Pendleton Art Center

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   The man behind the stained glass 
BeauVerre Riordan Studios teaches art at its workshops.
By Pamela Dillon, Contributing Writer 1:59 PM Saturday, June 16, 2012 
    When your business is the oldest of its kind in the nation, you have a distinct reputation to uphold. Jay and Linda Moorman do a fine job of that. They own BeauVerre Riordan Stained Glass Studios at the corner of Central Avenue and Broad Street in Middletown.
    When you have a passion for what you do, success comes easy.
    “I was in my 20s, and Cincinnati was known for its stained glass. I tried to buy it because I thought it was beautiful, but could never afford it,” said Jay Moorman, 64. “So I asked a friend of mine to teach me how to do it. It quickly became an addiction.”
    He worked for General Electric by day and spent his off hours consumed with his new passion — stained glass. His mentor was Walter Bambach of Riordan Studios in Cincinnati. Twenty-nine years ago, Moorman was able to devote full time to his creative endeavors when he received a $500,000 commission to create windows for an Islamic Center.
     In 2002, Bambach sold Riordan to the Moormans, who operated BeauVerre Studio at the time. They only had 3,300 square feet of space in Middletown; it was time to move. Luckily, the city of Middletown was trying to unload a three-story building seven miles away that was becoming a prominent eyesore downtown. The Moormans snatched it up for $100.
    “The refurbishing had to be done within a year; we barely made it. We had to move 80,000 pounds of glass,” Moorman said.
    For their hard work, they now have an expansive, 24,000 square-foot space, comprised of three levels, plus a basement. The BeauVerre Riordan Stained Glass Studio includes many tenants: artists, photographers, a dance studio and a frame shop. The culture-minded couple also purchased the Pendleton Art Center across the street. Eighty artists hold exhibits there during the First Friday of the month.
    “We try to do everything art related for the studio,” Moorman said.
    They are deviating from that formula somewhat; an upscale restaurant is planned for the first floor. They hope to have it open by September.
    “They can come in and get a steak and some crabmeat, a glass of wine and then take a tour of the studio,” Moorman said.
    The stained-glass workshops that were held on the first floor will now be moved to a spacious room in the basement. The next six-week class session will begin July 14.
    Contact contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.