Students from Germantown High School display the windows they created as part of the The Stained Glass Project: Windows that Open Doors

Fourteen colorful stained glass windows created by students from Germantown High School are currently on display as part of an exhibition entitled the “Hand-Eye Collaboration” at Drexel University’s James E. Marks Intercultural Center (33rd and Chestnut Streets).

The exhibit symbolizes the power of art to bring together people of all races, religions, ages and backgrounds. It is free and open to the public, and will be on display through June 4. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Also on display are works by the program’s co-founders, glass sculptor Paula Mandel and digital artist Joan Myerson Shrager. Following the exhibition, the windows will be donated to The Community Partnership School of North Philadelphia, a school that offers exceptional education to inner city children.

The windows were created as part of The Stained Glass Project: Windows that Open Doors, an after-school program of the First United Methodist Church of Germantown. The project was founded by Mandel and Shrager in 2006, and is comprised of artist volunteers and teens from a variety of backgrounds who meet weekly to make art and develop friendships.

“The Stained Glass Project is evidence of the power of art to bring people together to learn about themselves and one another,” said Mandel. “As the students create their magnificent windows for others, they learn not only about art and altruism, but they learn about themselves, their capabilities and how to conquer challenges while studying other cultures and parts of the world.”

The nationally acclaimed project has regularly been invited to exhibit artwork at Philadelphia’s major visitor centers, LOVE Park and on Independence Mall, and has even created windows for children in South Africa and New Orleans.

Germantown High School senior Marie Jeanne Haba,
originally from Guinea, creates a stained glass window