by Sarah Anderson
Beau Verre/Riordan Stained Glass Studio is located at 1054 Central Avenue in a newly restored "5 and 10 Cent Store," turn of the century building in the heart of Middletown, Ohio. The company started in 1983 in a home workshop and has now grown into a nationally respected business. The business draws tourists and high-end clients from around the world.
Their glass is acquired from around the world and colored internally, enabling artists to bring any subject matter to life. They use polychromatic glass, creating limitless pictorial possibilities and preserving the vital association of fine art glass to contemporary architecture. They also use thousands of different colors of glass that can be given dramatic textures and shapes during the firing process and use the "plating" method to depict distant forms more convincingly - a method that is not often used today.
Beau Verre does work on both residential homes and places of worship. Their installations are 100% modular so that home and business owners may remove and take them when they move to a new location. You can see Beau Verre's work at the recently constructed St. Maximillian in Westchester Ohio and the Greater Cincinnati Islamic Center, located just south of Tylersville Road and visible from I-75.
Beau Verre also offers classes for those who want to learn about the art of stained glass. Classes are offered every six weeks on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings for both beginning and advanced students. Tools and glass are not included in the cost of the classes. You can also visit Beau Verre's visitor's art gallery which features work from many area artists including sculptures, paintings, and jewelry. Many items are available for purchase.
Call 513-425-7312 for more information or visit their website at: Beau Verre Stained Glass Studio.
