For the Pearl River Glass Studio, located in the Midtown neighborhood of Jackson, it started as an honor and labor of love, with Memphis-based artist Lonnie Robinson, who out of hundreds of artistic contestants, won the privilege to create the stained glass windows along with artist Sharday Michelle, for the historic Clayborn Temple, located in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of a massive renovation project.
Memphis artist Lonnie Robinson works on one of the stained glass panels for the historic Clayborn Temple at the Pearl River Glass Company, Wednesdsay, Feb. 22, 2023 in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
At the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, artist Lonnie Robinson works on the image of a Civil Rights icon for a stained glass window to be installed at the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Lonnie Robinson draws an image onto a stained glass panel for the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn., at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
This team of artisans restored three enormous stained glass windows, panel by panel, for the historic church that was a bastion for the Civil Rights movement in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. The stained glass windows depicted Civil Rights icons and paid homage to the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, which lasted 64 days from Feb. 12 to April 16, 1968. It is the site where sanitation workers agreed to end the strike when city officials recognized their union and their raised wages.
Pearl River Glass Studio founder Andy Young (left) and Ashby Norwood, work on the image of a Civil Rights icon for a stained glass window to be installed at the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Renderings of Civil Rights icons to be created as stained glass windows at the Pearl River Glass Studio for the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Ashby Norwood applies glass frit, ground glass mixed with a binder, to stained glass artwork as Lonnie Robinson draws images to glass at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. The stained glass windows at installed at Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. Tragically, the historic church burned to the ground in the wee hours of April 28th of this year. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Lonnie Robinson checks for imperfections in stained glass panels for the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn., at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Lonnie Robinson (left) draws images to glass as Ashby Norwood applies glass frit, ground glass mixed with a binder, to stained glass artwork as at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. The stained glass windows were installed at Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. Tragically, the historic church burned to the ground in the wee hours of April 28th of this year. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Over time, the church fell into disrepair and closed in 1999.
In 2018, it was officially named a national treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The $14 million restoration of Clayborn Temple was a collaborative effort by non-profits, movers and shakers on the national scene, community leaders and donations.
A mock-up of what the stained glass window project for Clayborn Temple will look like. The Pearl River Glass Studio is working on the stained glass windows at the Jackson studio, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Work on one of the stained glass windows to be installed at the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn., at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Rowan Bird carefully leads sections of a stained glass window at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Rowan Bird carefully leads sections of a stained glass window at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Chris Bowron, soldering a lead panel on stained glass at the Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Friday, Oct. 7, 2023. The stained glass will be installed at the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Chris Bowron solders a lead panel on stained glass as Andy Young, Pearl River Glass Studio founder, watches at the Jackson studio, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. The stained glass will be installed at the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Pearl River Glass Studio founder Andy Young shows one the stained glass window panels to be installed at the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn., Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 at his Midtown studio in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
The hard work, the labors of love, the beautiful stained glass arch windows and other restorative work at the historic church all came to an end due to a fire in the wee hours of Monday morning on April 28 of this year.
-- Article credit to Vickie King of Mississippi Today --
