We’re hitting the road to meet you where you are, with a focus on what matters most: passing on knowledge, building connections, fostering mentorship, and supporting emerging professionals. These regional gatherings will include:
- Hands-on workshops
- Technical talks
- Studio tours
- And peer-to-peer learning opportunities that make education more accessible and practical
We hope more Professional and Accredited studios will consider opening their doors, even just for a weekend. These grassroots efforts can create powerful ripple effects throughout the community. Our goal is to hit a different region quarterly - making travel minimal for attendees. Anyone is welcome to the events, but we hope to visit a city near you!
Interested in hosting SGAA On the Road? Email info@stainedglass.org for more information.
Next Stop: Stanton Studios
📅 Save the Date: March 20–21, 2026
📍 318 Rogers Hill Rd, Waco, TX 76705 | More details and registration coming soon - stay tuned!
Workshop #1: Principles of Glass Painting for Emerging Professionals
Join us for a transformative two-day glass painting workshop designed for emerging stained glass professionals who are ready to grow and scale up. Whether you're looking to add traditional painting to your repertoire or take on more ambitious, expressive work, this hands-on session with Tessa Wollard and Yana Reyna is your next step. Come connect, create, and grow with fellow stained glass professionals in Waco, TX!
Whether you're aiming to broaden your creative capabilities or expand your professional offerings, this workshop offers a dynamic space to learn, practice, and connect.
Participants Will Learn:
- Core principles of traditional glass painting and studio safety
- Overview of tools, materials, and mixing mediums
- How to render lines, shading, and detailed surface designs
- Techniques with propylene glycol and gum arabic mediums
- How to fire in multiple layers to achieve depth and dimension
This course is ideal for stained glass artisans seeking to develop foundational painting skills. Having a basic understanding of drawing and design principles is encouraged. Participants should have a basic knowledge of how leaded stained glass is constructed. No prior glass painting experience is necessary.
8 Seats will be available | Registration to be Announced Soon
Meet Your Instructors for Principles of Glass Painting for Emerging Professionals
Tessa Wollard is a master stained glass painter with 5 years' experience. Her passion for creating representational artwork has matured as she has practiced and fallen in love with the medium of painted stained glass. She received her BFA from Hillsdale College in 1996 and since then has worked in oils, graphite, and figurative sculpture.
Yana Reyna is a master stained glass painter for Stanton Studios, in Waco, Texas. She has a BFA in Illustration from George Fox University. For the last 3 years she has worked on over 30 painted windows, working through the design, management, and painting process of these projects.
Workshop #2: Fusing Techniques for Creating Representational Imagery in Leaded Glass and Art Glass Windows
Glass fusing as an art form is in its infancy. Because techniques and processes are evolving rapidly, it is an exciting time to experiment. Whether you have previous experience fusing glass or are just interested in trying new media in your work, we invite you to join us and learn ways to bring this dynamic artform to your leaded glass windows. This immersive hands-on workshop focuses on creative fusing techniques to produce glass that closely represents any image.
Participants Will Learn:
- Overview of tools and materials
- Shaping and shading objects and figures with frit
- How to make and use frit lace and other kiln-formed objects to add dimension
- Reduce, reuse, recycle – how to use and re-fuse your mistakes
- Layering glass for depth and interest
- Outlining with paint for added clarity
This course is ideal for stained glass artisans seeking to experiment with fusing as a medium for creating dynamic windows. Participants should already have a strong grasp of glass cutting skills. No prior fusing experience is necessary, but a readiness to learn, experiment, and scale up in this area is encouraged. This class will not be an introductory class on how to fuse, but some basic fusing knowledge will be gained, questions are welcomed, and resources for learning how to fuse will be provided.
8 Seats will be available | Registration to be Announced Soon
Meet Your Instructor for Fusing Techniques for Creating Representational Imagery in Leaded Glass and Art Glass Windows
Leslie Lenrow Shrage has a background in fine art and earned a degree in painting at Wright State University. Ten years ago, she began her stained glass journey by taking classes in leading and copper foil. Classes in fused glass followed and her passion for this medium took shape. Leslie has been one of the key people growing fused glass production at Stanton Studios. She has helped create six fused and leaded glass windows for George Fox University and is collaborating on the creation of fused glass windows for the GFU library.
Thank you to everyone who attended our first SGAA On the Road stop in Denver, CO!
Why was this initiative started?
This initiative came about because the stained glass world is going through a major shift - as some long-time studios close or change hands, a new wave of independent, self-taught artists is stepping in, bringing with them the grassroots energy of the 1970s.
People are eager to learn, connect, and grow, and SGAA saw a real opportunity to support this next generation by refocusing on what matters most: sharing knowledge.
With a renewed emphasis on advocacy and education, the initiative is building momentum through peer-led workshops, updated outreach efforts, and infrastructure that bridges the gap between seasoned professionals and emerging voices.
These smaller-scale events, like SGAA On the Road, are designed to strengthen regional communities by fostering closer relationships between larger studios and independent artists in each area.
Compared to the annual conference, SGAA On the Road is also a more affordable way for people to engage and grow locally, helping the future of stained glass thrive.
SGAA On the Road is a nationwide, traveling program with regional events planned in cities across the country. We're bringing the experience to you!
SGAA On the Road is open to everyone
Members benefit from a reduced registration fee, and non-members will automatically receive a free one-year Affiliate Membership with their sign-up.
If the workshop fills up, you can still be part of the event! Technical Talks, Studio Tours, and Networking Events will be open to additional attendees. Workshop registration includes access to all scheduled events. For those interested only in the talks, tours, or networking opportunities, separate RSVP options will be available.