained glass windows in a building called ” the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles.” His visit to Savannah is in conjunction with the upcoming Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) / Preservation Trades Network (PTN) parallel conferences in Charleston, S.C.

     Back by popular demand, Küpper will be at the College’s Savannah campus September 25 – 28, 2012 (5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah, GA 31405). He will work with STC Historic Preservation students on advanced conservation techniques for stained glass, including cleaning, copper foil repairs and chemical edge bonding. Also he will cover proper documentation techniques for stained glass conservation. Küpper and the STC students will work on an 1884 window donated by John Galik of Sanctuary Place Inn.

     This window will be used for hands-on training during the APT post-conference, two-day workshop “What’s Wrong with My Windows?” held at Savannah Tech on October 3^rd and 4^th. The APT workshop is hosted by the College and will be taught by Küpper, STC’s Historic Preservation Department Head Steve Hartley, and Art Femenella of Femenella and Associates of Branchburg, N.J. Spots are still available for this workshop, which qualifies for AIA credits. Workshop participants do not need to register for the entire Conference. For more information or to register, please visit the APT website at www.aptconference.org.

     Fernenella has three decades of experience in stained glass and has worked for studios such as Greenland and Jack Cushin before starting his own business. He has held positions within the Stained Glass Association of American and is one of the founders and past presidents of the American Glass Guild.

     The APT/PTN conferences will focus on collaborative approaches to preservation between architects, engineers, conservators, and trades people from around the world, and Savannah Tech Historic Preservation students will have the unique opportunity to participate. Many will learn about plaster and masonry repairs at the Old Charleston Jail during a pre-conference workshop with Gerard Lynch (STC Visiting Artisan February 2012) and Andy DeGruchy. Other STC students will work with Rudy Christian (Visiting Artisan March 2012) and students of the American College of Building Arts, as they build two timber frame replica gun carriages that will be installed at Fort Sumter.

      The Visiting Artisan Series is the first effort of its kind at any of Georgia’s technical colleges, bringing three world-class craftsmen to campus each for a week throughout the year. The most recent visiting artisan was Christian, who helped STC students raise a traditional timber-frame structure.

     The next Visiting Artisan, tentatively scheduled for November 12-19, will feature Jeff and Henry Orton, a father-son plastering team from Milton Mowberry, U.K. Jeff has more than 40 years in the plastering business, working on a vast array of sites throughout the world. His son Henry, after pursuing his university degree, followed his father into the plastering trades and today is working for a pargetting company. Jeff and Henry will teach STC students bench running and in-situ crown molding running.

     Savannah Tech has the only hands-on preservation program in the state. The program has gained international recognition and has contributed to a number of community-based preservation projects in the surrounding communities. The program is the cornerstone of new instructional programs in Green Building Technology, which focuses on a comprehensive view of systems and efficiencies in construction. For information about Historic Preservation at Savannah Technical College, contact Hartley at shartley@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.5864.

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• APT/PTN Conference Media Contact: Lisa Stott: 217.331.2926 or marketing@apti.org
• Savannah Technical College Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR, 912.443.5512, ashaffer@savannahtech.edu
• Savannah Technical College Historic Preservation Steve Hartley, Department Head, 912.443.5864 or shartley@savannahtech.edu
• What’s Wrong with My Windows? Care and Conservation of Historic Glazing October 3-4, 2012 in Savannah, GA; Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate; Fee: $495 http://www.apti.org/apt-ptn-2012-conference-plan/what-s-wrong-with-my-windows/