You may have noticed the colorful stained glass art piece mounted high in the Mizel Arts and Culture Center (shown above), that’s adjacent to the staircase leading up to JCC Denver. Its connection to the J spans several decades, representing a group of friends who had found a home here as young, new Jewish immigrants. For one of the group’s surviving sons, Mark, it connects him to his father’s past and sense of Jewish identity.
Mark Stein, a JCC Ranch Camp alumnus, has also taught stained-glass classes at JCC Denver. The artist credits the JCC for sparking his lifelong passion for the art medium. “When I was 10, my dad and uncle took a stained-glass class at JCC Denver. It’s a difficult and expensive hobby, so most people who take it don’t continue,” Mark explains. Although they didn’t finish the class, his uncle later helped Mark craft a Jewish star from stained glass one Purim. “Since my dad already bought the supplies, I decided I’d teach myself.” Mark’s self-taught journey began with basic tools and a card table. Now, at 71 years old, Mark works full-time as a commission-based artist from his unassuming home in Denver, filled with eclectic creations.
Art piece by Mark Stein
A turning point came when, at 30 years old, Mark was commissioned by his parents to create a piece that is still on display in the Mizel Arts and Culture Center. Mounted high on the wall, the triple set of windows features a cosmic background with a checkerboard path that symbolizes life’s journey. Three figures sit in the distance, representing Mark’s father’s childhood friends who had passed away by 1983, while the remaining four walk ahead, arms linked. “The point of abstract art is for viewers to find their own unique meaning,” Mark says of its continued relevance.
One of Mark’s creations is a large stained-glass ballerina that hangs in his living room. “I made Giselle back in the 80s, and it’s one of my all-time favorites,” he shares, referencing the precise craftsmanship that defines his work. During his time in college studying pre-med, Mark remembers, “I was good at stained-glass, so I took a year off and never went back.” However, he struggled during the first several years to make a living as an artist, in a pre-internet world.
Mark Stein proudly showcases one of his stunning artwork pieces
Mark works from his garage studio about 8 months out of the year and resumes work in his basement when the weather gets too frigid. The garage space, lined with organized boxes of glass, a pile of cassette tapes sits on the shelves, and numerous awards from past art shows adorning the walls, heavily faded. He unveils some recent projects, including a ner tamid for Temple B’nei Havurah, and a family surname piece that comes alive in the light of a chilly winter morning, glowing in striking shades of blue and amber. We then make our way to the basement, a cozy space filled with tools, a high-rise table, and music radiating softly from his “favorites” playlist.
As he works, Mark talks to us about the process of cutting glass. After pasting paper shapes directly onto glass, he uses a special tool with a metal wheel (first dipped in oil) to apply consistent pressure that creates small scratches along the places he wants to cut. He then uses a rounded wand to gently tap along the superficial incisions until they crack. I ask him if he’s ever made the connection between Jewish culture’s associated good luck with breaking glass and his current occupation. That wins me a good chuckle.
“One of the best parts is every project has a story behind it and you’re trying to come up with what people want,” he explains. Mark receives commissions from clients across the country who trust him with bringing their visions to life.
As our visit comes to an end, Mark meets my eyes with a sincerely jovial gaze. It’s not often that you meet someone who gets to create for a living and with so much heart.
