Glass Act

by Kathy Dall
Special to the Coastal Journal

Nel Bernard and Jim Nutting are business parnters and co-owners of the popular Maine Art Glass Studio.  Their 10,000 square-foot business is housed in the historic St. Cryill’s and Methodius Slavic-Catholic Church at 51 Main Street on 125 in Lisbon Falls.

Bernard and Nutting have 60 years of stained glass expertise between them.  They offer a wide variety of classes, ranging from stain glass boxes with hinged sea shell lids to fused glass switch plates, plus their dedicated staff teaches jewlery design, kiln fired art, and open flame torch marble making.  In the past four years, the two artists have taught and inspired nearly 1,000 students at their studio. 

When you enter the classic brick church it’s hard not to be astonished at what a full service stain glass studio has to offer.  The magnificent Sanctuary Gallery displays a unique stain glass collection, water colors and oil paintings, fine photography, fiber arts, quilts, braided rugs, semi-precious jewlery, and sculpture.  Nutting, an entomologist, designed the stain glass cases preserving the insects in the Butterfly and Worldwide Insect Museum.  The studio has 1200 colors and textures of beautiful stain glass in stock (fusible and dichroic), along with state of the art tools, art supplies, sundries, glass bevels, glass nuggets, lamp bases, and reference books for beginning, intermediate, and accomplished students.

Nutting, a Bates College graduate and corporate fundraiser for Central Maine Medical Center, learned his trade from Bernard, his mentor and teacher at the Lewiston Craft School.  Bernard has been involved with stained glass for 30 years.  “It grows as a passion, because I share my stain glass background with other passionate individuals who are interested in exploring this creative technique,” he says.  Carol Coffin, who has been a dedicated MAGS student for eight years, remarks, “It’s a very happy, educational, and creative atmosphere with excellent instructors.”

As for the working relationship between the two men,  Nutting is the gregarious “networking magician” while Bernard is known as the low key “guiding light” of the enterprise.  When designing “The Tree of Life,” an exquisite, full length stain glass door with ten side panels for the Auburn Hospice House, the duo found that their individual styes and techniques complimented each other quite well.  With the help of twenty-six stain glass students, Bernard and Nutting completed “The Tree of Life” in 42 hours.  Of the 500 commissioned works they have completed, this is one of their favorites. 

The Maine Art Glass Studio owners warmly welcome you to sign up for classes and workshops offered during the week as well as on Saturdays.  Take your family and friends on a stain glass art safari through the Workshop Studio and up into the lovely Sanctuary Gallery, and be sure to check out the Worldwide Insect Museum.
For more information, visit This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (888) 781-6700.